Another year, another fashion week. Well I mean, technically it was last year, but it is intended to influence this year’s trends in the fashion world. I always believe that NYFW plays into trends coming into future Bridal Fashion, but we need to keep an eye on what is actually being produced in Bridal Fashion week as well.
So although this is a lot, I wanted it to be together so you can get an idea of what is crossing over in both worlds, and what is expected to come!
And yes, NYFW was in October, give a woman a break with the holidays 😉
Let’s Start with NYFW
We’re going to dive into some of the takeaways that other top fashion companies and I have found from looking at NYFW’s collections shown:
1. Drop Waist Dresses
One of the big, stand-out, style shifts is from high waisted to drop waist. We’ve seen in street fashion moving back to the low-waist, baggy pants. High fashion is following suit in a different way: drop waist dresses.
A drop waist dress is essentially a dress where the “waist” falls anywhere below the natural waistline. This can be anywhere from just above the hips to below the hips even. Drop waists give the illusion of a longer torso, which makes sense why we are headed that way as we are moving towards the “slim and long” body figure being the trend (which c’mon, can we move past body types being the trend?).
I personally think less about what body type you want to be in trend, but how you can use different trends to accentuate your own body’s beautiful features. A really low drop waist below the hips can actually accentuate your hips if you have a curvy body, while a drop waist just above the hips can give you more hips if you are slimmer.
Conversely, you can use a drop waist to make your hips disappear by keeping it subtle and placing the drop waist above your hips. This tends to lean more towards if you have a rectangle figure. But, either way, I think it is important to figure out how you can show off the parts of your body that you want to.
Mermaid Style Dresses—Not Quite Back In, But They Are On Their Way
The most dramatic example of a drop waist is a mermaid style dress—the waist is “dropped” far below the hips. With the shift to the drop waist trend, we are seeing more dresses in fashion sporting that mermaid style, however I would not say it is prominent…. Yet. Mermaid dresses will return, but they’re not here again in full blast yet.
Subtle drop waists are where we are at
Right now, the more elegant and transitory fashion statements are
keeping the drop waists subtle. Something about a subtle drop waist gives just a little bit of lengthening without feeling too visually demanding. That means there is then room for the over-the-top silhouettes, attention demanding fabrics full of texture or shine, interesting combinations of cut-outs and corsets, and large statement pieces on the dress (3D flowers, statement shoulders, statement gloves, unique necklines with adornment).
There is also a keen interest in calling upon the history of fashion. And in the past, we’ve seen dramatic, romantic silhouettes but ‘mermaid style’ dresses are still more recent within that history. Keeping the ode to the vintage trends means many designers are leaning into that subtle and may stay here for a while.
2. Continuation of Unique Silhouettes
Altuzarra shows off a unique silhouette in NYFW, this coming from the recent Spring Haute Couture Collection 2024 but is a perfect example of some of the things we saw in NYFW Fall 2023 as well.
We are continuing to see unique silhouettes dominate all styles of fashion. No longer do we want to show JUST the sleek outline of the body. No—we are in our give-me-more stage and the silhouettes represent that. However, they are evolving.
With layering coming back in, we are seeing silhouettes that transform. No longer are we tied to a stationery dress that has large ruffles to make an out-of-proportions waist and interesting shaped legs, But, now shoulder accessories, overskirts, or gloves (even) are layered onto silhouettes to just add more.
Sometimes it can give Hunger Games vibes with how over the top it feels, but I love the exploration we are seeing artists take.
3. Sheer Fabrics
Last year I mentioned sheer fabrics as a stepping out statement. It isn’t surprising to see that statement continuing into 2024. I simply LOVE the corsets plus sheer fabrics between the boning, just one of my favorite uses currently of sheer fabrics.
This season, I saw a lot of sheer fabrics on the legs. Almost like a vintage ode to panty hoses without actually being a stocking/panty hose.
4. Glitter, Glitter, Glitter
Sheer fabrics are the perfect pair to this next trending style: GLITTER. Yes, glitter on shirts, glitter on gloves, glitter on fringe—glitter, glitter, glitter! Even men’s styles are seeing glitter come into play.
If we are going to go big and bold why would we not add glitter? This is actually one of the “newer” trends, and I say that because let’s be honest—we all have been seeing glitter for like 4+ decades. But there have been ebbs and flows of how much, where it is used, and if it is considered tacky.
We are back into the no, glitter isn’t tacky era, but it still needs to be done right. Where I find it interesting is we are not seeing glitter on texture in the fashion world. That use is one that speaks to what designers are looking at for our times: ornate on ornate.
5. Cut-outs, including Bare Midriff
Hello Brittney Spears, hello Christina Aguilera, hello all the bare midriffs and fun cutouts around the waist, the shoulders, and even down the legs. Those 2000’s trends are making their way back into fashion with some twists.
We are often seeing a mix with sheer fabric with cutouts, and the cutouts are sometimes placed in a way to accentuate a unique silhouette, rather than almost always emphasize a tiny waist as was in the 2000’s.
6. Corsets
I’m not going to spend long on this trend because it is something we saw emerge last year, but corsets are still in, visible boning is still in, and corsets combined with sheer fabrics are STILL IN. Okay, enough said.
7. Shoulder Pads Making a Comeback? Statement Shoulders Have Arrived
Are shoulder pads making a comeback? Not quite, but the “big, puffy sleeves” trend from last year is evolving into “statement shoulders” this year.
What does that even mean? Well, instead of just big and puffy, sleeves are now becoming their own works of art. We should have 100% seen this trend coming between detachable sleeves and big puffy sleeves—the only logical evolution was statement sleeves.
