Good outfits are great, but curated ensembles with statement accessories are better. This summer, it’s all about bright adventurous pieces that can take your wardrobe basics to new heights. Think tinted eyewear, kitschy hair clips, and striking handbags – all of which require minimal effort to style on your part. Ahead, we’ve pulled together some of the most sought-after summer add-ons to shop now.
Fashion continues to excite and delight us in new ways with every turn of a corner. Just when you think you’ve seen it all, a new look emerges that completely blows the rest out of the water. Maybe it’s the resurgence of an old trend that comes back with a force too strong to ignore, such as the Y2K craze that’s taken the fashion set by storm. Whatever the case may be, it’s obvious that the fashion industry is evolving faster than ever. Influencers, celebrities, and trend forecasters are delving into a myriad of style aesthetics that have yet to materialize into mainstream trends. Each sector happens to have its community of enthusiasts that become evident in just a few scrolls on Instagram and TikTok. In light of the new year now upon us, we thought this would be the perfect time to switch up your wardrobes. So, we put together this list of 10 aesthetic trends worth trying out if you want to push your style boundaries in 2022.
Soft Girl For those who love to play up their more feminine side, this aesthetic is for you. The soft girl look encompasses a mix of girly pieces, with a large focus on pastels. Think soft pinks and lavenders as well as heart and floral patterns. Perhaps one of the easiest ways to test drive the soft girl aesthetic is to lean into pieces with a youthful color palette. Team them with everyday pieces, like jeans and a tank top for an organic look.
Coconut Girl Channel the carefree feeling of spring and summer as early as you can by embracing the coconut girl aesthetic. This is essentially a vibe that conveys beachy vacation feels by focusing on clothing reminiscent of the early 2000s. Look to crochet halter tops, tropical floral prints, and shell jewelry to pull it off. It was one of the most-searched aesthetic trends of 2021, so we expect it to blow up as we creep closer towards spring and summer.
Academia Dark romantic novels, candles, and the fine arts are just a few things that would interest someone who is invested in the academia aesthetic. More specifically, this look contains both dark and light themes. The latter encompasses plaid skirts, turtlenecks, and loafers in softer, neutral tones whereas dark academia is a moodier scheme of the same clothing variety. Inspired by Harry Potter and American prep, this collegiate-inspired look is perfect for creating an edgy outfit with a romantic spin.
Sage Green Green has become so popular that it essentially became an aesthetic of its caliber. We even see tastemakers utilizing the delicate hue of sage green as a neutral, everyday color akin to beige and grey. In the past, it was thought of more as a warm-season color but has since proven to be appropriate throughout the year. Most notably, the sage green sits well with some of the aforementioned aesthetic trends like coconut girl and soft girl.
Y2K You’d be completely remiss to not notice the Y2K aesthetic – it has one of the biggest momentums in fashion yet. As you can guess, the Y2K look is composed of everything from micro mini skirts to kitschy, colorful jewelry and sky-high platform boots. Take one of these elements and add it to your everyday looks for a subtle flair of Y2K. Or, go big and pile on the colorful clothing and bright accessories!
Cottagecore This aesthetic has been the name of the game for the past year and a half or so. To go after this look, imagine yourself in an expansive field filled with wildflowers and mushrooms with a quaint cottage sitting on the horizon. This is exactly the mood that cottagecore embodies – it’s complete with flowy dresses and sweeping skirts that are vintage-inspired.
Baddie On the opposite end of the spectrum, let’s talk about the baddie aesthetic. This particular look is all about releasing your confidence and divine female energy in everything you do. Body-con party dresses, bold colors, and faux-fur coats are the big-ticket items we would use to summarize this trend. The baddie aesthetic is perfect for when you want to make a lasting impression when heading out for a night of fun.
E-Girl An abbreviation of electronic girl, the e-girl aesthetic is considered a more contemporary version of goth. This style takes a lot of inspiration from popular anime and skates culture – and channels the dark vibe into their everyday style. As one may expect, this aesthetic favors all shades of black, and Ariana provides a prime example of what an e-girl outfit should look like. Take it a step further with fishnet stockings, chain necklaces, and doll-like makeup.
Fairycore The next aesthetic trend you should consider trying out in 2022 is focused on the beauty of nature, including butterflies, flowers, and gentle animals. The ethereal, fantasy-like lifestyle is exactly what you would imagine from a classic princess story. Style-wise, seek out clothing filled with textured ruffles, lace, and corsets. You can also go after sheer fabrics and billowy dresses that easily make one swoon.
Artsy The artsy aesthetic (also known as Arthoe) focuses on an appreciation for all things art and nature. Followers of this style are not ones to shy away from color. Outfits are meant to be visually stimulating, comprising rainbow stripes and bold hues. Give it a run by rocking funky patterns, iconic artwork plastered on top of a t-shirt or dress, and mix it up with bold-colored accessories.
