NYFW Fall 2020 Trends

Turns out, trends are nostalgic as hell.

Puffy Sleeves Are Not Going Anywhere

If you thought that it was time for the puff sleeve to step down, think again.

The hyper-feminine puff sleeve originated in the Renaissance, but its heyday was during the Victorian and Edwardian eras. In the 1980s, the puff sleeve resurged and became a phenomenal fashion trend. Since 2018, the puff sleeve quietly made its way back into fashion mainstream.

It’s been spotted everywhere, red carpets, fashion weeks, Hampton beaches (Nah, any beach actually); the point is, when the puff sleeve is made of luxurious textiles, it’s a statement-making couture piece that is easy to pull off. And when it uses cotton and light colors, then it screams summer vacations.

All photos courtesy of this page goes to Vogue.com

One thing magical about puffy sleeves is that they are flattering for any body type. In accentuating the shoulders, all the attention goes to the shoulders instead of the waist. Hipsters might knit their brows when it comes to the puffy sleeve, as oftentimes it leaves the impression of over-the-top feminine wear. However, as seen on Hakan Akkaya’s runway, the puffed sleeve worked well with leather and kept up with the designer’s enduring punk spirit.

The puff sleeve has taken over the throne of off-the-shoulder summer tops in the last two years. But in 2020, it will step more into the territory of fall and winter fashion—jackets and knits with the puff sleeve, we are ready.

Cutouts Go Wild

We are not strangers to showing skin with cutouts, but we’re probably not used to wearing it in fall. NYFW has panned out numerous ways to show a pop of skin for Fall 2020.

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Forget about the subtle sex appeal delivered by the shoulders. Meticulously designed modern cutouts can be done anywhere without seeming like vulgar costumes. Even the most basic garment could become flirtatious with that little pop of peekaboo skin. In fact, on top of giving a hint of sexiness, modern cutouts usually elevate the garment to a refined classiness. I’m personally loving Dion Lee’s wide-leg pant with parallel hip cutouts, as long as I have that exact same leather strap to show off with.

Plaid Madness

Yes, it’s that old chestnut again. Plaid.

Fashion editors probably are as sick of reporting plaid trends every fashion season as we are of seeing it over and over again(sorry! we love you plaid). But seriously, we can’t help but wonder, will ever plaid go out of style? Not likely.

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Admittedly, designers have once again managed to play with plaid beautifully. Whether creating full suited looks with various plaid patterns or making deconstructed looks by throwing in dashes of plaid or patching together multi-print plaids. On a styling note, see how plaid look always top off with a cinched waist.

Tartan, plaid, check, gingham, patchwork, the plaid pattern family tree goes way back. The plaid pattern is so versatile that it can be used to express any style: grunge punk, classic preppy, full equestrian, working professional, whatever style you are in mood for—-plaid is at your service. Guess that’s why plaid has always reigned in the fashion world through time.

It’s a Bowtiful Season

Along with the return of hair ribbon bow trend, the ribbon bow has taken on a life of its own on the NYFW Fall 2020 runway.

An enormous bow can weigh you down, but a dark hue velvet ribbon can be much more playful. Whether using ribbon bow as a belt, a necktie, or a simple embellishment, ribbon bow can add a flair of sexiness, romance or elegance depending what garment it is on. The good news is that you don’t have to wait till next fall, you can try fastening a simple velvet ribbon into a pretty bow at your waist now. Or, as Zimmermann used the wide mulberry velvet for a necktie, try making a bow out of your scarves.

This season’s ribbon bows didn’t make us feel over-the-top and dramatic, instead it made more of a statement of delicate feminine strength. Hopefully, the next red carpet season, we wouldn’t find gigantic bows wrapping up celebrities.

You can argue that trends for this year’s New York Fashion Week are out-of-date, but come on, we will have some fun with them.