10 Style Trends to Adopt in 2018 (circa 2017)
1. Chunky-Sole Trainers
Athletic sneaker giants Adidas & Nike have dominated the sneaker market in popularity & sales the past five plus years. Both, having chunky-sole trainers that have stood the test of time endorsed by pop culture icons, in music & film, hasn’t gone unnoticed by the fashion industry. But, 2017, leading into 2018 may be the biggest year this concept has been played with by brands such as Louis Vuitton & Balenciaga, with no signs of slowing down, as we progress through the year.
What to cop…
Tracee Ellis Ross nailed airport-chic. Loose, comfy, neutral; base layers, a checkered wool overcoat & even cuffed the pants a bit for a subtle-stunt, while rocking the Balenciaga Triple S trainers.
1) NIKE SF AF1 Field Boot
2) Adidas YEEZY Desert Rat 500
3) Adidas YEEZY Wave Runner 700
4) Balenciaga Triple S Runner
5) Louis Vuitton SS18 (Not yet available)
2. Derby/Creeper-Sole Formal Shoes
As we’ve seen throughout time, everything old returns to prominence about every ten years. Derby/creeper soles are no exception to this rule. With thicker silhouettes dominating high fashion & street fashion, alike, it’s no wonder your style pallet is less critical of the Doc Marten’s you’ve held onto out of laziness, but told yourself so many times you should throw out. If you’re lucky enough to still have an old pair laying around, or are fortunate enough to be able to steal a pair of loafers from your granddad before he donates them to the Salvation Army. Restore them & throw’em on, opting for slim-fit clothing, letting your footwear be the hefty, rugged statement piece, while on your next date.
What to cop…
Sam Smith made bold moves here…He successfully paired black & brown, as well as threw in white-topped formal creepers for a pop factor.
1) YSL Studded ARMY 25 Wingtip Derby Shoes
2) Doc Marten Adrian Temperley Tassle Loafers
3) Doc Marten 3989 Temperley Wingtip Derby Shoes
4) ASOS Wingtip Creeper Sole Brogues
5) Black Vegan TUKskin Pointed Buckle Creeper
3. Strategically-Placed Obnoxious Branding
This is method clothing, meaning more than likely you’ll have to learn this style trade via trial & error. A garment with obnoxious branding in this style technique, takes the place of a statement piece & unless you want to be dubbed a brand-whore or a streetwear fuckboy, you simply shouldn’t do both. In an attempt to at least set you on the right path, some acceptable forms of this technique are a branded jacket/solid base layers/branded sneakers, solid or minimal print jacket/branded top layer/branded bottom layer/minimalist sneakers, or graphic or print top/solid bottoms/branded sneakers.
What to cop…
Justin Beiber is usually a hit or a miss…this is a hit in my opinion. He kept his base layers (hat/tee/jeans) free of branding/designs, allowing him to go as goddy & obnoxious as he wanted with the branding of the OFF-WHITE jacket & print of the Turtle-Dove Adidas YEEZY Boost 350s.
1) Adidas YEEZY SZN5: CALABASAS Crewneck Sweatshirt
2) Adidas YEEZY SZN5: CALABASAS Cali Sport Letterman Jacket
3) Adidas Essential Logo Track Pant
4) STUSSY Cruize Plaid Coach Jacket
5) KENZO Jogpant
4. Gender-Neutral Clothing
For whatever reason, gender-bending in fashion seems to finally be gaining traction & getting widespread social acceptance. It seems as if designers are becoming privy to the fact that there’s a market for gender-neutral clothing that’s yet to be filled by a generation that’s over society’s seemingly outdated gender-norms in fashion. Besides, imagine the convenience of being able to share drawers & closet space with your partner & grabbing literally whatever on cozy days spent staying in or running quick errands around town! Prince, Michael Jackson & Andre 3000, were amongst the first prominent acts that paved the way on a national stage for more current artists such as Lil B, Jaden Smith, Kanye West, Young Thug & Lil Uzi Vert to ignore the gender label associated with specific items of clothing.
What to cop…
Kanye rocked a boho-inspired women’s Celine top during his set at Coachella (2011) & quite frankly he wore it better than the model that premiered it on the runway.
1) ONEDNA Oversized Hoodie
2) Radhourani Unisex Cropped Trousers
3) VEEA Skull Print Shirt
4) Muttonhead Store Waterproof 3-Way Pant
5) Muttonhead Store Camping Hoodie-Oatmeal Sherpa
5. Texture-Rich Textiles
Within the past five years we’ve started to transition back into full-bodied, burly fabrics, that I haven’t personally seen used so heavily since the 80s. I’m very happy to see this trend resurface, being that, while the simplicity of soft surface materials are nice & comfy, it’s nice to have key pieces with texture to visually add depth & physically give the feel of a bit of roughness.
What to cop…
John Mayer is a layer-god. The consistency here is impeccable…white top/sneakers, blue jeans & patchwork-knitted toggle sweater. Notice the white layers are smooth, while the distressed nature of the jeans & sweater add texture & depth.
