Winter Fashion Trends

Valerie McPhail
MSMU Class of 2015

(1/2020) Though it’s a new year, 'tis not the case for the fashion calendar. Fashion will not herald a new report on fashion statements until the men's pre-collections start to show mid-month. Despite this reality, fashion can continue to offer a fresh perspective on how the current trends may fit into this winter season and the newly commenced winter solstice.

Such is the case with the topic of a winter coat. It is hard to come by discussing winter trends without the mention of coats, for they are the nucleus of winter fashions. But evermore, the coat is a necessity to the wardrobe, both to keep us warm and the overall survival of the cold climate. Translated into New York City living, the concept becomes even more complicated. While most commute to work via the MTA subway, my hurried half-hour walk – part sprint across town, is a battle to keep my body temperately balanced inside a winter coat. As I remember, walks to the subway habitually experienced harsh clashes with cold winds, met to large Canada Goose Parkas and North Face Puffers crowding the trains being blasted with heat. The temperature extremes have not escaped my morning commute despite the absence of the subway. A winter coat is a significant piece of winter fashion for its practicality outdoors, but also for its influence on the outfit of the day worn underneath. PSA – no one enjoys a detoxed outfit before 9 am on a Monday.

The Winter Coat: Cropped Puffer

A winter coat is a calculated piece of fashion. Last year introduced the full-length puffer that replicates the comfort of wrapping up in a duvet blanket. This season Canadian retailer, Aritzia, cropped the coat. By means of Instagram posts and promotions, everyone from Hayley Bieber to my yoga teacher posted in The Super Puff Shorty coat. The cropped jacket is sporty enough to pull off an athletic look, while a variety of colors - neon, metallic, matte and iridescent shades lends the opportunity for everyday fashionable fun while giving wind to an instant fan favorite.

The Winter Boot: Combat Boots

What would winter be without boats? While clogs and kitten-heel mules are trending social media and blogs, they are a hard sell when compared to the season's combat boot. A particular style is linked, synonymously to the grunge era, a sense of style that has returned to the runway this fall/winter season. Contrary to trends, the combat boot is not a fair-weathered shoe. While the runway season brought combat boots by Vivienne Westwood and Louis Vuitton, both brands offered distinctly different approaches to the standard boot; all are difficult to compete against Doc Martens, a veteran to grungy footwear. Scuffs on a pair of Vuitton lace-ups or Westood buckled boots would only add character to a pair of Martens. Experience shows that it takes months of daily wear to break-in. At that point, the season may be at its end, however, rest assured Docs will be comfortable for weather battles of next season.

The Winter Sweater: The Cardigan

The last sweater that comes to mind when thinking about winter fashion is the cardigan, only because they’re not the oversized, bulky sweaters or pullovers I enjoy indulging and living in during the frigid months. And yet, in typical fashion manner, the cardigan is the sweater of the season, of course. Besides its contribution to the preppy style character that is trending this season featured on runways such as Celine and Tory Burch, my rationalization is that the cardigan is a layer. Though typically a thin one, it nonetheless is a contributing practical piece for winter fashion because it aids to keep us warm during the winter season. With an added collegiate style to the design this season, it might be smart to take the runways advice on this and see the cardigan as a helpful additional layer to the winter wardrobe.

The accessory that's not a Beanie: The Padded Headband

The most fashionable accessory of the season is entirely impractical, but yet, empirically styled with the utmost statements and drama. The padded headband first made an appearance on the Spring 2019 Prada runway in a variety of rich velvet tones of black, red, yellow, and silver. The accessory has remained popular over the seasons since the show, becoming a shoppable statement with online retailers Amazon, ASOS, and Etsy. Unlike the $240 Prada band, DIY designs with bedazzled pendants and silver gems, are selling online. This only means one thing, you can adventure to try the dramatic statement without feeling much of the investment.

Loungy Menswear

If streetwear is the opposite of the stringent suit and tie culture, then the silky pajama trend of the recent runway season has established another tier of men's fashion. This is the next level of casual clothing for menswear. Standard starch button-downs turned into unbuttoned open-faced silky blouses, styled with matching loose-fitting pants of the same fabric. Vogue is calling the look "sleepwear couture." It's a new kind of uniform that takes heed from the coziness, loungewear attitude desired on a snow day, or when the winter cold appears unbearable. Inspiration comes not entirely from the whole flannel pajama shorts, Sleepy Jones look, or the Edward Crutchley relaxed menswear suits. Instead, the exact look is somewhere in between. While the menswear industry continues to exist saturated with variations of the work suit and tie uniform, it is not only alarming but after the fact refreshing to experience men’s clothing that is unlike anything of the norm. Leave it to Ann Demeulemeester, to bring the romance. This trend is redefining menswear.

In each passing season, fashion reveals that trends are all but recycled statements. And as more people engage with fashion, in everyday life, and announcing on social media, trends have become regarded as stylistic phenomenon rather than design features. Where this leads current fashion interest rests on punk rock grunge, combat boots, and mini leather dresses - happy to report that faux options are becoming increasingly fashionable - and on the preppiness of the 1950s uniform. Pencil skirts, pendant accessorized, and monogrammed cardigans, boxy blazers, and kitten heel shoes are an interest in Winter 2019. From a practical perspective, these seasonal interests are fleeting. The best piece of advice to offer when experimenting with the trends is to find an article of clothing from these popularly honored perspectives of the moment. Invest in a pair of combat hiking boots from the grunge drift, shop the most dramatic padded headband off of Amazon, or thrift a double-breasted blazer to fashion as a coat alternative for the season. This way, you can participate in an up-to-date fashion without compromising financials and your unique personal style. After all, fashion is best received when it's genuinely worn. That is why personal styles are in vogue right now.