Fashion Recap 2021
Every year, Stylight, a search platform for fashion & design, reflects on the past year from a fashion perspective. While Corona had a very strong impact on the fashion industry last year, the trends and looks in 2021 began moving more and more towards normality. And as things began to return to normal, 2021 was about letting go of comfy, casual "stay at home" clothing and transitioning into bold looks, sexy styles and bright colors. No more sweatpants, no more pajamas, and yes, even no more sneakers.
This year, fashion was streaming. Influence does not only come from the fashion houses'
shows during the fashion weeks, but also from pop culture and its personalities, TV series and
social networks such as TikTok. The Stylight Fashion Recap highlights 3 major areas of
fashion for 2021: the trends that were particularly present this year, the top 5 luxury items
that were hot in 2021 and will still be going strong in 2022, and finally the 10 icons that
influenced us this year.
Enjoy the fashion journey through the past year as well as a sneak peak into the lasting trends
and styles in 2022
Aesthetics & Trends
While one of the overarching themes of 2021 has been the return of Y2K fashion - there has also been an influx of micro trends and themes that have made their way into our closets throughout the year. Social media platforms like TikTok have influenced fashion like never before. They have provided a space for trends to form and grow - leading to a diverse selection of aesthetics. Let's look back over the year and reflect on some of the trends and themes that we believe will still be going strong into 2022.
Dress like your Dad
There's no doubt that this year we've seen fashion become less gender-specific, opening up possibilities for new shapes, silhouettes, and aesthetics. Womenswear has blended into Menswear and vice versa and especially on-trend is the oversized look.
Influencers have mastered the "raid your dad's closet" look with some key fashion pieces. Clicks on
long sleeveless sweaters have increased by +53% compared to last year and XXL trenchcoats have been searched for +223% more as well. These often more masculine-looking silhouettes are being paired with feminine accessories like bejeweled bags or extravagant chokers - searches for XXL chokers have increased by +317%. One of the more notable changes in trends this year has been the gravitation from skinny pants to more loose-fitting cuts. Experts have seen a +21% increase in searches for baggy-fitted pants with menswear-inspired tailoring.
Sneakers are Dead
Sneakers have been conquering the fashion scene since 2019, but it seems that after months of
confinement, their reign might be over. Sure, consumers preferred ultra-comfy head-to-toe looks
during the height of the pandemic, but the return to normal life seems to mark a real turning point: we want to dress "well" again. And the most-watched shows of 2021 like Gossip Girl or The Bold Type have only reinforced this desire. Experts have noticed a spike in interest and traffic for certain categories of shoes and surprise! They are not sneakers. The Mary Janes (+89% of clicks) a la Gossip Girl are back in force this fall-winter 2021, as are kitten heels (+105% of search interest on Google), which may be thanks to the Sex and the City reboot. The chunky loafer like the Monolith loafer by Prada is also one of the flagship shoes of the year: search interest on Google has increased by 295%.
And as we still care about our comfort, ugly shoes have not had their last word and one of the key shoes of this year is none other than Crocs.
Sexy is the New Comfy
After a very quiet last year, a lot had to change - it seems like we were all ready to ditch our lockdown outfits. You can almost say: "Sexy is the new Comfy". And this motto supports a number of fashion trends that were particularly in demand this year. For example, the search interest for sheer tops or dresses on Google has increased by 51%. These are often combined with simple bralettes, which finally completely replace push-ups. Interest for bralettes on Stylight has
increased by 49% this year. The influence of Y2K had an extremely strong impact on trends this year. Interest for the iconic low-rise pants of the early 00's has increased by 42% on Stylight. We also saw searches for dresses with cut-outs increase by 19%.
LUXURY COPIES 22
"When looking at the most sought-after items in 2021, a multitude of products come to
mind, but which 5 items are in RIGHT now and will still be in demand going into next
year? Our choice fell on 5 luxury items that we've seen this year on the runways - and
we predict these 5 are going to be the items that all the high street brands will
want to copy.
The first hot item of our fashion recap is the super figure-flattering long sleeve "Maddy
Long Bustier" by Khaite, the original costs around $1500, and fashion magazines like WhoWhatWear have already begun to point out very similar tops for a fraction of the
money. H&M already had very similar knit tops in their assortment.
The second item that we will see more often in 2022 is a very bold top. We are talking about the knitted cardigan by Jacquemus, the original of which is held together by the iconic logo brooch by Jacquemus and the top influencers have been wearing this hot piece without anything underneath.
Item No. 3 is the mini skirt by MiuMiu, which was presented in this year's Spring/Summer Runway Show 2022. We can already predict that many fashion chains will jump on the bandwagon of these extremely short mini skirts.
The Gucci Diana Bag, as the 4th Hot Item 2022, has already been flaunted by many influencers and we will definitely see more like this design next year.
The last top item that was in this year but will definitely still be around next year are the white floral print boots by Valentino. At Valentino the shoes cost $980, definitely an investment. But if you don't want to spend so much money, you can be sure that big fashion chains will copy
the style of the white boots in the next year, however, the iconic floral pattern, which
makes the boot so special, will possibly only be found on the original.
ICONS 2021
The 10 icons we chose for 2021 have marked and influenced our aesthetic perception, have provoked and overcome limits imposed by a society that is rapidly changing. Perfect is boring. Celebrities are beginning to show their imperfections and weaknesses, leaving behind
the myth of flawlessness and leaving more space for the human experience.