1) GUCCI Reversible Striped Wool Sweater
2) COACH Shearling Varsity Jacket
3) H&M Color-blend Sweater
4) H&M Cotton-Twill Shirt-Jacket
5) Aime Leon Dore Merino Cashmere Trouser
6. Going Braless
This style-move is a standout, because it has to do with overall body acceptance & confidence. If you’re already comfortable in your own skin, this should be a cakewalk to adopt. You’re badass & confident, why not feel & reflect it in the way you dress & save the undergarments for the bedroom or when you’re older & actually NEED the support? If this isn’t the most comfortable transition for you, adopt the style in baby steps, come to accept your body image as is or work to get there, wear darker solids/busy prints, or opt for small coverings (pasties/bandages/etc) under your top. Generally speaking, going braless makes for an overall more aesthetically pleasing silhouette & cleaner lines. Bra straps can be distracting & even water-down a killer ensemble. Lastly, it’s almost 2018, hardly anything’s a surprise or deemed “too racy” anymore. We live in an era where Madonna was regularly nude, Janet Jackson’s breast was the main attraction of the 2004 Superbowl, Lily Allen, Kendall Jenner & Lady GaGa regularly go braless. If the #FreeTheNipple movement taught us anything, it’s that this has been a long overdue right of women to be as comfortable in their own skin as men, without the fear of being publicly criticized or harassed about it.
Check out these badasses, who gave 0 fucks…
7. Plaid/Checker/Houndstooth Print(s)
Whether large or small, these prints seemed to have a strong presence for a short run, peaking in the mid 90s. Since, checker print has mostly maintained it’s relevance through placement on flannel tops & ill-fitting suits, while houndstooth has occasionally been found on overcoats. With the retro-resurgence of fashionware, these prints/patterns are starting to become prominent on purposely-oversized clothing, paying tribute to clothing of the past, as well as slim fit clothing that shines even brighter with a bit of custom tailoring. Well tailored suits & rocker trousers are seeing new life from prominent figures such as Future & Tyler The Creator.
What to cop…
Future looks almost as if he was running late for a show & just grabbed whatever was lying around his tour bus & it somehow looks goddamn amazing. The bottoms & track jacket clashing violently, paired with the vintage graphic tee make for a “dgaf” look & he wears it well.
1) Nordstrom Paul Smith Multistripe/Check Lambswool Scarf
2) TOPMAN Black/White Houndstooth Overcoat
3) TOPMAN Rust Check Harrington Jacket
4) ASOS Moss London Skinny Suit in Fleck Check
5) SaturdaysNYC Panos Check Trouser Black Watch
8. Bodysuits
While bodysuits aren’t anything new, they’re massively underappreciated & underutilized. In an age where we push body positivity & celebration of one’s self, bodysuits are the perfect piece of clothing that hug the body in a comfortable way that give the wearer a sexy, curvy silhouette, while feeling confident. They also go great with jeans or a skirt & range in colors, materials & conservative to risque.
What to cop…
Kim’s wearing an entire ensemble that compliments her figure insanely well, not only that, but the nude base pallet makes her skin tone glow.
1) Neiman Marcus Chantal Thomass I Love You Cutout Long Sleeve Bodysuit
2) Bucolique Pensee Lace Bodysuit
3) Farfetch Fleur Du Mal V-Neck Bodysuit
4) Cotton Spandex Turtleneck Bodysuit
5) H&M Longsleeve Mesh Bodysuit
9. Side-Striped Trousers
When you want to add just the right amount of flare to an outfit without being goddy, side-striped trousers are the way to go. Not only do these add a nice bit of minimalist styling to well crafted bottoms, they can help create the illusion of elongation, making whoever dons them appear slightly slimmer & taller. There’s no losing with these.
What to cop…
Whoever had the idea to bring stripes back…thank you. For too long stripes were staying strictly around the circumference of our tube-socks & wrist-ribbing of varsity jackets. Side-stripes are a great way to give your outfit just the right boost, while still straddling the line of minimalism. This doesn’t apply to Quavo…he’s Quavo.
1) FOG Striped Drawstring Track Pant
2) UO BDG Side Tape Skinny Jeans
3) ZARA Jeans with Side Stripe
4) ASOS Tapered Smart Pants in Gray Twist with Raspberry Side Stripe
5) ASOS Skinny Chino with Contrast Side Stripe in Orange
10. Ultra Violet
Not gonna lie. I saved this trend for last, because not only do I not personally care for any shade of Violet, but Pantone’s reasoning behind assigning Ultra Violet 18–3838 as 2018’s “Color of the Year” seems like a bunch of bullshit, scatterbrained reasons. According to the Vice President, Laurie Pressman, the color represents everything from “Originality, ingenuity, futuristic thinking, mysteries of the cosmos & political uncertainty.” I don’t buy it, but if you do, go for it.
What to cop…
I have nothing to say about this color…everyone who wears it looks like Barney…except Jennifer Lawrence…she’s Jennifer Lawrence.
1) ZARA WOMAN Oversized Purple Cardinal Sweatshirt
2) H&M Violet Rib Knit Sweater
3) H&M Violet Satin Tie
4) ASOS Oversized Vintage Wash Shirt in Purple
5) Comme Des Garcons PLAY Long Sleeve Stripe Crewneck T-Shirt
STORY BY: Trevor Thompson (@interwebTREV)
