Posted on Feb 28, 2022

Not even a month into the new year—fashion is steadily maintaining its "out with the old, in with the new" philosophy. Fresh trends have been appearing on and off the runway throughout the beginnings of fashion week festivities, blending a resurgence of bygone era favorites and undeniably meta concepts. What decade is it anyway?

Y2k-meets-70s-meets... Russian style faux fur hats? 2022 is setting the winter/pre-spring tone in a wave of shorter hemlines, even lower waistlines, and rudimentary shoe silhouettes. Truly It-girl.

Alas, here are the 12 pieces on CR's radar.

MOON BOOTS

Starting off with an après ski necessity, we officially welcome back the ever-puffy Moon Boot. Having collaborated with Chloé, GCDS, and Hello Kitty all within a single calendar year... the snow footwear's return to relevancy was nothing short of inevitable. Paris Hilton's ownership of the look in the 2000s has transformed into Dua Lipa and Hailey Bieber pairing Moon Boots with bikinis. Enough proof that keeping them for another two decades after the fad fades is worth it.

MICRO-MINI SKIRTS

School uniform rebellion has reached a new level of extreme. Everyone knew an emergence of the tiniest skirts ever created was imminent as soon as Miu Miu debuted their Spring/Summer 2022 collection, but style setters are not waiting until the season's official kickoff to sport micros. Who knows how short they'll be come June?

BALACLAVAS

Adorning the heads of any chilly city-dwelling fashion connoisseur, balaclavas are the controversial breakout accessory of the season. You either love them or hate to love them; you either spend a fortune on one or spend a fortune's worth of time trying to knit one yourself. Regardless of personal preference, there is simply no denying the balaclava's repetitive appearances on runways and social media feeds. Pure frenzy.

LOW-RISE

Another trend boasting a chorale of haters—low rise. For anyone obsessed with the waistline's fit, it's never truly been out, but recently jeans have quite abruptly slipped lower and lower. Some may fear the trend's combination with micro hemlines, but many have chosen to complete the look with crop tops. Pop culture's belle of the moment, Julia Fox, for example.

PUFFER VESTS

Goodbye sweater vests, hello puffer. Spottings on Bella Hadid and Lily-Rose Depp have skyrocketed the outerwear staple's popularity from dad closets to Instagram fame. Excellent for transitional weather layering and a simple pop of color, puffer vests have been criminally underrated—until now. Paired with a balaclava, and bam: you're ready to go viral on TikTok.

INTRICATE BELTING

How better to achieve an hourglass silhouette than with complicated belts? Effortlessly pair-able alongside just about any form of clothing, the piece adds a certain level of sophistication and compatibility to even the most bland of looks. Whether in a co-ord design, following Sydney Sweeney of Euphoria's lead, or with heavy hardware in the style of Miley Cyrus, the more intricate the better. Thin corsets, if you will.

MARY JANES

Time to bust out your childhood shoes, French girl style has spoken. The Mary Jane is back. With either a burst of red or classic black, pair the little heels with hue-heavy tights or frilly socks to evoke nostalgic wonder. Or maybe even go with a flat style? Warning: babydoll dresses will be a wardrobe essential post-Mary Jane-acquisition.

LEGGINGS

For everyone refusing low-rise jeans, perhaps leggings are a more preferable bottom trend? Not quite having been a daily look outside of loungewear settings (and 2014 altogether), athleisure's founding member is suddenly going upscale. Along with their obvious yoga use, leggings have been making it to the outside world in all sorts of contexts. Kim Kardashian's chic monochrome hotel exit; Elsa Hosk's puffer and Bottega bag wintery look.

SEXY KNEE HIGH BOOTS

2018's over-the-knee boot's timeless sister has officially returned to the spotlight (after being missed, dearly). In all sorts of prints, colorways, levels of chunkiness, etc, the calf-clinging design has graced its way onto the legs of Miley Cyrus in Gucci, Sydney Carlson in a vibrant green, and influencer of the moment, Matilda Djerf in simple beige. Here's to hoping it never leaves.

BIG, BIG BAGS

Micro pieces have finally been replaced with something more practical in the it-bag scene. Remember when filling a giant Birkin or City Bag with everything in your junk drawer was cool? Well, prepare for a bit of daily weight-lifting. Kendall Jenner's summer appearance in the largest Bottega known to man began a rapid fire resurgence of the XL purse. Whether tote-style or resting on elbows, the mega accessory has eliminated the need to ever double up on arm candy again.

RUSSIAN-STYLE FAUX FUR HATS

Cold? We don't know her. Introducing: giant faux fur hats. Inspired by Russian classics, the voluminous headpiece is equipped for chic survival in the most frigid of winters. Worn by Emrata while promoting her new book and just about every influencer, faux fur hats are the prime example of refined maximalism.

METAVERSE ACCESSORIES

No modern trend roundup is complete without NFTs. If physically wearing the shoes and bags of the moment isn't your style—go digital. Metaverse accessories are not only becoming a coveted art form, but a method to sustainably and rapidly wear it-pieces on social media. Rising virtual fashion retailers such as DressX, The Fabricant, and even Nike have made owning one-of-a-kind pieces as simple as clicking a button, no time lost on waiting for delivery.

Original post: https://www.crfashionbook.com/fashion/a38887180/12-trends-already-exploding-in-2022/