Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more
The 2010’s will go down in history as a period of political turmoil, cultural division and societal change — and fashion was not exempt. The growing climate crisis forced difficult questions about the sustainability of fast fashion to the surface and the human toll of consumerism was thrown into the spotlight by disasters like the Rana Plaza factory collapse in 2013, all set to a backdrop of increasing concern over the future of the bricks and mortar British high street.
In 2010 only 17 per cent of shopping was done online, seven years later fashion powerhouses Mulberry and Burberry deemed social media influential enough that they live-streamed all of their AW17 catwalk London Fashion Week shows to audiences of thousands on Instagram. And it wasn’t just the established brands utilising online platforms — the decade also saw the rise of the influencer, capable of reaching thousands and driving trends and sales alike.
The decade also saw the loss of several fashion greats. In February 2010 the fashion world was rocked by the suicide of Alexander McQueen . In 2016, British designer, Richard Nicoll died at the age of 39, followed by the death of Tunisian designer Azzedine Alaia in 2017. French couturier and ready-to-wear pioneer, Hubert de Givenchy, and handbag designer, Kate Spade, both died in 2018. The period came to a close with the death of Chanel ’s creative director, Karl Lagerfeld , in 2019.
Show all 16 1 /16The fashion trends that defined a decade The fashion trends that defined a decade Viva la 1990s Something about 1990s fashion struck a chord in the 2010s. Back then, the prevailing fashion aesthetic was defined by grunge staples (Doc Martens, crop tops and chokers) and was pioneered by designers like Marc Jacobs and Alexander McQueen taking inspiration from the bands of the time. In the past 10 years, much of it returned with aplomb, from stiff denim – mostly seen in the form of straight-leg jeans or dungarees – to hoop earrings and lashings of leopard print. We can largely thank members of Gen Z for the revival, who were too young to live through our fashion mistakes the first time and therefore thought it was a good idea to reintroduce them rather than leave them in the past. OP
The fashion trends that defined a decade The normcore takeover While the 2010s saw the return of logomania and outlandish fashions towards the end of the decade, many rejected rampant consumerism altogether and sought sartorial sanctuary in the inconspicuous. In 2013, trend forecaster K-hole dubbed this phenomenon “Normcore”, describing a generation that sought to embrace the banality of plainness. The term later expanded from a description of functional dressers to encompassing a bona fide fashion trend that took bland style to a homogenous extreme. The look was typified by a rejection of extravagance, with garments such as stonewash jeans, comfortable trainers, tonal outfits and Steve Jobs-inspired turtlenecks. High street favourites like Cos and Gap, as well as British designer Margaret Howell who is renowned for her trademark pared-down catwalk looks, were normcore favourites. SY
The fashion trends that defined a decade Millennial Pink became everyone’s colour obsession Some people thought it was pastel; others called it salmon, and few even went rogue by labeling it peach. Eventually, a new name was born: Millennial Pink. It’s hard to pinpoint the moment Millennial Pink became 'a thing', but it began sneaking onto the runway way back in 2012, was all over Wes Anderson's Grand Budapest Hotel in 2014 and by 2016, Rose Quartz became Pantone's joint colour of the year before the dusty, pinky orange shade reached cult status in the way most trends do nowadays: on Instagram. Soon it was on everything from notebooks to beauty products, covering billboards, furniture and even our hair. But this was not just any colour, Millennial Pink was less about aesthetics and more about symbolism. It represented the playfulness, buoyancy and feminism of a generation. It was just pink enough to be feminine and not too pink to be girlie. The boom may be over but Millennial Pink lives on. OP
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The fashion trends that defined a decade Streetwear influenced a new era of luxury fashion Over the last decade, streetwear has undergone a major shift, with designers and consumers responding to real street style in droves. A trend typically associated with underground subcultures, streetwear surged in demand largely thanks to brands like Vetements, headed by Balenciaga’s creative director, Demna Gvasalia, that seamlessly blend high and low culture to give this urban look a luxury feel. Vetement’s extra-long sleeved hoodies were all over Instagram, with T-shirts coopting quotidian brand names and logos, like "DHL", and becoming covetable, high-end items. It wasn’t long before other brands took note, with everyone from Louis Vuitton to Givenchy sending their upgraded versions of banal streetwear items down the runways. The trend proved its worth in 2017, when skateboarding brand Supreme was valued at $1 billion, and luxury streetwear label Off-White was named as the "hottest fashion brand in the world”. SY
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The fashion trends that defined a decade T-shirts got political Slogan T-shirts are nothing new — Katherine Hamnett has been making them for 50 years — but thanks to the volatile political climate of the past decade, they became a mainstay of our wardrobes. Slogan tees were used to represent our political leanings, from Brexit to the climate crisis, with designers including Vivienne Westwood, Hamnett and Bella Freud as well as all high street stores, all throwing their own variations into the ring. Feminbist messages were particularly present on many designs. In 2014, the Fawcett Society revived its famous ‘This is what a feminist looks like’ T-shirts as part of a campaign supported by Labour MP Harriet Harman and then-Liberal Democrat leader, Nick Clegg. In 2016 Dior took the title of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's essay "We Should All Be Feminists” and put it on plain white tees in glitter capitals. If you’ve got something to say, put it on a T-shirt. OP
