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In any given year, there are a few banner moments that bubble up in the fashion world well before they take over the zeitgeist. (One obvious example: Valentino’s entirely pink fall/winter 2022 collection showed more than 16 months before Barbie hit theaters and Barbiecore became inescapable.) While there are myriad elements that factor into the trend cycle, spring collections are typically most indicative of the moments that will define the following year. And if the latest crop of shows is any indication, there’s no shortage of optimism going into 2025 (in spite of…everything).
There are more than enough trends that feel like walking contradictions. (For example, traditionally grungy plaid takes on a more refined approach at Bottega Veneta and Burberry.) Still, many sartorial threads point to a more whimsical, almost idiosyncratic take on dressing in 2025: Once-sharp suiting is softened; athleisure enjoys a palpable, office-ready refinement; and undeniably joyous, more-is-more magpie moments rule at brands like Schiaparelli, Prada, and Louis Vuitton. (It’s impossible to take yourself too seriously in a bubble skirt.)
Some may posit that we’ve over-indexed on fantasy — however, there are plenty of more wearable trends set to ascend in the new year that you can start shopping now. Discover them ahead, along with the exact styles we’re eyeing to get a jump on 2025 dressing.
Fashion Trend 2025: At The Cape
An unexpected offshoot of the ladylike trend, the swift rise in capes, capelets and similar silhouettes points to a deeper refinement of quiet luxury. This really took hold in the form of outerwear on the fall/winter 2024 runways of Bottega Veneta, Proenza Schouler, Alberta Ferretti, and Chloé, and it continues into the spring. Scandi darling Totême proposes a draped “goddess dress” featuring a layer of gathered fabric that curls quietly around the neck, while Chanel has a more literal take on the look, complete with a superhero-in-training-style necktie.
Fashion Trend 2025: The New Neutrals
A typical capsule wardrobe features black, white, and perhaps a pop of navy but designers are expanding the definition of neutral. We’ve reached meme-levels of saturation on brown suede, and the most mellow of the earth tones — rich camels, chocolates, butter yellows and even burgundies — seem to be having their moment in the sun.
At Hermès, camels step in where creams or blacks once dominated, while Bottega Veneta’s ultra-saturated wine red finds its way to dresses and blazers. The latter hue peppers collections from Tibi, Simkhai, and Tanner Fletcher, too. For its part, Max Mara relies upon deep chocolate browns and khakis for the better half of its most recent offerings. For a truly modern take on the trend, try mixing each with black — it’s refined, elevated, and just the right amount of unexpected.
Fashion Trend 2025: Bubbling Up
If the unlikely comeback of the bubble skirt — an ‘80s relic and much-slandered, socialite-favorite silhouette of the early aughts — is any indication, fashion has traded its love affair with the ‘90s for the decade prior.
The item entered the sartorial ether earlier this year but spring/summer 2025 sees its test run evolve into a fully fledged curve obsession. At Stella McCartney, toga-like dresses drape over the shoulder and sweep the torso to reveal a bubbled-hemmed mini. Similarly, Nicklas Skovgaard — an early adopter of the trend back in 2023 — offers generous iterations of his signature silhouette. Meanwhile, hoop skirts, impossibly voluminous dresses and a general embrace of curves make their way into collections from JW Anderson, Who Decides War, Erdem, Loewe, and Junya Watanabe (though time will tell if those are runway exclusives).
Fashion Trend 2025: Power Leg
Every season introduces a true, capital-F Fashion trend. Fall 2023 saw the rise of hot pants. Before that, it was the micro-mini. Spring/Summer 2025 is shaping up to be the season of the power leg.
Designers love a hybrid (see: the scarf coat) and while this trend isn’t exactly rooted in practicality, it’s nothing short of fun. Victoria Beckham, Bottega Veneta, Polo Ralph Lauren, Courrèges and Coperni are all riffing on the same idea in varying iterations: Beckham slices a pair of burgundy trousers from shin to mid-thigh to reveal a sliver of black satin shorts, Coperni put Amelia Gray Hamlin in a slim-legged style, and Matthieu Blazy dressed models in a three-way pants-shorts-skirt hybrid that reveals only one calf in full. The favoritism lives on at Courrèges and Proenza Schouler, where asymmetrical silhouettes, which also included skirts, showcase a single gam.
