One of my biggest fashion pet peeves is the all-too-common notion that you must follow trends to be fashionable. While being trendy demonstrates a level of awareness of what’s going on in the fashion world, I reject the notion that trendiness is the only indicator of someone’s style savvy.
Still, I can understand the lure of trends. It feels good to be part of the “in” crowd. It gives the security of knowing there’s bound to be someone who likes your outfit, and at the very least, no one to sneer at it.
The real danger of trends lies less in their social impacts — although there certainly are some negative side effects in that regard — and more in their environmental impacts.
As long as humans have worn clothing, there have been styles that are on trend and others that are not. However, social media has turned the trend cycle dial up to 100.
It feels like every other day, there’s a new microtrend making its rounds on social media, biting at the bit to infiltrate our closets and eventually clog up our thrift stores.
And it’s not by coincidence — fast fashion retailers take advantage of desires to hop on new trends as an opportunity to force new products down our throats.
If you want to participate in trends, there is a more sustainable way to do so: shop vintage.
Fashion is cyclical. As I’ve said time and again, it truly has all been done before. When looking at Fall/Winter 2025 runways and trend analyses from fashion publication giants like Vogue and Cosmopolitan, it’s easy to see where the current fashion trends draw their inspiration from.
Once you know where a trend started, you can go back to the source material and give a new life to a long-forgotten piece of clothing instead of buying a brand-new one. It’s better for our planet, and it helps you stay en vogue without sacrificing your individuality.
Underwear of yesterday, outerwear of today
A trend of the summer editors from Vogue say will carry into fall is the concept of dressed-up lingerie. And internet-darling designers like Miu Miu, Chloé and Bettter brought their version of the upscale slip to the runway.
You can find gorgeous slips that give these runway looks a run for their money from any decade across the 20th century, but you’ll find some particularly special pieces in the bias-cut beauties of the 1930s and 1940s. Slips from this era tend to be longer as they were worn under longer dresses, which makes them a bit more appropriate for fall weather, particularly here in Boston.
If you aren’t willing to break the bank on an early 20th-century slip, head to your local thrift store and check out the pajama and lingerie section.
And hey, even if you don’t find anything vintage, you are still shopping secondhand, which keeps another piece of clothing out of a landfill — even if it’s not that old.
Drop waists have been dropped back into the spotlight
Another big trend on fall runways is the drop waist, paired with long sleeves for the colder months. It’s a carryover from the trendy silhouette of the summer, but the long sleeves make it better tailored to fall weather.
Although the 1920s have practically become synonymous with drop-waist styles, this style came in and out of fashion many times across the 20th century.
The 1950s are often associated with a typical fit and flare silhouette, but the drop waist look was still holding on strong throughout the 50s. You can see its influence in Audrey Hepburn’s iconic costumes in the 1957 film, “Funny Face.”
In the mod era of the 1960s, drop-waist mini dresses were a variation of the increasingly popular shift dress. The drop waist trend came back again in late-1980s formal wear, particularly in the designs of popular brands like Gunne Sax and Laura Ashley.
Knit polos are not just relics of the past
Another trend that’s been popping up is the polo-collared sweater. Because most knit polos are a pretty straight silhouette, they are rather genderless.
This is particularly important because the knit polo top was a fashion staple for men’s clothing from the 1930s throughout the 1960s, but the style didn’t become as popular for women’s fashion until the 1970s. This gender-neutral fit means you’ve got way more decades to score pieces from which is always a win in my book.
If you don’t feel called to hop on trends, that’s okay. If you do feel an urge to hop on the new wave, that’s nothing to be ashamed about as long as you participate mindfully.
By focusing on sourcing from vintage or at least shopping secondhand, you are getting the best of both worlds. You get to take part in the fun and social aspect of a trend without adding to the environmental burden overconsumption has on our planet.
Unlike modern pieces, which might be directly tailored to the look of a trend with a limited lifespan, older pieces are likely to be a lot more timeless. Even when they are no longer in style.
And hey, even if you struggle to hold yourself back from buying that brand new top that you just have to have, be smart about it. Focus on pieces that you’ll wear even when they are no longer trendy — and ones that will last you until the next time they are back on trend.
