Why Do Women’s Fashion Trends Change Every Year?

Fashion changes along with the changes of society. What was cool with one generation might be the complete opposite of cool for the next generation, but the generation after that might long for what was cool before instead in an infinite loop.

Or the new generation might come up with another fashion sense of their own, like with punks being anti-fashion but ironically their deliberately ugly fashion instead became the vogue of their particular era.

A Quick Look at Fashion throughout History

The women’s fashion boom from the 1980s and 1990s can be felt all the way to the New Millennium, the 2010s, and the 2020s. They also have a common theme of women’s liberation and empowerment, from the shoulder pads of the Nineties to the minimalistic pencil skirts of the New Twenties.

Thanks to punk rock and an anti-fashion sentiment to the more fashionista-focused 1970s and 1960s, fashion from those decades broke rules and had no guidelines.

It’s an Arms’ Race of Art and Creativity

Fashion evolves along with individual identities. On that note, why does women’s fashion always change? Why does female fashion in particular change so quickly?

It’s a tale as old as time from Ancient Rome and Egypt to the fashion meccas of New York, London, Milan, and Paris. Women’s fashion is many a fashion designer’s (capitalistic) canvas to express themselves in an individualistic level and a societal level.

Defining Each Generation and the Evolution of Women’s Fashion

Fashion helps define one generation from another. Older fashions become “old-fashioned”, so to speak. As you grow older, what was current becomes classic or retro. It’s part of growing up and maturing into adulthood.

You too won’t be able to take the newer fashion and music trends of another generation since they’re usually deliberately antithetical to the fashion of the generation before. As you age, fashion evolves because a new generation of youth will emerge to take your place.

Is Women’s Fashion Nebulous? No, It’s Cyclical!

Women’s fashion is more about finding new trends to chase after the ever-changing standards of beauty from generation to generation or even from year to year to feed a multibillion-dollar fashion industry, if you were to look at things through a cynical lens.

However, perhaps the truth behind the evolution of women’s fashion simply roots from women wanting to always evolve and improve upon themselves every season or even daily, when they have to choose their outfit for the day.

They embrace change and this is one facet of their lives they’re able to express this acceptance. With maturation and evolution comes evolution instead of stagnancy.

Big In 2023, Bigger In 2024: Bows Are Everywhere In Women’s Fashion

Has everyone noticed the latest in women’s fashion? Bows are now trending. It’s not your imagination. Everyone’s wearing a bow or making the bow work in 2024. The fashion runways have models adorned with this particular fashion accessory.

Why among all the fashion accessories that could make a comeback, it’s the bow that returned? No one can say. Regardless, you can’t deny it’s popping off and it’s not something quaint you outfit a child with anymore.

Girlishness Embraced Anew

Bows are popping out everywhere from dresses to hairclips and fashion accessories. They’re the neat little bow on the gift that keeps on giving, in a sense.

  • Lines Up with Current Trends: The current trends today in 2024 are all about pencil skirts, halter tops or halternecks, and muted colors with striking black, white, or red accents. The bow simply works along with the rest of these clothing and accessory fashion trends, like a good shoe tying up a whole outfit.
  • Pink is the New Black: Despite womenswear fashion designers expressing their existential angat in their designs, they also value affirmations and embracing femininity once more. This has led to the rise of pink everything (like bows), such that pink rather than orange is the new black.
  • Why the Rise in Femininity? Like with any other trend, it all roots from pop culture. The Barbie movie was a relatively recent billion-dollar hit in 2023, so much so that its feminist satire struck a chord in many young women who wish to emulate the more positive aspects of the doll brand.
  • A Celebration of Women and Womanhood: Aside from Barbie helping inspire women to embrace femininity more, there’s also a rising fashion movement in balletcore along with Barbie-inspired girlish fashion that’s all about the bows.
  • Coquette Makeup is All About the Bow: While surely sporting coquettish or flirty grins while on their hot dates, 2024 women are also indulging in “coquette makeup”, of which the hair bow or dresses filled with bows work as a perfect harmonious complement to it.
  • The Female Bow: Everything from shoes to skirts to half-slips to undergarments have fun little bows on them in 2024 fashion as girls discover empowerment by being feminine and female while loving girlish things from their nostalgic past like dolls, ponies, and cute bows.

Tying Everything on a Neat Bow

Despite fashion expressing the ennui felt by society nowadays, particularly by women who’ve seen political horror stories involving the LGBTQ community, POCs, and what had happened to Roe vs. Wade in the United States, it has also embraced the feminine side of women’s fashion as well.

Instead of going for the androgyny of the 1980s or the rebelliousness of the 1990s, the youth of today are nostalgic for Turn of the Millennium Gothic fashion mixed with a rediscovery of classic girlish styles.

A Blast From The 60s: The Wet Look Is Back In Women’s Fashion

The wet look fashion trend of the 60s was greatly influenced by the emergence of the Pop Art movement with artists like Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein playing a significant role in shaping the aesthetic of the era, which translated into fashion trends.

The wetlook clothing made its popularity in the fashion trends of the 60’s which was achieved by using shiny, vinyl, or PVC materials that mimicked the appearance of wet surfaces. These materials were often used to create clothing items such as dresses, skirts, and raincoats. Mary Quant, a British designer, created the first-ever line with the material in 1963, naming it ‘wet collection.’ She was the pioneer of PVC used in clothing. André Courrèges was known for his avant-garde designs and futuristic approach to fashion. He incorporated vinyl and PVC materials into his collections, creating a sleek, shiny, and modern aesthetic.

The style made use of garments made from materials that have a shiny, wet appearance that resembles the look of being covered in water or liquid. These garments are typically made from fabrics such as PVC (polyvinyl chloride), spandex, latex, or leatherette that have been treated or coated to give them a glossy or reflective finish. It featured slim-fitting silhouettes that accentuated body curves. Dresses and skirts were often tailored to be form-fitting which further emphasizes the sleek and shiny appearance of the fabric.

The 60’s fashion also embraced bold and vibrant colors which was often associated with the Pop Art movement because of its influence on the fashion style. The same way the revolutionary Pop art movement has challenged norms, the wetlook clothing also initiated the shift from the use of natural and traditional fibers like cotton and wool. The era revolutionized the use of synthetic materials like vinyl and PVC providing a futuristic and unconventional aesthetic.

The wet look trend made its way into popular culture beyond the fashion industry. It was often depicted in films, television shows, and magazines, further spreading its influence and making it an iconic representation of the 60s era. The versatility of the style allowed individuals to incorporate the wet look into different aspects of their wardrobe. The fashion trend represented its time where it embraced social changes, unconventional ideas and challenged social norms and styles to create one that symbolized the yearning for progress, evolution and innovation all while creating an individuality that’s unique to everyone.

A Women’s Fashion Trend That Never Goes Out Of Style: Layering

Layering goes beyond staying cozy and trendy. Rather, it is a sure way to make a fashion statement. Unfortunately, it is not as easy as you think. You may end up troubled with unwanted bulk, if you fail to understand the dos and don’ts of layering. 

Since women deserve the attention of the world, they waste no time to dress up and look their best. “To look more confident.” This is one of the reasons why women use layering even during the usual days.  

Listed below are reasons why layering is popular among women.

  • Good layering makes women slimmer and taller. 

Deceive everyone around you with a carefully-picked garment layer. Long layers can make you look taller and a little slender. 

Refrain from wearing non-complementary colors from your waist down. Choose a layer that bears the same color of the skirt, stockings, and heels you are wearing.   

  • Layers keep you warm and cozy as the temperature shrinks. 

You don’t have to get rid of your favorite summer dress as the winter season starts. Simply add a few layers to it. Then, match it with the right accessories and a good pair of footwear.  

When layering, follow these tips.

  • Have fun with proportions. When it comes to fashion and trend, creativity is the attention-grabber. Play around with the existing pieces of garments you have in your wardrobe. It makes the entire layering process more enjoyable. Now, put on a shorter sweater over a plain nude or white-colored shirt. 
  • Wear different fabrics or garment materials. 

 A wool vest could be a great top garment for a cotton tee shirt or sweater. Finish your getup with a pair of net shoes, wide-leg pants, pumps, and a nice pair of danglings. 

  • Wear skinny jeans under a dress. 

Putting on a dress over a pair of skinny denim or leggings is a trend that is well-loved by many women. It is comfortable and hip. Feel free to recreate this layering outfit idea by grabbing espadrille sandals, and a classy hand bag. Imagine how eye-catching it could be with a cuff bracelet and drop earrings for accessories.

  • Don’t go traditional. 

Unleash your power to innovate. There’s nothing wrong with trying out layering ideas that came out of the blue. Never limit your outfits to the ones you see on the internet, in the fashion week, and in runways. Unique as you are, be bold to try something new.    

Are Off-Shoulder Women’s Outfits Still Big In 2024?

Winter 2023 is all about the off-shoulder dress. In fact, it’s one of the more prominent fashion trends in years. Will they still be in-fashion during 2024 or will they be out-of-fashion by the time Winter 2023 ends? It appears to be a long-standing trend that the youth couldn’t get enough of.

In Spring 2024, people are still wearing some form of off-shoulder outfit because it fit the weather and coincided with the other emerging trend of halternecks. However, what about Summer 2024 fashion? Will it continue in summertime?

They Remain Popular in Summer 2024

  • Why Were They Popular in Winter 2023? The off-shoulder dress was popular in Winer 2024 despite the coldness of the Christmas Season or the “Brrr” or “Ber” Months (October, November, and December) because you usually put a jacket over them and they’re mostly worn at parties.
  • The Naked Shoulders is the Appeal: Just as some dresses showcase more cleavage or leg depending on the shortness of the hem or skirt or how much the neckline plunges, the appeal of the off shoulder dress roots from the enticing peek at a woman’s shoulders.
  • Why Were They Popular in Spring 2024? They remains popular in spring because there were springtime color dresses that showcased the shoulder that you can wear as everyday tops and outdoor clothing during the milder “Picnic” type weather of a January and February spring. It’s also a romantic Valentine type of dress.
  • How Do These Dresses Fit on the Female Form? The off shoulder dress is able to drape across the female form while keeping the lovely shoulders exposed or accentuated  by being held up through elastic or fitted bodice. They also have boning like your typical corset.
  • Why Will They Remain Popular in Summer 2024? The off-shoulder dress or even outfit and look will remain popular in the summer for the same reason they were popular in the spring—they’re good outdoorsy womenswear outside of being flirtatious ball gowns and party dresses during Christmas Parties and Thanksgiving Dinners.
  • A Recurring Trend for Good Reason: Off shoulder fashion isn’t anything new. It’s a recurring trend for good reason. It comes around almost as often as the seasons or the holidays. There’s just something romantic, lovely, and flirtatious about exposed shoulders that tease people just right while being held into place by boning, or fitted bodice.

Across the Board

There’s something sexy about exposed shoulders as part of your party or formalwear outfit. They’re a flirtatious kind of outfit that leaves much to the imagination. A little tease, if you would.

The popularity of off-shoulder dresses remain strong in this New Year. They gained popularity before because of their versatility and sultry look. They’re the type of dresses where the neckline sits below the shoulders, making them an alternative to halternecks or halter tops.