8 Ever-present Trends from the Last 5 Years
A 5 year illustrated recap of London Fashion Week’s street style…
Trends are always evolving, just like we are. Whether they’re fads or classics, we love refining what we wear according to the seasons and years. Also, what’s better than staying in vogue by reviving some of favourite pieces already in your wardrobe?
In the intervening years, there have been some major shifts in technology, politics, culture, social, health and safety norms — and fashion has of course been represented in this ever-evolving cycle of trends and movements.
A quiet LFW has had us looking back at our archive of street style reports. We have identified 9 evolving trends that have remained popular over the last 5 years and continue to light up our style radar.
Be Neutral.
From beige to tan and camel to ecru, neutral hues have been a mainstay for half a decade now. These shades look fresh and modern. However, darker hues of brown had been short-term fads until they grew to peak popularity in 2018 and 2019. One of the best ways to wear this look is to experiment with different textures and let the colours do the talking!
The number of Instagram posts tagged #beige increased by 1.2M in 18 months. The search term ‘beige’, in the shopping category on Google Trends, has been steadily and gradually increasing over the last 5 years.
Check out Lisa Aiken’s profile for inspiration — she wears these neutral shades with perfection. She created the look below by pairing an oversized brown turtleneck sweater with a dual-toned accordion-pleated beige skirt. Felipe Palaez is also a great person to turn to for menswear inspiration in the colour palette — he’s taken the Yeezy tones but added his own personal touch.
Denim, Innovated.
This trend gets refined every year! Whether it’s customised and distressed denim jackets like we saw a couple of years ago in 2018, or the 90s-style straight-legged denim that went from basic to chic street style last year, denim’s here to stay.
The number of Instagram posts tagged with #denim went up by 4.9M in less than two years. On Google Trends, the search term ‘denim’ has been consistently peaking every summer, as you would expect.
For all things denim, get your fix with Kelly Harrington. We can’t get enough of her denim innovation. She is a must follow on Instagram.
Co-ordinates
Short for ‘co-ordinated outfit’- pairing up co-ord (or similar styles), from your wardrobe is becoming increasingly popular. If you’ve ever been confused about what to wear, doubling up can be your escape from these stressful fashion emergencies. In its most basic form, the duo consists of a top or shirt and trousers, skirt, or shorts.
The Google search term ‘Coord’ is currently at a 5-year high.
Check out how Chrissy Rutheford has been wearing the look this summer.
Striped
Stripes are a classic, and arguably the most timeless print. They manage to trend seamlessly from season to season, and we really don’t mind it due to the fact that they are totally versatile and provide endless styling opportunities. From pinstriped suits, that require minimal effort to elevate, to striped dresses that makes you look effortlessly chic all day long. It’s a go-to pick during summers!
The past two years saw a rise of 2 million posts on Instagram tagged with #Stripes. This trend had a huge impact on menswear in 2018 with a fusion of wide and thin stripes.
Richard Biedul is synonymous with a suit, always pushing the status quo with his fits. He has got to be your first stop on the inspiration train for the striped look, followed by a quick visit to Danny Lomass’ Instagram page.
The ‘It’ Sneaker
The sneaker has been elevated from the gym to the runway, with many luxury brands adding it to their repertoire. Over the years, sneakers have become more experimental in terms of their colours and shapes. From the 70’s classic track style sneakers to the chunky-soled platform ones, we think that the key behind this item trending could be our evolving society, beginning to put comfort first.
The search term ‘sneakers’ shows a gradual incline since 2015, and there are 76.2K posts tagged with #Chunkysneakers on Instagram.
Check Mate
Out on the streets of London, show-goers always embrace checked pieces. From the classic blazer, slightly oversized to suit the current climate, to clashing neon checked print, it certainly checks all the boxes.
Posts tagged with #Checks on Instagram exploded by 50% in less than two years and search results for ‘checked coats’ have been peaking every autumn for the last 5 years.
Check out how Olivia Palermo wears a classic blue checked coat. Tartan has continually stayed on our menswear trends radar, and has been spotted on pantsuits, jackets as well as accessories. Here’s how Younes Benjima wore an olive green checked jacket with denim and sneakers.
Pink, to make them wink.
Back in 2015, Pantone crowned ‘rose quartz’ their colour of the year, which prompted the return of this ironically pretty shade of pink. This empowering colour questions gender roles, and what it is to be ‘feminine’. It really has been a big hit on the streets since its conception.
Although this colour emerged as a trend, it didn’t take long for it to become a whole aesthetic. By 2016, everyone knew what Millennial Pink looked like. For millennials, it’s a positive colour, the colour could act as a throwback to nostalgic childhood memories like marshmallow, milkshakes and cartoons. It’s appeared almost everywhere, from cult beauty brand Glossier’s packaging and the Gallery at highly instagrammable restaurant Sketch London to Rihanna’s Fenty X Puma’s 2017 collection!
The term ‘pink aesthetic’ shows a gradual hockey stick curve on Google Trends.
Pear Chimma shows us how to wear this trend with compassion and here’s how Natalia Homolova wears millennial pink accessories.
Take a walk on the wild side.
Trends come and go but there are some that are evergreen, making their mark year after year, and animal prints are definitely one of these! When you’re looking for the perfect quirk to give your outfit that extra ‘extra’ factor, animal print often does the trick. It’s fun and funky and can be worn in the summer, and is also perfect for the winter or holiday season. You might wonder whether animal prints will ever go out of style?
There are 2.6M posts with #leopardprint on Instagram. We can also see a steady rise in the number of searches for ‘animal prints’ in the past five years.
We love how Chiara Ferragni wears her leopard print pants with a vintage T-shirt and a sweatshirt, and Marianne Theodorsen shows us the best way to accessorise this trend.
Gender neutrality and versatility of animal prints make them even more desirable, check out how Leo Mandella styles cheetah printed pants effortlessly with a white T-shirt.