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The fashion trends that defined a decade Honey I shrunk your handbag Logic states that the point of a handbag is to keep your essentials in one place. But the catwalk pays no heed to convention. Here, creativity rules. When Simon Porte Jacquemus first introduced his miniature three-inch tall bag, the Le Sac Chiquito, in his spring/summer 2018 collection, it was met with adoration and became an instant streetstyle hit. For his autumn/winter 2019 show, the designer outdid himself with the debut of Mini Le Chiquito, a handbag that was shrunk to a mere 1.5-inch height. The Jacquemus tiny bag had all the makings of a viral accessory, so much so that it was been spotted dangling from the fingertips of stars like Rihanna and Kim Kardashian. But Jacquemus wasn’t the only designer to give them a go. In November, singer Lizzo attended the American Music Awards carrying an extra-small Valentino Garavani bag that left Twitter debating what actually fit inside the tiny tote. SY
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The fashion trends that defined a decade Fashion went gender-fluid Perceptions of gender have changed dramatically in the last decade as society questioned traditional notions of masculinity and femininity. Nowhere did this have a greater impact than in fashion, where these boundaries blended more than ever before. Historically, menswear and womenswear was showcased in separate fashion weeks. But by the end of the decade, brands often combined the two, casting models of all genders to walk the same runways. Meanwhile, gender-neutral garments, such as boiler suits and tailoring surged on the trend scene, with designers like JW Anderson and Toogood leading the way as high street labels followed suit. H&M and Zara also launched unisex lines, while genderless boutique brands, including Bethnals and LaneFortyFive, flourished. Then there were the gender-bending celebrity wardrobes to consider — think Billie Porter Ezra Miller and Timothee Chalamet — who shunned traditional staid suits for sequins, tutus and gowns on the red carpets. OP
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The fashion trends that defined a decade Daddy cool The fashion set might have quivered in their couture when Christopher Kane sent models down the runway wearing Crocs in 2016, but the moment marked the start of an unexpected sartorial phenomenon. With their clunky straps and orthopaedic soles, Crocs are the antithesis of chic. But by encrusting them with gems, filling them with fur and marbling their exteriors, Kane was able to send us all spinning for his collaboration. It paved the way for a similar offering from Balenciaga, whose platform Crocs had gems and enormous platforms. And so the ugly shoe trend was born, later spawning 'ugly' trainers, or 'dad shoes' as they became known. Balenciaga’s Triple S trainers were the most popular offering, while Louis Vuitton and Stella McCartney produced their own equally dad-like versions and high street shops created affordable alternatives in garish colour palettes. OP
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The fashion trends that defined a decade The boom of athleisure Thanks to the countless wellness trends that emerged in the last 10 years, wearing workout gear outside of the gym went from being convenient to a full-on life statement. We’re not talking slouchy tracksuit bottoms and your favourite band tee, though. Athleisure was all about slickness. The colours were neutral, the tops were snug and leggings were flattering above all else. Wearing athleisure was more than just a fashion choice; it was a lifestyle one that said: ‘hey, I exercise and I look good doing it’. The popularity of athleisure was largely thanks to the many celebrities (including Kendall Jenner and Hailey Bieber) who were regularly photographed looking prim and polished on their way to and from the gym, often with a green juice in hand and clad in high end brands, inspiring the rest of us to save up for plush workout gear from Sweaty Betty and Lululemon. In 2016, Beyoncé joined in the fun by launching her own athleisure brand, Ivy Park. OP
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The fashion trends that defined a decade Fur is so last decade As our concerns around ethics in fashion reached new heights, the debate surrounding the use of fur in the industry took centre stage, with an increasing number of brands implementing bans. 2018 marked an industry-wide shift, with London Fashion Week becoming the first major event not to show any real fur. In 2019, it looked as though fur was finally on its way out, with a number of brands including Burberry and Gucci taking a stand, and brands such as Shrimps leading the way with brightly coloured faux alternatives. The ethical issues of using animal fur even reached the Queen who, according to her official dresser, vowed to only wear fake fur at royal engagements from 2019. Despite the shift being welcomed by animal rights organisations, others shared concerns that the use of faux-fur, despite being more ethical, has a greater negative environmental impact, due to its artificial fibres.SY
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The fashion trends that defined a decade The Meghan and Kate Effect Throughout the 1980s, the fashion industry experienced the so-called "Diana effect” – a term used to describe the royal’s influence on the public’s shopping habits – but it took several decades for a new royal to compete with the fashion impact of the People's Princess, and then along came two. In 2010, Kate Middleton’s blue engagement dress, designed by London-based brand Issa, was an instant sell-out and cemented the royal’s position as a fashion icon. But Middleton was not alone in causing a fashion frenzy. Meghan Markle sparked a similar demand for items despite having only been a member of the royal family for just over a year. The duchess made a significant mark with her sartorial choices with shoppers regularly waiting in anticipation to find out what she will wear. The "Meghan effect” has resulted in long waiting lists, websites selling out of designs in seconds and hundreds of copycats. SY