Credit should go to Eckhaus Latta and Maryam Nassir Zadeh, who each had one-legged looks in their respective spring 2023 shows — 2025, though, may be the year it finally goes mainstream (hey, a girl can dream).
Fashion Trend 2025: Sheer Genius
The sheer trend has had a chokehold on fashion for a few seasons now, but designers aren’t just leaning into it for spring/summer 2025 — they’re building entire collections around fluid, diaphanous fabrics that are made to move.
At Totême, Dries Van Noten, Marina Moscone, and Simone Rocha, gossamer-light silks that catch the slightest breeze take center stage in the form of twisted tulle skirts and sheer, sheathlike overdresses cut on the bias that lend an ephemeral feel to a simple silk gown. Sure, we’ve seen the soft power of a layer of tulle, romanticized to show the female form; even more relevant are the gauzy maxi dresses, button-downs and flowing pants that let underthings shine through.
Fashion Trend 2025: All The Accoutrements
It’s as if bag charms were just a foreshadowing. Never mind that Nicolas Ghesquière’s Louis Vuitton spring/summer 2025 and cruise 2025 collections are lessons in over-layering, or that Ann Demeulemeester found inspiration in a Bella Donna-era Stevie Nicks for its most recent outing. The vibe for the new year is more is more is more is…well, you get it.
A direct challenge to quiet luxury, it’s as though designers finally discovered the antithesis of that oft-maligned Coco Chanel quote — and they found it in bows, brocades, bowling bags, and other magpie moments that would typically age you. The only rule is that there are no rules, so go ahead — wear the stripes and the polka dots and the sparkles with the three necklaces.
Fashion Trend 2025: Sporty Spice
As a concept, athleisure — which began as a trend among Los Angeles twentysomethings of wearing leggings and sports bras outside of Pilates — has morphed into a full-blown style profile. For spring, it’s finally dipping its feet into office-appropriate territory, as pioneered by Miu Miu, Ralph Lauren, Tolu Coker, Tommy Hilfiger, and The Attico.
We’re seeing colorblocked windbreakers paired beautifully with evening wear-forward midi and maxi skirts (a banner silhouette of the season). Meanwhile, funnel-neck anoraks, jersey-style tunics, track separates, short-sleeve polo dresses and details like a contrast half-zip offer a more subtle take at Lacoste, Ganni and Ferragamo. Miu Miu is even turning its now-infamous boy shorts into a sport-utility version of the trend, so you know it’s real.
Fashion Trend 2025: Soft Suiting
After consecutive seasons of sharp tailoring comes a welcome turn toward softness. Saint Laurent’s billowing, oversized suits lead the charge, though it isn’t hard to find softer edges, slouchier trousers and silken suit shorts, if you’re looking for them. (See: Dries Van Noten, Stella McCartney, Carven.) While lapels are still cut with precision, bottoms enjoy a drapey, almost juvenilely baggy fit, as though some of the models at Loewe and Tibi had popped on their dads’ Wall Street uniforms two decades too soon. They’re pieces that would struggle to keep their shape off the hanger — which is exactly the kind of softness we’re craving.
Fashion Trend 2025: She’s A Lady
The jacket silhouette that’s held strong at Chanel for decades has made headlines in the last few seasons. This time around, it serves as the foundation of a ladylike look that’s rounded out by accessories like modern pillbox hats (as seen at Chloé, Marni and Loro Piana) and ruffle and lace collars, sometimes of the Peter Pan variety (Ganni, Jil Sander). At Acne, a bubble-hem dress is accented with floral gloves and peep-toe heels, signaling a return to refinement.
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This article was originally published on refinery29.com.