Style Predictions 2022
by Aoife Noonan
– by Aoife Noonan
New Year, new wardrobe, and anyone who reads The Look wouldn’t be caught dead wearing anything out of style. Below are our predictions for five new trends sure to ensure fresh fits.
Black Swan Song
Activewear is being torn out of the hands of Nike and Adidas and is being dragged instead into the clutches of those who know the Gone Girl monologue off by heart. Think high buns and mascara, black leggings and pulled up white socks. Ballet flats and wrap around cardigans. That white fluffy bolero you’ve been eyeing up in Urban Outfitters? It’s on sale, and now a wardrobe necessity. For those who use wired earphones, and journal, and spend their evenings either working out, watching Succession, or manifesting an Aritzia sale. Think shellac’d nails, lash lifts, camisole tops, Lululemon’s Define jacket, yoga pants, new balance, stud earrings, and a tiny black backpack. If you don’t know who Fiona Apple is, sit this one out. The girls that get it, get it….
Ke$h-esque
Smudged black eyeliner, glitter spray, sacrilegious jewellery, fake tan and chunky highlights. The goal here is to emulate Snookie, Rihanna, or any female pop star ever accused of being in the Illuminati. Think lace-up leather flares. Neon Bodycons. Nii-Hai dresses. Corsets. Thongs peeking over the top of low-rise jeans. Tops made out of torn up tights. Layered necklaces and wrists weighed down with bangles and friendship bracelets. Subversive, abrasive, the reasons Paris Hilton got famous. For everyone who takes pride in The Fear, or has a Workmans’ Bouncer on Snapchat; Buy that Victoria Secret spray and wait for a sale at Claire’s, 2022 will be your year. Shame you won’t remember it.
Lazy Luxe
High end, low effort. Hoodies by streetwear brands you’ve never heard of, trainers you have to get up at 3 am to bid on. Your puffer jacket’s name checked in songs, but don’t be the guy at the gaff trying to demo the water beading off. The payoff is worth the price when you can roll out of bed, into a tracksuit and trainers, and still manage to look like a million dollars. Finding funds for first hand fits is next to impossible, so check out Vestiaire, Lyst, Grailed, EBay and Depop for some second hand streetwear scores.
Coquette
This trend could be considered a slow burn, or, more accurately, the ashes of 2016’s “Lolita” epidemic. Think little white bows and rosebuds on every piece of fabric you own. Silver jewellery. The palest shade of pink. Tops that look like they could’ve been bought in the children’s section of H&M. Dresses and skirts that end at the top of your thighs. Brandy Melville. 15 Denier Tights. White socks and black Mary-Janes. Dior lip oil and brown liner. French tipped nails. Hairbands that would make Blair Waldorf go green with envy. Pearls. Camisoles. Cardigans. Lace. And copious amounts of cigarettes, all as nauseating as talking with a girl who believes she’s Lana Del Rey. Has anyone here listened to Blue Bannisters? Just me?
Cul-chic
Climate change has us all reaching for clothes that help us feel closer to Mother Nature, and accessories that give off my-granny-made-it vibes. If you’re one of the rare ones who can’t wait to go home at the weekend, this down-to-Earth style is most definitely for you. Cute denim mini skirts, heated-roller curls, white tank tops and anything earth or turf toned, this trend is going to go down like a Nathan Carter song at a Wexford Wedding. Think crochet-knit dresses, gold jewellery, crystals, cowboy boots and freckle pens. Breathe organic Lush perfumes, homegrown honey-suckle, and air from the Flannery’s smoking area.
