Fashion trends you need to invest in this spring
Fashion trends you need to invest in this spring
With vaccinations in full swing, a “normal” spring seems to be in our midst. Last year, we were in our homes, wearing our finest sweatpants and leggings. As we throw out our quarantine attire and walk back into society, our closets may need a refresh.
Syracuse University fashion design students, including senior Adelle Wade, sophomore Larsen Lencheski and junior Emily Goldberg, as well as local business owner Caeresa Richardson, are all Syracuse fashion experts who’ve provided tips for creating the perfect spring wardrobe.
This spring is all about nostalgia and comfort, they said, so here are some of the latest fashion trends that might creep into your closet if they haven’t already:
This season is dedicated to the throwback
Wade said that 70s style is on its way in.
“I see a lot of patterns and prints that are more luxurious and sophisticated than random floral prints, ” Wade says. “It can lead to print mixing and things like that. So we’ll see like checker prints and then a new colorful type of thing.”
Wade is witnessing fashion that embraces the silhouette with longer skirts and dresses that button up to fit curves.
Goldberg, vice president of SU’s Fashion and Design Society, has also caught sight of this spring’s 70s designs. “We’re seeing a lot of like fun patterns, especially like checkerboard or those 70s groovy patterns,” she said.
Lencheski has also seen the rise in the fashion of this decade “fringe bags are definitely coming back,” Lencheski said. “Very 1970s chic.”
After reviewing 2021 Fashion Week collections, Lencheski is noticing the comeback of 80s-inspired clothing.
“We’re seeing a lot of that nostalgia, oversized shoulder pads, boyfriend jackets, and blazers,” Lencheski said. “I see that staying around for a bit. It’s very chic, very classic.”
Caeresa Richardson, the owner of Syracuse sustainable fashion boutique Gypsy Freedom, is seeing tons of 90s fashion worn this spring, with fitted crop tops and baggy pants that are still dressed up.
Everything from the early 2000s is also coming back in style, Goldberg said, including low-waisted jeans, crop tops, bright eye makeup and more.
“Y2K has been here for a while, and I don’t think that’s leaving just yet,” Wade said.
Since baggy jeans are back, are skinny jeans in or out?
“I feel like skinny jeans aren’t like the thing right now, but I think that they’re going to come back eventually,” Wade said. “I think like it’s in between this medium fit and like baggy and wanting to go with the wide flare at the bottom.”
Lencheski has also seen skinny jeans move out of trend this spring.
“A lot of people feel personally attacked, like ‘Oh my God, that’s half my wardrobe,’” Lencheski said. “We know that things cycle so I’m sure that they will come back again.”
Colors: Bold and Bright
As we seem to be moving out of the darkness of the coronavirus pandemic, a new day is upon us, and this hope and optimism is being reflected in this spring’s fashion color palette.
“The Pantone colors of the year were yellow and like a light gray,” Goldberg said. “I think the yellow was just so spot on because it represents everything: sunshine, opening back up happiness.”
Yellow has also become a popular color during this time, Lencheski said.
“It’s just so bright, and it’s so fun,” Lencheski said. “People associate the color yellow with sunshine and light – what a lot of us have really been needing in these past couple of months.”
The light gray combined with yellow perfectly aligns with this season’s color-blocking trend. Richardson said that along with wearing pastels, which is typical for spring, people are color-blocking in unique ways.
“Instead of wearing a patterned blouse or shirt, people are wearing a solid striking color shirt and then another solid striking color pant or skirt,” Richardson said.
As a business owner, Richardson knows that many brands were not able to release fall designs because of the pandemic. As a result, many would-be fall colors are resurfacing in this spring’s collections along with the release of collections that were supposed to come out last spring.
“We’re seeing dark, deep jewel tones in spring styles, which is really interesting,” Richardson said.
How the pandemic influenced fashion
During the lockdown, comfort was the only thing that mattered. Richardson believes that comfortable and breathable clothing will remain a theme this spring, calling it “elevated sportswear.”
“Even though they’re working from home, they still want to feel dressed up, but they want to be comfortable,” Richardson said.
Elevated sportswear includes lots of layering over loose-fitting clothing. Richardson said that jackets will be used to give joggers, tracksuits, and flowy dresses more structure.
Along with the stylish but comfortable clothing, all-purpose accessories like tote bags will be featured more in this spring’s fashion, Richardson said.
“As a result of quarantine last year, people are starting to get more functional with their wardrobe,” Richardson said. “I see a lot more of function over fashion.”
Wearing masks and working from home has also impacted the need for heavy makeup. Outside of the fun and colorful Y2K-inspired looks, natural looks and mask-friendly makeup is becoming more popular.
Fashion is subjective and trends come and go. Some may want to get extravagantly dressed up to celebrate the return of normality and others may stay in sweats. What’s most important, Goldberg said, is that people wear what makes them comfortable.
“At the end of the day, staying true to your own style is the best thing that you could do,” Goldberg said.
is a digital producer for The NewsHouse and magazine, news, and digital journalism graduate student.
