Summer Trends | Six Affordable Fashion Trends to Try This Summer
With summer officially starting this week, I wanted to round-up some of my favorite trends that I’ve been seeing both on the runway and on social media. Personally, I feel super compelled to discover some new aspects of my own personal style and go out of the box a bit. I’m not sure if it’s the quarantine or what, but I’m definitely feeling experimental. Seeing all these summer trends has made me want to get rid of every pair of short-shorts and basic sandals that I own. Instead, let’s go for a fresh take on our summer looks this year, elevating our style game to new heights.
Here are six of my favorite summer fashion trends that I’ll super into this year.
Strappy Heels Over Pants
Within the fashion world, shoe trends come and go sometimes as quickly as those shoes arrive in the mail. Only very few pieces shoe trends stick around and become timeless. In particular, the trend of strappy sandals started in 2019 and it has continued well into 2020. Beautiful strappy sandals by Christopher Esber, Daniel Lee, and The Row, and Bottega Veneta were coveted by everyone on runways. And now, mainstream fashion has a plethora of these to choose from.
The great thing about strappy heels is they are super versatile. They look chic whether you’re wearing them with jeans, or with a fancier look like a mini dress or skirt.
However, this summer is all about mixing the old with the new. And another trending fashion staple is baggy, boyfriend-style jeans and loose fitting trousers. This 80s and 90s inspired pants look only hides the appeal of the strappy heels. Instead, creatives within the fashion industry thought of a fun and inventive way to overcome this fashion crisis of hiding those adorable strappy heels.
Strappy Heels, but Make it Attainable
Instead of letting the heels disappear beneath the trouser leg, fashion bloggers have started wrapping the straps of their shoes around the bottom of their pants. This was first seen during the Copenhagen Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2020 where bloggers drew attention to the quirky way of blending the two styles.
No matter where you’re going this summer, if you try this trend, I can almost guarantee you that someone will compliment your look. Finally, complete the look with a matching, off-the-shoulder blouse, coat, or jacket. Overall, the fact that this trend blends classic with a more modern twist is why it’s one of my favorites this summer.
Oversized Victorian Sleeves
Another super fun way to experiment with fashion this summer is hopping on the wave of exaggeration. Summer 2020’s motto is the bigger, weirder, and over the top, the better.
On top of this, the oversized Victorian sleeves are a fashion trend that will immediately make any look you’re wearing more feminine. So pair these dramatic sleeves with something more grunge and masculine for the perfect look.
This trend isn’t just a mere recreation of the old style; it’s been imbued with more modern tweaks. In fact, you don’t have to break open the old history books for reference of the Victorian sleeve since the trend was around in the ’80s as well. So, start raiding your mom’s closet for puff-sleeve tops and dresses.
The reason this belled-out puffed sleeves is so popular and regularly returns in style has a lot to do with the way they reshape and modify the figure. The oversized and often exaggerated sleeves create the illusion of a slimmer waistline. And we’re here for that.
Extra AF Swimwear
Another reason to raid your mom’s closet this summer is for a super cute bathing suit. This “velvet” looking bikini (pictured in photo) is straight out of mi madre’s closet, stocked high with 80s and 90s gems.
What I love about swim trends this year is that a lot of the bikini tops can also double as regular tops, which makes life super convenient. Retro will probably always be in; however, this summer, retro bikinis are all the hype.
Another aspect of swim trends this year is some sort of texture. Look for styles that textures other than the typical nylon swimsuit. Even mixing different print and textures this year is huge as well.
As for the runways, we saw lots of over the top swimsuits, which I was absolutely here for. Trends like sparkles, metallics, embellishments, and tie-dye are just so the vibe right now for summer 2020.
I’m here for all the swim ~drama~ this year, and I hope you get on board too!
Girly Grunge
There’s no hard and fast rule that says in order to look feminine, you’ll have to sacrifice comfort. This year’s summer trends are all about showing your strength without losing your femininity. Think zelda cosplay inspired look. Practical, comfortable, yet classy and girly is what you achieve by mixing a beautiful feminine dress with chunky boots.
