In 2011, fashion began a more common term thrown around. I'll admit, I bought more clothes than usual this year. The opening of more discount retail stores and outlets really inspired shop-a-holics and fashionistas to get out and find a new wardrobe.
Everyone has a different opinion about fashion and narrowing down all of the trends to the top 10 is difficult, but here are my picks. It's not to say I like all of these trends, but they were all present throughout the year.
10. Colored jeans.
I saw these around fairly often this year, especially in the fall. The skinny jean that was a huge hit in 2010 transformed in 2011 to include a variety of colors - red, yellow, blue, pink. It wasn't anything I ever partook in, but some women pulled it off pretty well. Forever 21 and similar stores were the primary spots for these.
9. See-through shirts and dresses
Thankfully these were layered (usually), and often times had a classy feel. The sheer, see-through material became a popular thing to wear over color colored shirts. Other see-through shirts weren't completely sheer, but with lacy holes - enough to have to wear a tank top underneath but so much to be too provocative. Victoria's Secret, Express, New York & Co., and many other stores picked up this trend from spring to fall.
8. Flare jeans
Yet again, flare jeans made a comeback. They were around for a bit in 2010 but showed a prominent appearance in the spring and summer of 2011. I'm personally too short for the flare-jeans look, but some women can pull it off beautifully. Most of the stores mentioned above carried the jeans throughout the year.
7. Animal print
I'm not a fan, personally, but some of my favorite stores really carried this trend out this year. Leopard print, tiger print and zebra print debuted in the spring. The bright and bold clothing made a loud statement throughout the summer, but has pretty much died down since then. Express was one store that really pushed the sales of animal print.
6. Mixed prints
Now this I am a fan off. Mixing flower prints with stripes or plaid with stripes is a difficult and tricky task, but if done right it makes a huge statement about what a daring and confident person you are. I've always been a fan of mixing prints and was thrilled to see so many other women doing it this year. In the cold months it has nearly ended, but the summer and fall were popular for prints.
5. Trench coats (long coats)
Long coats are classy yet mysterious and have become a popular item at the end of the year. I just received one as a Christmas gift and I must say, they are warm and enjoyable. Some have a high slit or buttons that end at the waistline, leaning toward a little more provocative look while others keep it as classy as possible with a straight button-down look. Women with small waist lines tend to wear the belted trench coats to create a curvy look, while women with a larger waist or chest have been wearing the trench coats that button all the way up. All of them look good on the right person.
4. Hair extensions and colors
It's not a clothing thing - but it is fashion. Adding things to hair has become a hit this year. Putting feathers in hair, coloring the tips of hair or colored extensions were popular amongst teenagers and adults alike. The colors were typically bold pinks or blues. While I haven't done this I've seen it around much more than I expected when it first hit the fashion waves.
3. Platform wedges and boots
While the summer of 2010 was the summer of wedges, the summer of 2011 was the summer of platform wedges. In fact, 2011 has become the year of platform-type shoes. Fashionable platforms have been a fun addition to the shoe market since the summer. Now platform boots are popular. The difference between the typical heeled wedge or boot and the platform is simply the lack of the wobbly heel with the same height. Most of the shoes have a platform that is several inches high - height that someone who has bad balance couldn't do in a heel.
2. Military look
The female fashion population really found the appeal in the military look. From shirts to jackets and vests to boots, the military theme has stuck around all year. Almost every popular retail clothing store had at least one military clothing season. The army-green was a popular summer and fall color. The military-style shirts and vests came around in the spring and are still popular buys. The fall season really brought out the military-styled jackets and boots. It seems to have died down for the first time all year, but that's not to say it won't be back in 2012.
1. Tall boots
Boots won my list because I have seen them in every season. Knee-high boots, boots that come above the ankle and even thigh-high boots were around all year. In the early months of 2011 thigh-high boots were on women everywhere. Whether they say it was to get their legs warm or not, it created a huge fashion statement. With the skinny jean phenomenon still going on, wearing tall boots over jeans was simple and near-classy looking. As spring broke out, knee-high boots over leggings was one of the most common outfits I saw on women - my age, younger and older. That trend hasn't slowed down one bit yet. The summer season was fascinating with the boot trend. Skirts were worn with no legging, but tall boots. It was a different look than the usual summer trend, but it worked well with the other popular summer trends this year. Fall and winter, of course, have brought back the leggings and boots and jeans and boots look.
Boots have been my favorite piece of fashion in 2011. Since it turned fall I have worn boots with leggings almost every day to work. Boots with high heels and short heels. Black boots and brown boots. Knee-high boots and ankle-high boots.
Now I'd like to see your predictions for 2012.
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