Fashion has a habit of trolling us with outrageous trends. Crotchless trousers, see-through jeans, ridiculously expensive designer paper clips… All of the aforementioned are very real items sold in the not-too-distant past. But I’d wager no piece garners as much controversy as Crocs. They are, undeniably, a divisive topic of conversation and easily the most Marmite shoes of the modern world. I hate to break it to you, but they’ve made a real dent in 2021, and I know a lot of people aren’t happy about this. When researching this piece, I decided to ask our readers over on the So… Should I Buy This? Instagram group if they love or loathe Crocs, and almost unanimously, over 60 people replied loathe. As one member so eloquently put it, “The little holes are where your dignity seeps out.”
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The thing is, I can’t seem to get it out of my head that, when styled right, they look good. First, I saw Actress Priyanka Chopra wearing the mint green Crocs last summer, and I thought they looked cute worn with jeans and a T-shirt. These even became so popular they sold out. But then, there were others. Out came the über-cool influencers who wore bold yellow Crocs with bright orange jackets or with purple dresses and beige blazers. Suddenly, Crocs became cool.
This surge in popularity isn’t just anecdotal or some kind of delirium brought on by too much Instagram. According to global fashion search platform Lyst‘s 2020 report, these shoes were the eighth most-wanted item in the world last year, with average monthly searches for Crocs hitting a total of 135,000. True, our response to dressing during the pandemichas meant we’ve steered toward more comfortable pieces—it’s no surprise that Birkenstock’s Arizona sandals are number two on that list or that Nike’s joggers are fourth. Then in April, it was revealed the Crocs has experienced growing online sales. According to the BBC sales “rose by 75.3% in the first quarter and made of a third of total sales for the period.” The Guardian reports it reached £331M in sales “just days after a gold pair of Crocs appeared on the Oscars red carpet, sported by musician Questlove, the awards’ musical director.”
Of course, this isn’t the first time fashion has tried to make Crocs popular but it’s probably the most successful. Both Christopher Kane in 2017 and Balenciaga in 2018 created high-fashion versions of the shoe, with the former offering a marbled and bejeweled Croc and the latter offering a platform-style in bright block colors. However, this time, influencers love them, as do the A-list. Nicki Minaj, Pharrell Williams, and Justin Bieber have been seen wearing the trustiest of squeaky flats. Not to mention those aforementioned gold versions. We already know the fashion industry loves Crocs, so now with the Instagram crowd and celebrities on board, we’ve reached the holy trinity and the tipping point for a trend to go mainstream, which is the case.
While I realize that it’s still going to take a bit to win some people over, I think this reader’s comment sums it up: “I’ll probably see them loads on Insta over springtime styled well, and by summer, I’ll have converted and been wearing them.” And that, dear readers, is how fashion works. Keep scrolling to see Crocs in action. Then, go on to see the ones you can shop right now.
Every time I open up Instagram, I see a perfectly positioned model or influencer showing off their outfit. Without fail, I assume the seemingly perfect photo was effortless to capture. I always take it for granted that the person in the photo is naturally photogenic (and that if I’m not naturally photogenic, I’d never been able to pull off the same photo). But guess what: That couldn’t be further from the truth. Anyone who frequently has their photo taken just knows what works for them, mostly from trial and error.
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For Instagram’s director of fashion partnerships, Eva Chen, it’s her baby giraffe pose, while the Barbie feet pose is a favorite among celebs and models everywhere. It’s no big secret how to produce an amazing outfit photo; it just comes down to knowing your angles.
Everyone has a different angle that works best for them, but try the following tips and you’ll realize that the perfect outfit photo is just a matter of strategy. From paying attention to camera angles to strategically positioning your body, we’re sharing our top tricks to never worrying about how to look more photogenic again. If you’re ready to up your Instagram game, look no further.
Lower angles, while sometimes a cool option, are typically harder to execute well. Position your camera slightly above your eye line. Generally speaking, the higher the camera angle, the better the photo.
Paying attention to your posture when taking pictures can make the world of a difference. Hunched shoulders and slumped spines will not elongate your figure. Instead, push your shoulders back stick your back end out slightly. It might seem silly to dramatize good posture, but we promise it will come across well on camera.
Obviously, you should wear whatever you like and show off your unique style in photos, but bulky clothing tends to distract from the best part of the photo: you! Lightweight, thin fabrics, like silk, are great options for photos.
Keep your arms slightly away from your body for a better shot. Either put your hand on your hip, brush your hand through your hair, or try keeping your elbow slightly out.
No shame here—it’s all about finding what looks best for you. A little trial and error will help you find your best angle in photos so you know exactly how to stand to create the best image.
Shop the photogenic wardrobe essentials our editors are loving right now from Fashion Nova:
