When we sat down to discuss all things spring 2020, the world looked a whole lot different than it does today. How were we to know that when we named vacation-ready tropical prints as a trend to watch that vacations themselves would become more or less obsolete? Or that office-ready shoes like heeled loafers would never get the chance to serve their purpose? Those days leading up to last spring were so innocent when we had no idea what the actual season would bring (no seriously, take me back to that time).
Well, here we are a year later and let's just say the fashion landscape has shifted as much as the rest of the world has. While it's typical for us to do a check-in and report on the status of seasonal trends, this year the difference between what's current and what's outdated feels that much more noticeable. As for what hasn't made it to 2021? Well, I compared notes with our trend coverage from this time last year and happened to notice six of last year's trends missing in action.
Keep reading to see which styles we're simply not seeing as much of anymore and dive into the new themes taking their place.
Not Seeing: Vacation Prints
Noticing Instead: Checkerboard Print
The tropical prints that ruled the spring 2020 runways have nearly evaporated. Seeing as our suitcases have gathered dust over the past year, it's not hard to see why. But ig there's one thing we know about spring trends, it's that the more eye-catching, the better. Checkerboard prints are a trend that came in hot at the beginning of the year and we expect it to only keep gaining steam as designers high and low experiment with the graphic pattern. That being said
Not Seeing: Heeled Loafers
Noticing Instead: Fashion Flip-Flops
Is there anything the fashion crew loves more than a slightly weird shoe trend? While office-ready heeled loafers seem to have completely tapered off, it's these elevated thong sandals with kitten heels or cushy platform soles that are capturing our attention now.
Not Seeing: Soft Sherbert Hues
Noticing Instead: High Saturation
Let's talk colors. There are plenty of bright colors trending at the moment, especially shades like bubblegum pink, tangy tangerine, and grassy green. Since these can't-be-missed hues are ruling the scene right now, they've eclipsed the softer sherbert hues we saw a lot of last year.
Shop the matching Knit Wrap Top ($18)
Not Seeing: Netting
Noticing Instead: Midriff Floss
It wouldn't be trend roundup if we didn't address at least one more risqué style. Last spring, netting was shaping up to be a big theme and since we haven't seen much of it, the fashion world is clinging to a new barely-there look: tummy ties.
Not Seeing: Utility Everything
Noticing Instead: Cottagecore
Workwear, utility, cargo—call it what you will but this utilitarian-esque theme of cargo trousers and safari jackets that we saw on last spring's runways hasn't gained as much traction. Instead of those more muted workwear pieces, 2021 gas given rise to a new wave of aesthetics that are all about dreamy escapist fantasies—think "cottagecore" with its picnic-ready floral prints and flowy dresses.
Not Seeing: Hotpants
Noticing Instead: Micro Mini Skirts
Hemlines? They're getting shorter. Well, not that short. My fashion friends have traded their quarantine-friendly knit hotpants for micro-mini skirts that feel just as retro but are much more wearable for when we start to go out again.
Speaking of trends, see which shoe styles were starting to feel dated (and what's replacing them).
