Fashion trends

The Fashion trends section of The Body Optimist breaks down the pieces, cuts and colors making news on runways and in the street, and shows how to wear them in every size. We explain where a trend comes from, what it says about its time and how to work it into your wardrobe without buying everything new.

What you'll find in the Fashion trends section

• Style revivals: '90s, western, vintage or “old money” looks that keep coming back, and how to update them.
• Jean cuts: mom, wide-leg, flare, straight or boyfriend, the styles that take turns in the spotlight and what each one brings.
• Pieces and accessories: bags, boots, ballet flats, brooches and coats spotted in the collections, with options in a wide size range.
• Ways to wear it: layering, print mixing and color play, techniques that work on any body shape.
• Fashion and society: what trends reveal about our desires, from the appeal of imperfection to fatigue with algorithm-driven style.

How do you wear a trend at any size?

Start from your closet, not the store window: identify the element that defines the trend (a cut, a color, a fabric or a detail) and pick the version that works with what you already own.

• Try a color or a print with an accessory, a scarf or a top before investing in a bigger piece.
• Play with proportions: the same trend often comes in short, midi or long versions, fitted or flowing.
• Check the size range before you fall for a piece, and look at specialist plus-size brands and secondhand.
• Bet on what lasts: a jean cut or a coat carries over several seasons, a gimmicky accessory much less so.

Our take on trends

We treat trends as suggestions, not obligations. No piece of clothing is “off-limits” because you wear a plus size, and a piece is only worth talking about if it comes in a wide size range. We like to understand why a style comes back, and we'd rather give you ways to reinvent what you already own than push you to buy more.

Articles to start with

• All about layering, the art of stacking your clothes.
• Why wide-leg jeans have won everyone over.
• The dopamine dressing trend, or how color came back to the heart of our wardrobes.
• Uniform dressing: why more and more women stick to the same outfit formula.
• Why wrinkled, stained or faded clothes are taking over fashion.
• The comeback of the brooch, a piece of jewelry long dismissed as old-fashioned.

Frequently asked questions

What is layering?

Layering means wearing several visible pieces on top of one another in the same outfit: a shirt under a sweater, a dress over pants, a sweater vest over a shirt. It lets you play with lengths and textures and adapt to changes in temperature. To stay comfortable, alternate thin pieces with thicker ones.

What are the main jean cuts?

The most common jean cuts are skinny, fitted all the way down; straight; bootcut and flare, which widen below the knee; mom, high-waisted and roomy at the hips; boyfriend, loose and relaxed; and wide-leg, wide from hip to hem. Every one of them can be worn at any size: the rise and the fabric make the difference.

How can you follow trends without buying more and more?

Start with what you already own: many trends are revivals of older pieces. Secondhand lets you test a cut or a color for less, and a single accessory is often enough to update an outfit. Save new purchases for pieces you'll wear often.

Keep exploring: our styling tips to adapt each piece to your body shape, the whole Women's fashion section and the looks in our Models section.