In this day and age, fashion has become a large part of expression and creativity for a great number of people. Style in general has led to an explosion of dominance in design, revelation and individuality. 

Old trends in fashion such as butterfly clips from the 90s or Vans from the late 70s have made a comeback this year. Aesthetics such as cottage core, indie and retro are seen across every trendy platform. 

Julia Bautista, a West Ranch freshman, stated, “People are more open with trying new things and bringing back trends from the 80s and 90s.” She continued, “The prior years with fashion were still super cool and I think a ton of people are going back to the 2000-2010 looks a little bit.”  

Tops 

A vast majority of fashion comes from the many ways of styling or utilizing a top. This year, variant button-ups and lace tops have been very popular amongst teens and young adults. Specifically, the majority of clothes this year was based off of vintage and old-fashioned styles. 

Button-ups mainly come in vests, cardigans and sweaters. These pieces, utilized business attire such as pleated skirts or collared shirts, was an extremely trendy way that they were styled. A majority of the button-ups come in the pattern “argyle,” an old-fashioned geometric design, according to Seventeen magazine. 

To add on, frilly and lace variants of tops were especially popular during the summer. The lace tanks had fun patterns such as leopard or zebra print, lined with a delicate lace along the top and criss-crossing in the middle. The color of the lace tends to be bright and bold, the most popular being pink. 

This year, clothing based on vintage or cottage core proved to be exceedingly popular. Cottage core is an aesthetic inspired by a dreamy interpretation of western agricultural life, so clothing items like frilly tops reminiscent of the Renaissance. According to InStyle, these tops have puffy sleeves and are fitted to the body, to adorn a Victorian look. 

However, these clothing pieces are not the only things people wear. Vintage clothing is most popular throughout social media apps such as TikTok or Instagram. In contrast, comfort is a main part of everyday life, so cozy tops have and always will be important in the fashion industry. 

Another main trend has been clothing based on a skater or street style. A number of people wear variant types of jackets. For most, this consists of pullovers, hoodies or sweatshirts, sometimes adorned with graphic designs or patterns. This could mean showcasing a favorite band, TV show or other interests in outfits. 

A very popular way of styling a pullover this year was wearing a collared shirt beneath it, along with baggy jeans or cargo pants. Over the summer, graphic tees were worn in a similar fashion, instead being layered with a plain long-sleeved undershirt. These pieces would often try to match certain parts or compliment the outfit as a whole. The idea of clothing that matched a monochromatic or sleek look helped add new stylistic ways of certain pieces of clothing are worn, according to FashionHombre. 

Bottoms

There have been new popular styles in bottoms for the fashion industry. Clothing is divided traditionally between feminine and masculine. However, the clothing worn differed between skirts and leggings to sweatpants and baggy jeans allows one to express themself with the different ways to style. 

A variety of skirts, such as pleated, plaid and denim varieties, were worn this year. Each of these skirts express a different look based on the tops or accessories that go with it. Some choose to wear them with collared shirts and embroidered crewnecks beneath, according to Vogue magazine. 

Additionally, several teens choose to wear leggings. Leggings have shown to be comfortable and stylish at the same time. A popular brand known as Lululemon makes clothing best suitable for yoga, running, training and most other sweaty pursuits. The brand itself is expensive, but it is still able to collect foot traffic. 

Furthermore, mom jeans have made a comeback from the 80s and 90s. Many have found these jeans to be baggy and comfortable. West Ranch freshman, Grayshia Alcine, talked about why she loved this trend. She said “they’re very comfortable, fashionable and they always fit and look good on anyone who wears them and to see people style them in very cool and unique ways are always very exciting to me. This also relates to me as well because they always fit great and never disappoint and it always goes with anything I pair it with.”

This year, sweatpants can be seen as both comfy and lazy, yet can be styled into something fashionable. These can go along with clothing such as a tank top or graphic tee, or styled with a sweater. A great deal of people enjoy the loose fit because it can be comfortable when relaxing at home or even going out with friends.

Shoes

During this year, there have been a variety of trendy shoes. Countless have liked Air Force 1’s, Doc Martens, Converse, Vans and Air Jordans. These shoes all have a different look that go with an assortment of styles or outfits.

Nike’s Air Force 1 shoes have quickly become one of the most popular shoes this year. They come in a variety of colors, the most popular was white. These shoes are simple which make them perfect for a casual look. They can be used in a variety of situations as well, for the footwear is also considered a running shoe.

