The fashion world of 2023 was heavily focused on street style: with baggy bottoms and causal loungewear being a huge part of the mainstream fashion world. 2023 was the year of small tops and baggy bottoms, and in 2024 that’s all going to change, 2024 is the year of casual elegance, heavily influenced by the early 2000s, taking inspiration from Kate moss, Alexa Chung and Jane Birkin, bringing back Indi sleaze. Simple, basic outfits will be elevated with statement socks and there will be a huge focus on accessories.
In preparation for spring 2024, a lot of runways and fashion houses will be using roses as their flower of choice this year. Although this might not be directly translated into mainstream fashion, flowers are a must for spring, and with summer being predicted to be the hottest summer on record, I think that many people will be using florals to elevate their outfits. However, roses are going to be big this year with Alexander McQueen and Simone Rosher using roses in their runway looks already, as well as roses being seen on the red carpet this award season.
A big trend of 2023 that will be seen in 2024 will be jewellery, 2023 was all for the rose chokers and minimalist hoops, yet this year it's all about layering. Last year we saw a lot of mixing metals (wearing gold and silver together) however this year it will be all about sticking to one colour and maxing out on the quantity of it, by layering necklaces and rings, but keeping it elegant by sticking to one metal. Overall, 2024 will be all about simple elegance, accessorised to the max, with Kate moss, Jane Birkin and Alexa Chung being used as inspiration for many outfits.
As well as elegance in 2024 there will be a huge focus on the rockstar girlfriend, Indi sleaze, grungy style an almost messy, thrown together effortless look, which will be a more mainstream look, contrasting with the elegance that will be seen with the more luxury brands. I think there will be a focus on accessorising, the Indi Sleaze aesthetic is back and along with it, the colour red. The pop of red, started to gain popularity around Christmas time, and now in time for spring it will be immensely popular: especially red tights. Fashion runs in cycles, and according to British Vogue the ‘90’s looks was up 42%, whereas as the very distinct 2016 logo-tagged looks were down 52%. With the Indi sleaze look being brought back, Mary Janes and ballerina flats will be big, with the focuses being accessorising the look with a statement sock, perhaps with bows, paired with Mary Janes and a simple mini dress and a statement coat, most likely a fur or leopard print. And according to British vouge the ballet flats and Mary Janes are predicted to be the trend of 2024.
Another trend that will be around for quite a long time will be bows. The incorporation of bows as accessories ties into the whole ballet style of clothing that gained popularity at the end of last year, however, bows this year are done in the more sophisticated, simple and minimal way, not in the 2015 Jojo Siwa way. But bows carry a more significant meaning than just being an accessory, they’re a reminder of girlhood: as young girls all we want to do is grow up, and we can’t wait to be older so we try and act more mature, now as the older girls we miss childhood and wish that we didn't grow up so fast, so wearing bows allow us to relive our childhood, and is almost an escape to the realities of being a woman. Using Kate Moss as inspiration for 2024 will bring back the big fur coats, and especially in the winter, I’ve already seen this become big in college, and predict that it will be big in fashion for a long time.
Fashion is a form of expression. Fashion is the most powerful art there is, it’s movement, design and architecture all in one. It's important to note that trends are fashion, but style is how you wear something and not just what it is that you are wearing.