Pair your chunky footwear with an equally strong leather jacket to reinforce strength and add another layer of grunge / street style to your otherwise extra femme dress.uvbnbfulrndghefnciccjhjheuubgfdu
Once considered to be the tame version of the 1990s era grunge look, combining a seemingly opposing fashion style creates a fresh new look. I love love love this for summer too because I’m obsessed with boots. While many are quick to tuck away their boots in favor of showing off their toes by wearing sandals and strappy heels during the summer, this look makes amazing use of your cold season footwear all year-round.
Chunky boots come in many forms, from simple low tops, to knee-high combat boots. We love it all. Combat boots give the look and impression of being ready for battle, the same way a military uniform does. Pairing it with a nice sundress gives an entirely new message. Emblematic femme power doesn’t have to mean shedding all notions of femininity and looking dainty all of the time.
Summer Trends Accessory Edition: Colorful Bucket Hat
With summer in the air, longer days, and relaxed atmosphere have us forgetting all our worries. However, one thing that can snap us back into reality is getting sun burned. One super cute solution has seen a rise in popularity, and we are totally here for it; the bucket hat!!!
Personally, I’ve hopped on this trend around fall of last year; however, I’m back for more lol.
This trendy and super cute trend can be worn all year round and with almost anything. The twist, as with all fashion resurgence, is the wide variety of colors and patterns these cute hats come in. As a tip, pick one in pastel colors for an added summer vibe, or to spruce up a neutral outfit.
In recent years, the simple bucket hat became everyone’s go-to accessory. It’s a simple way of bringing a wearable and approachable factor to the runway. On top of this, its unisex style made it widely popular during the rise of hip-hop back in the 80s. However, it was in the 90s when the bucket hat really entered mainstream fashion and pop culture.
Designers like Michael Kors and Karl Lagerfeld put bucket hats back on the map by using it for their runway show during the Spring/Summer 2018 fashion week. From then, we saw a trend of models conquering the runways with this cute headwear. Outside the catwalk, the hat also became a favorite accessory among celebrities and models like Bella Hadid and many more.
Forget about wearing the bucket hat like you would a vintage Kangol. Like any trending fashion piece, we now have the option of variety. For this summer, we’re already seeing a number of different ways the bucket hat can be worn, not to mention the almost limitless options for color and patterns.
Summer Trends Shoe Edition: Square Toed Heels
At this point, it’s quite clear that a lot of the designers have been breaking open the style books from the 90s. With the amount of 90s inspired fashion pieces and accessories that are currently hitting the streets, it was only a matter of time before this one came back. Last summer, we saw signs of this shoe style re-emergence when brands like By Far, Neous, and RejinaPyo started releasing squared-off toes, kitten heels, and strappy mules. It was quickly followed by the domination of stub-toe boots during the fall and winter of that same year. Now, this season we say hello to our little friends, the square toed heel.
Through the creative lens of Daniel Lee, the “New Bottega” collection prominently featured the square-toed sandals – all blocky and sharp-cornered. It left behind the average boxy-toed shoes with its exaggerated shape and sharp edges. The piece, however, didn’t look clunky and dated, words that were used to describe its previous version. In fact, many quickly saw it for what it was, a sexy and modern take on an otherwise average and bland shoe style.
From the sleek leather mules to the mesh pumps, style after style just flew off the shelves and straight onto people’s feet (and Instagram feed).
As summer approaches, it’s clear that this trend is going to last the entire year. From sandals, boots, pumps, and flats, the square toe is here to stay for another season.
If you’re still in quarantine mode, check out my favorite places to buy loungewear this year.
Conclusion – Summer Trends 2020
To wrap up, this summer is all about being an extra, retro goddess. Hit the streets with some bold, fresh, bright looks to match that post quarantine energy, sis. Pretty much anything from the 90s is a solid yes, and literally anything goes when it comes to swimwear.
Tag me in some looks that you create with these summer trends – I’d love to see how you styled them on your Instagram.
See more summer fashion trends right here on Tori Nucci’s Instagram page!
This article was written in collaboration with Eliza Brooks.
Author Bio: Eliza Brooks is an ardent blogger who loves to write about outdoor, travel, fiction, and more. She is currently working with yourcosplay.de, which offers a wide variety of costumes from anime characters like zelda cosplay costumes to children’s Halloween costumes.