The Doc Martens’ smooth leather lace up boots have become favored for a more edgy look. They come in white, red, purple and black. These boots can be worn with a variety of clothing, and fit many styles. These shoes have a combat vibe to them, and have partnered with a variety of popular brands such as Hello Kitty or Louis Vuitton.

To add on, multiple people have become familiar with Converse and Vans. The footwear have been popular for years and continue to be worn by many. The brands have been able to expand and produce a variety of new shoes. Both of the footwear companies can be worn as high tops or low tops. Vans has created an assortment of shoe variations as well, and compiled numerous designs. The most popular ones to date are the black Old Skools or the iconic checkerboard slip-ons. 

Nike’s Air Jordans have also been worn on and off the basketball court this year. The Air Jordans are made for basketball; however, over the years, many people have liked the design. The shoes are best known for coming in a variety of colors with sophisticated and street style looks. 

Headwear & Hair Accessories

Hair accessories and headwear have also been important when it comes to crafting an outfit. Accessorizing is very helpful towards enhancing an overall look. 

Recurring types of hair clips from the 90s have been very popular, including claw and  butterfly clips and barrettes.

Claw clips are big clips that clasp a large amount of hair to the back of the head. It fastens the hair in a bun shape, and often gives a business and formal look. This specific hair clip is geared towards people with longer hair, but it  can be styled in numerous ways. 

On the other hand, trendy hair clips shaped like small butterflies can adorn any length of hair. Butterfly clips come in a variety of bright and pastel colors or glitter. 

Similarly, many people took inspiration from the hit teen TV show “Bratz” and styled their hair with clips known as barrettes. Barrettes tend to be worn on either side of the head together, and also come in a variety of colors. These clips nod to the 90s and are an example of a recurring trend, according to PopSugar. 

Along with these hair accessories, popular types of hats have been worn throughout 2020. Created to warm ears, beanies hit runways with a casual and sophisticated persona. A wool or cashmere beanie can be worn with a street and skater style, and can be seen in almost every aspect of the fashion industry. Beanies are very lightweight as well, which allows them to be worn all year on various occasions. 

In addition, bucket hats, or fisherman’s hats, originated from the 80s and have made a comeback once again. They can come in plain colors, stitched with embroidery, or even a fun animal print. Bucket hats are known to be fairly easy to upcycle, which help provide a great sense of versatility. 

Accessories

Likewise, when it comes to creating an outfit that makes individuals confident, adding accessories is key. The most popular accessories this year consisted of beaded jewelry, small bags, shoelace belts and thin sunglasses. 

For the jewelry portion of this year, beaded friendship bracelets were common. As stated before, the indie aesthetic was very popular, so the addition of bright colored bracelets studded with fun beads was a must. Numerous people would craft the bracelets using colorful beads and string from their local craft stores and add cute and fun sayings to them. 

Alongside the indie trend, pearl chokers and layering of silver or gold necklaces had a trendy mark on the fashion industry. The layering and incorporation of both jewelry added texture to an outfit. These necklaces could vary from very simplistic to charm-studded, according to Vogue magazine. 

With the popularity of a retro and 90s aesthetic, small mini bags became very trendy. The small miniature bags, often coming in varieties of colors, sizes, and even patterns were used to add to any sort of outfit. In some cases, the bags came in various textures of fuzzy or even faux leather. 

“My favorite trend this year was definitely handbags, it’s a very cute and practical way to hold stuff, and it adds a pop to your outfit.” explained Amelia Barnes, student at West Ranch High School. 

To add on, thinner sunglasses shaped in fun sizes had a popularity spark as well. They can be shaped in a variety of sizes, some resembling flames or even cat eyes. The sunglasses were popularized by Gigi and Bella Hadid, so it wasn’t long until followers caught onto the trend according to Seventeen magazine. 

The final most popular way people would accessorize was with shoelaces. It was very common to incorporate a shoelace into an outfit by using it as a belt. Shoelaces come in many colors, so the versatility of both the wearability and price was very affordable for all crowds. Plus, the “belts” are very simple, and can be utilized in different ways of both tightening the pants, or just adding to the outfit as a whole.

This year the fashion trends have varied with the people’s diverse looks. Some trends, including mom jeans, hair clips and Vans, have made a comeback from the late 80s and early 90s. Nevertheless, there have been new trends like Lululemons or Air Force 1.

Overall, this year has been a big year in fashion with tops, bottoms, shoes, headwear and accessories. Fashion trends continue to return in new ways, and the most popular aesthetics and styles differ each time. So maybe the next time you’re cleaning out your closet, perhaps consider keeping some pieces—you never know if they’ll be back within a year.