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The fashion trends that defined a decade Second-hand news For a long time, vintage clothing was the reserve of thrifty grandmothers and penny-saving students. But this decade, as the reality of the climate crisis became unavoidable thanks to the work of activists Extinction Rebellion and Greta Thunberg, and the damaging impact of fast fashion was writ large, eco-conscious fashion fans turned to their local charity shops and shunned the new, taking a stand against the industry’s waste problem. Charities including Oxfam encouraged people to take part in campaigns like ‘secondhand September’ while the arrival of new websites and apps, like Vestiare Collective and DePop made it much simpler to sell and source stylist pre-loved clothing. 2019 also saw the dawn of fashion rental apps, so we don’t see conscious shopping going anywhere soon. OP
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The fashion trends that defined a decade A new logomania Logomania was reborn in a postmodern sensibility in the 2010s. Thanks in part to the arrival of Allessandro Michele at Gucci, the double G was shot into stratospheric trend success when he revived the belt and splashed logos all over T-shirts. Soon, Fendi and Chanel followed suit, rejecting the idea that logos were brash and reclaiming them in all their Warholian glory. But it was the birth of Parisian design collective, Vetements, that really upped the ante, when — to the bewilderment of delivery men, globally — they released a DHL T-shirt for £500 that fashion fans went wild for. Meanwhile, luxury brands monogrammed everything from dresses and jumpers to handbags and phone cases. Such was the power of the logo this past decade, that Burberry and Celine even had theirs entirely redesigned. Welcome back, shameless conspicuous consumption. OP
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The fashion trends that defined a decade The demise of the skinny jean For a long time it looked as though nothing could knock the skinny jean off its fashion throne. Like the Elizabeth II of trends, the drainpipe reigned for longer than any preceding trouser shape had until 2018, when it was forced to abdicate. In came the frayed-hem of the cropped, straight-leg. According to fashion search website Lyst, straight-legged jeans are now the most sought-after cut, with more than 200,000 shoppers in 2019 scouring the internet each month for the perfect pair of high-waisted “mom jeans”. This decade also welcomed back flares, high-waist 501s and denim culottes, making it the first time in a long time that no single trouser shape was de rigueur. While the skinny may no longer lead the way, it will always be a wardrobe staple. Amen to choices. SY
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The fashion trends that defined a decade Fourth wave fashion Fashion has always reflected the prevailing political mood, and the 2010s were no different. The decade saw the rise of fourth wave feminism and with it: a female-first approach to dressing. As several women took the helm at a number of luxury fashion houses, from Maria Grazuia Chuiri at Dior to Clare Waight Keller at Givenchy and former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham turned her hand to design, a shift in fashion occurred that put women’s busy lives front and centre. Perhaps most notably, Phoebe Philo’s tenure as creative director of Celine saw her offer chic staples for women who didn’t want to dress for anyone but themselves, and her fondness for donning Stan Smiths for her post-show bows made us all replace heels for trainers and marked the beginning of the trainers-with-trouser-suits takeover. The power of feminist fashion really hit home when Hedi Slimane tried to skintight, emaciated sexiness to the catwalks and faced the wrath of social media. SY
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The fashion trends that defined a decade That ‘70s Show From environmental activism to feminism and political unrest, the 2010s shared a fair few similarities with the 1970s, so it’s really no wonder designers looked back on the decade for inspiration. 1970s silhouettes and colour palettes cropped up on catwalks and in high street stores several times throughout the past 10 years, taking their cues from style icons including Farrah Fawcett and Diana Ross via the likes of over-the-knee boots, folk dresses, corduroy and bell sleeves. Brands including Yves Saint Laurent and Diane Von Furstenberg returned to their roots with collections of psychedelic prints and flowing skirts, while new London-based label Rixo took over our Instagram feeds and reignited a consumer love affair for the era with their colourful tea dresses. For spring/summer 2020, the design duo took their love of the decade to new heights, showing an entirely Woodstock-themed collection. SY
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It also saw a number of high profile female designers take centre stage: Sarah Burton and Stella McCartney were both added to the history books when they designed Kate Middleton and Meghan Marke’s royal wedding dresses, in 2011, and 2018, respectively. While Phoebe Philo’s perfectly-crafted aesthetic at Céline had defined one of the biggest trends of the decade: feminist fashion.
Diversification of the industry, in terms of race and size, was also high on the agenda, even if not always successful. Edward Enninful took the helm at British Vogue in August 2017, choosing cover stars like hijab-wearing Halima Aden, and singer, Lizzo . The final British Fashion Award model of the year, awarded to former-child-refugee Adut Akech, whose speech on diversity received a standing ovation.
Given the decade will be remembered for milestone moments like Brexit and Donald Trump’s presidency in the USA, the fashion industry has also served plenty of light relief. Take the totally impractical, tiny 1.5 inch handbag trend sparked by Jacquemus, the creation of bejewelled Crocs, courtesy of Christopher Kane, and the ugliest New Balance dad trainers that became cool once again and led to Balenciaga’s own super versions.
Since 2010, there have been many fashion moments and movements to love (and hate), but which are the ones that really defined the decade?
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