Types of Fashion Styles

Fashion styles are constantly evolving, but there are certain trends that appear over and over again on runways and in street style. Learn more about the different types of fashion styles that influence popular fashion trends, and find your own personal style.

Fashion may be all about finding unique ways of dressing, but sometimes it helps to have a blueprint. Below are some of the broadest categories of fashion to help get you started.

1. Sporty: Sporty style, also known as athleisure, takes elements of athletic wear, like leggings, bike shorts, and oversize sweatshirts, out of the gym and onto the streets.
2. 2. Bohemian: Also known as “boho” or “boho chic,” bohemian style borrows from the 1960’s hippie aesthetic and festival culture. The style incorporates earth tones, natural fabrics and dyes, and prints and accessories from around the world. The hallmarks of boho style are flowing maxi dresses, long skirts, bell-bottom pants, large brimmed hats, fringe, suede, and slouchy handbags.
3. 3. Grunge: Inspired by grunge music and the subculture that originated in the ’80s and ’90s Seattle, grunge fashion features thrift-store finds like plaid flannel shirts, oversize knits, and feminine dresses styled in a subversive, disheveled way. Grunge looks often include ripped jeans or tights, unkempt hairstyles, and black boots.
4. 4. Preppy: Preppy style is inspired by the clothing and uniforms traditionally worn at private East Coast prep schools and Ivy League colleges. Preppy style often takes inspiration from upper-class sports like polo, sailing, tennis, and horseback riding. Preps are known for wearing polo shirts, Oxford shirts, argyle sweaters and socks, cloth-wrapped headbands, boat shoes, blazers, pearls, cardigans, and khaki pants.
5. 5. Punk: Punk fashion is inspired by the subversive punk rocker styles of the ’70s and ’80s and comprises many subcultures, each with its own specific style codes. Some overarching elements of punk style include leather jackets, deconstructed blazers, ripped fishnet stockings, skinny jeans, and chunky black boots. Provocative messaging, band logos, and customization with safety pins and patches are common themes in punk clothing. Punk grooming includes heavy black eyeliner, mohawks, dyed hair, and spiked hair.
6. 6. Streetwear: Streetwear is a casual fashion style that first became popular in the 1990s. It incorporates comfortable yet trendy clothing such as logo T-shirts and crop tops, hoodies, baggy pants, and expensive sneakers. Streetwear takes inspiration from both hip-hop and skater style, with the added element of intentional product scarcity. Followers of the latest trends in streetwear are known as hypebeasts, and many go to great lengths to procure limited-edition designer baseball caps, hoodies, sneakers, and more.
7. 7. Classic: Classic style is an umbrella term for a polished everyday style that incorporates elements of workwear, such as blazers, pencil skirts, and khakis. This more professional look is appropriate for the office and other settings where you want to look your best.
8. 9. Casual: Casual style is what you might wear on the weekend. Think jeans, comfortable T-shirts, and sneakers or flat boots. Both streetwear and sporty style might be considered types of casual styles, but casual style can also lean preppy or hip.

9. ARTSY: If you’re a creative soul that loves to experiment with various clothing styles, an artsy look might be perfect for you. Someone who embodies the unconventional artsy style aims to make a statement with their clothing. They seek out bold and colorful pieces and stay away from traditional items. Because there are no rules for what someone with an artsy style should or shouldn’t wear, the wearer is free to fully express themselves and be as experimental as they want.

10. FEMININE: Feminine style is characterized by pastel colors, lace, flounces, bows, and florals. If you decide to adhere to this style of dress, you’ll likely find yourself wearing flattering feminine silhouettes such as A-line dresses or cinched waistcoats. Those who enjoy dressing up and wearing lots of dresses and skirts, or, on more casual days, a nice blouse with fitted jeans will greatly enjoy trying out the feminine style.

11. TOMBOY: Opposite to the feminine style of dress, the tomboy style avoids overly-girly pieces in favor of a more masculine or gender-neutral wardrobe. Clothing items that are commonly worn include loose-fitting trousers and jeans, oversized blazers, collared shirts, suits, baggy shirts, and slouchy cardigans.

12. VINTAGE: Vintage style refers to clothing that emulates styles popularized in a previous era. Because fashion trends tend to be cyclical, one could argue that most styles on this list are vintage in some form — and you would be right. What differentiates the vintage style, however, is that while it can refer to any past decade, it typically pulls looks from between the 1920s and 1970s. When adhering to a vintage style consider implementing best-loved trends of the past, such as pinup clothing, flapper dresses, circle skirts, wide-leg trousers, and petticoats, into your wardrobe.