Fashion 2024: Knitwear, ribbons and other trends for the year ahead

 

It's hard to look fashionable in a Christmas jumper covered in mince pie crumbs and spatters of mulled wine, so we're not here to make anybody feel bad this festive season.

But come spring, many of us will be spending way too much money on the hottest looks, in an inevitably fruitless attempt to look as good as the models on our Instagram feed.

Here are eight of the biggest fashion trends set to dominate 2024.


1. Polka dots



We counted every single polka dot at every fashion show this year, and can tell you that the total came to 12,487,396. The runways, in other words, were packed full of them.




The pattern is often popular in summer, but really the prints are a timeless and versatile trend which you're likely to see a lot of throughout the next year.

"Polka dots can be relied upon for elegance and impact," said the Telegraph. "Spots are playful; they don't take themselves too seriously. Even the name, polka, suggests joie de vivre.

"This time around, we are making them our own. They're big and bold, they're imperceptibly small, they're punchy, they're muted... This is a print for everybody: it's genderless, classless, ageless and timeless. It's time to join the dots."

2. Cherry red



With the exception of the annoying stone you have to spit out at the end, we love everything about cherries - and this season they provided the runways with a distinctive, vibrant and confident colour.

Some fashion houses put forward designs which were cherry red from head to toe, while others kept it limited to a skirt or jacket and combined it with other colours to make an ensemble.

"Fashion's obsession with bright red has been impossible to ignore in recent seasons, seen on the runway but also the red carpet," said Vogue's Alex Kessler.

"Spring/summer 2024 [collections] brought a noticeable shift towards deeper and more opulent versions of the shade."

3. Metallics




Several designers took inspiration from the pipes under their kitchen sink for this next trend - a variety of outfits and dresses with a metallic sheen.

One of our favourite Met Gala themes of the last decade was 2016's Man vs. Machine, which saw A-list guests dress in silver, futuristic colours with robot-inspired accessories. Metallics became prominent once again in 2023 as fans dressed up for Beyonce's Renaissance tour.

The trend looks set to continue into next year and dominated during Paris fashion week, with Net-A-Porter noting: "Swathes of shimmering metallics glistened across the SS24 runways."

But if you're opting for gold, careful not to overload. "Metallic gold can have a gladiator look," pointed out StyleCaster. "If you want to tone it down, pair metallic gold with alternate materials like denim or leather."

4. Knitwear


In the UK, the weather is so appalling that frankly a nice cardigan or jumper never goes out of fashion.

According to Who What Wear, the SS24 collections acknowledged that "knitwear is a year-round staple, but one that should be no less fabulous than the rest of the items you wear".

"Erdem's embroidered cardigans were some of the most beautiful pieces we saw," they added.

Elsewhere, W magazine suggested: "Cardigans and fair isle knits were the most prominent knitwear trend this season."

5. Snowflake patterns



We admit these beautiful and intricate designs are a bit more sophisticated than the snowflakes we made in school with some paper and a pair of scissors.

"Designers got crafty this season," noted Drapers, "and the Paris runways were aflutter with super-size lace and broderie anglaise designs for SS24".

(Don't worry, we've already Googled it, broderie anglaise refers to patterns with small round or oval holes cut out of the fabric, providing the snowflake look.)

Several of the outfits on display during fashion weeks saw the snowflake design put front and centre, while others displayed them through an outer layer of sheer.

Post a Comment

0 Comments