What’s great about statement sleeves is they are versatile and experimental. They can range from unique texture fabrics, to full and attention grabbing curves (like the puff sleeves on steroids), to different textiles like pearls and beads.
I’ve been watching and very interested in epaulette’s, hoping to see them come back in based off the trends and honestly we are on our way there. Pearl and fur cold shoulder sleeves to exaggerated, “masculine”, sharp edged shoulders—statement sleeves are dancing around epaulettes.
8. Statement Gloves
Statement gloves are all about the arm becoming art: different textures, fabrics, layering, and color. Again, this is a trend started in 2023 continuing into 2024. I’d suggest checking out our article about gloves for weddings for more insight.
9. Patterns Are Here to Stay
We saw colored wedding dresses and patterned veils step into the spotlight on a bridal spectrum last year, but patterns are now taking over fashion in all aspects. Sometimes the patterns are clashing intentionally, but mostly an overall pattern if really standing out to me.
Patterns make it really easy to layer and pair different colors and textures together in one outfit. All of these aspects make it easy to lean into that maximalist style that is in right now.
10. Mixed Fabrics and Textures, Varying in Lengths
Obviously we had to lead right into mixed fabrics and textures, because if we aren’t completely to the pattern clashing vibe we must be a step below it: the texture and fabric mixing stage.
Mixing and matching on a layering level is really what is bringing in the ornate on ornate feeling to outfits. And it is less about a single piece of clothing having all of these and more about layering on a single outfit to create this depth.
If we think back to sheer fabrics, we see them layered over corsets with bare boning (one of the designs that literally made me gasp), but we are also seeing tweed and heavily textured fabrics with finer textures layered over top.
11. Statement Necklines
This is another thing I am LOVING—statement necklines. Not just square necklines, or round necklines, but whatever necklines that stand out. Sometimes statement is going to mean asymmetrical, wavy, beaded, or (surprise, surprise) glittery.
Bridal Fashion Week Reveals Trends to Continue & Watch For
With Bridal Fashion Week, I honestly feel like we saw a lot of similar trends from 2023. However, it is just a refinement or evolution of those trends like we saw in NYFW.
Below are some of the ones we noticed:
1. Thin-thin Spaghetti Straps
Cold -shoulders are just barely cold now. The 90’s/2000’s trend of spaghetti straps is back, but even thinner. Almost imperceptible, thin spaghetti straps are in for dresses. And it makes sense—it is easy to add capes, other statements, etc. to give an ethereal, floating feel to dresses while still having an ode back to youthful freedom.
2. Continuing the Ruffles
Ruffles are still dominating the bridal runway keeping things romantic, flowy, and playing into the atypical shapes and silhouettes of 2024 bridal fashion.
3. Bows are Evolving and Taking the Center Stage
No more mister nice bow. Last season, a big bow was a little more ‘gasp-awe’ worthy. Now, it’s to be expected and more. We are seeing people layer dresses, veils, gloves, and more with bows, bows, and yes, more bows.
As well, we are seeing the big bow trend continue. Oversized bows are no longer just for the back of the dress, but also on the shoulders, in the front, on sleeves, and in the hair.
I honestly hope to see more bows moving into décor as well (which I am already seeing) for weddings.
4. 3D florals are here to stay
What is interesting here, is I am starting to notice that the huge 3D florals from 2023 are now almost becoming impressionistic in body shapes of dresses, and flow of the fabric around the body.
I’m seeing florals become part of the statement of the dresses.
5. LOTS OF TEXTURE, including in the shape of the silhouette
If you think bridal gowns and suits are sticking to smooth silky/chiffon fabrics, sorry you’re wrong! We are seeing a LOT of texture and layering of texture coming into play in the bridal fashion world. A lot of this is with sheer fabrics with subtle texture, such as more delicate embroidery, patterns, or sparkle.
We are also seeing texture develop in layers of patterns with silhouettes. Think of the flowery patterned sheer gowns with ruffles and poof in the sleeves, or the short ruffle/tulle layers that create staggered textures with a soft, beaded bow over the back.
5. Peek-a-Boo Panels
This is new for 2024 in the way it is used. We saw sheer, peek-a-boo panels in corsets in 2023. However, we are now seeing cut outs and peek-a-boo sheer fabrics in other areas of the dress just besides the corset.
What is exciting about this, is it is easy to create depth and bring focus to parts of your dress/body that YOU want to. It can also leave room to highlight the texture in parts of your dress that fit YOUR personality more (like fringe gloves, or fringe on the hips, etc).
6. Sheer Fabrics Still Coming in Hot
You could already see me talking about this in the last one. Obviously I am a big fan of this trend, sheer fabrics, but I think that is just because it is so accessible, versatile, and easy to layer.
In 2023, sheer fabrics really were making a splash in the bridal world. In 2024, they are nowhere near their exit time. In fact, I am seeing them move from a “behind the dress” spot or thin layer here or there in to a let’s layer on top, let’s layer with color, let’s make this the highlight or statement part of the dress.
I am loving seeing it move into the shoulders, sleeves, collarbone, and even down to draw attention from the front of the dress out.
So, What Is the Crossover?
I don’t need to walk through everything again, so let’s just lay out the biggest crossovers between NYFW and Bridal FW in a tidy list here:
- Bows
- Textures in shape and fabric
- Layering
- Statement Shoulders
- Corsets
- Sheer Fabrics & Panel Cut-outs
- Drop Waists
- Statement Necklines
Expect to see more of these and influences back and forth in both industries in the future.
Let’s just say maximalism is the theme for 2024
If I had to wrap up for Wed Utah everything we are seeing in the trends for both Bridal Fashion Week and New York Fashion Week, I’d say maximalism is the prevailing theme for 2024. The key is layering, texturizing, and creating depth in artistic, cohesive ways.