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Say what you will about the winter months. Some love the snowy weather and holidays, while others would rather hibernate than deal with frigid temps and 4:30 p.m. sunsets. (Hi, it’s me.) But one thing we can all appreciate is wintry dressing, and the fashion trends for winter 2022 are forecasted to be nothing short of iconic.
Sure, you’ll be suited up in an ultra toasty winter coat from Amazon and some cute ankle boots, but beneath all those layers, we’re still expecting you to dress your best. This season, that means experimenting with a few key trends that dominated the fall/winter 2022 runways and the chicest streetwear looks. Prepare yourself for funky Y2k fashion, chunky shoes, and the best oversized blazers you’ve ever seen. Sexy corsets and cowboy boots will also be ultra trendy in the months ahead, so start browsing now.
Here, find 10 of the best fashion trends for winter 2022, plus our top picks for shopping these looks.
Suiting
We’re here for any trend that takes thought, time, and effort out of dressing. Matching suit sets? Sounds great. Whether you rock a monochromatic three-piece, mix-and-match, or just have some fun with a singular vest, suit separates are having a major moment after appearing in just about every runway show last season. Tom Ford, Gabriela Hearst, Gucci, Alberta Ferretti, the list goes on.
Bold Shoulders
With suits come blazers, and with blazers oft come shoulder pads. This season, don’t shy away from the look of a broad collar. You don’t have to go quite as dramatic as silhouettes we saw from Dolce & Gabbana, but feel free to play with proportions this season. Louis Vuitton, Lemaire, and Versace all showcased more, shall we say, ready-to-wear renditions. The sweet spot is somewhere between halter neck and linebacker pads, but you can decide where on that spectrum suits you best.
Western Touches
You can resist it all you like, but cowgirl fashion is here to stay, and it got the haute couture treatment for this winter from houses like Chanel and Maison Margiela. The Western-infused runway looks serve as proof that a little yeehaw can go a long way, so you don’t have to adopt an entire giddy-up get-up to partake in this one. Try substituting a pair of classic black cowboy boots into any of your usual outfits and just see how it goes. Chances are it’ll look darn tootin’ cute.
Maxis
Minis aren’t going away, rest assured, but it’s high time we revisit the maxi length. When better to cover up than the coldest months of the year? While we owe this resurgence to the obsession with all things ‘90s fashion, looks by Luar, Altuzarra, and The Row showed us how to bring the throwback style into 2022.
Electric Hues
Dark colors and muted tones traditionally reign in the winter, but this season is turning that norm on its very boring head. The colors of the moment are acid green—and aquamarine, if I may quote Lorde. Take a page from Y Project’s book and combine both colors for one eye-catching look, or pick one and use sparingly as for a subtle pop. Either way, this trend is the brightest way to fight the drab winter blues.
Bombers
Okay, jackets trending in the winter is a little, yes, predictable. But if you’re going to be layering up to fight the cold, you might as well do it in the outerwear du jour. If the runways were any indication (Prada, Elie Saab, Loewe, Raf Simmons, to name a few), we’ll see bomber jackets galore this winter. Anyway, the world is your oyster. Leather, denim, reflective, furry—pick your poison.
Mismatched Maximalism
Blame it on TikTok and the Y2K trend, but maximalism is making its way back into the zeitgeist. That means throwing caution to the wind and suiting up in…just about whatever you want. Somehow, what doesn’t match matches, by today’s standard at least. As long as it looks intentionally put together, like Gigi Hadid’s look for Vivienne Westwood, you’re in the sartorial clear.
Corseting
It’s giving bawdy, awdy, awdy. Corsets were the It item this summer, and blistering temps aren’t changing that fact. We’re simply layering now. You can still put that slinky black bustier to use, just put it on over a white button-down. Knits with corseted boning? It’s called innovative fashion, darling.
Cut-Outs
Historically, we tend to want as little skin as possible showing when it’s cold out, but this season, we’re thinking otherwise. Maybe it’s post-pandemic joie de vivre (or maybe its just narcissism), but this is the Season of the Cut-Out. Flaunt that dress barely holding itself together! Work those hip-less trousers! If LaQuan Smith can do it, so can you.
Y2K
Unless you live under a rock, this comes as a surprise to no one. I know, I know, the early aughts don’t feel distant enough to be “coming back,” but alas, here we are. Low-rise bottoms, polo shirts, Juicy Couture; all the old classics are trending again. Here’s to hoping you didn’t donate everything years ago. If so, you can turn to any number of high-end designers to fill your wardrobe gaps. Miu Miu, Marine Serre, Chanel, and Halpern are just a sampling of those embracing the 2000s. The trend doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon, either, as Diesel and Fendi leaned in for their spring/summer 2023 shows in Milan this week.
Chunky Boots
Give me a winter boot or give me death. If chunky and platform shoes weren’t already booming, they’re about to be. At least this trend is practical for the winter, as snow, sleet, and salted roads call for shoes that can stand up to the elements. But while still looking fashionable, of course.
Meg Donohue is the Associate Fashion Commerce Editor at ELLE.com. Her passions include spicy foods, sustainability, and the Y2K remake of Charlie’s Angels. She will never stop hoping for a One Direction reunion tour.