10 Style Trends We Hope Happen in 2015

Image via Complex Original

It’s kind of crazy how luxury, high-end brands are opting for some grunge and punk looks, as if your favorite skate brands are trying to tszuj it up for a more upscale look. But a skate rat is a skate rat, nonetheless, which probably makes this trend even more unorthodox. Brands like Bianca Chandon and Palace—even Tres Bien—are leading the charge in trying to refine their pieces to go beyond sweatshirts and tees with heavy graphics.

2014 was heading in the right direction with Mandarin collars but still—collars, you know, who needs ’em? We’re hoping 2015 doesn’t as we try to rid ourselves of constraining conformity and enter a world with DIYers cutting off their BD collars or brands creating more untouched scoop necks for that raw look, ready to unravel in a wispy wind but cooler than a fan.

All-white everything has had a good run and will definitely continue to shine (albeit dimly), but it’s time for the dimmer white hues to, well, also shine. Shades of cream, bone, natural, or ecru offset the bright whites.

Do you remember the uproar Kid Cudi’s crop-top T-shirt caused at Coachella last year? His eccentricities took another step into “clothes get weirder” land for the everyday pants-on-one-leg-at-a-time pleb. But those with an eye for what’s popping knew that some variation of this could prove successful. Exaggerating the layer underneath a cropped top pushes boundaries, but is a little more dialed back since you aren’t showing your belly button hairs to the world.

We know there are huge risks being taken with turtlenecks: the risk of looking like your creepy uncle, or like your 11th grade English teacher who still lives at home with his mother and pet snake—or like Dov Charney. All valid, but the sleek look of a turtleneck in more formal settings, replacing a button-down, could certainly add to that more refined appearance you’re still striving for. Also, who doesn’t want to look like a trill version of Ron Burgundy?

Zippers are having one helluva run. Side zips. Double zips. Zip-a-dee-doo-das and what not. You can’t stop the zip, man. And now, as they evolve into your everyday or cardigan, it brings another simple, yet futuristic element to a standard piece that had a boring ol’ button-down placket, or none at all. And if you can find them with an extended zipper that goes past the hem, you’ve hit the trendsetting jackpot.

Luxurious materials like cashmere and silk are beautiful and will keep you looking right, but they probably won’t keep you that warm. During these winter months, there are only a few things that will truly keep you luxuriously cozy. Fur and shearling details feel like a million bucks and look priceless—whether a liner or a full-piece, or even the outer material on a sneaker. Kanye and A.P.C. brought us some furry details last year to try and bring this trend to the forefront. And you don’t want to get on Ye or Jean Touitou’s bad side, do you?

Y’all remember JNCOS? Of course you do. Yea, never bring those back. Ever. But the slim denim of today needs a more relaxed, laid-back cousin that can live under the same roof, and wider, straight-leg trousers are moving in. A complete contrast to slim, a fuller leg, maybe even with a slight drop, is definitely comfortable. And it allows you to wear shoes with a little more weight to them without looking like a toothpick-legged clown.

Traditional Japanese garments will always have a place in the world of fashion. It’s just a matter of when and what. Noragis are a little more subdued, while long kimono robes take that look to new heights. Robes have always been luxe, but kimonos have a little more substance to them, and more details that give this trend a huge edge in 2015. 

Boucle. Add it to your word bank because you are going to be seeing it and saying it a lot during 2015. It’s nothing new. Chanel killed with it on their sneakers, but the use of wool boucle on tops and bottoms from streetwear brands like Premium Co. and luxe brands like Acne Studios really makes it a hot commodity for the cooler months of the year. The added texture to an already thick fabric gives great dimension for the coziest of looks that you’re destined to see a lot of this year.