Winter Fashion Trends 2022
By Brimmer Doane Morrison
@brimmsterboy @brimm.archive
This winter classics are coming back with subversive undertones. Transitioning into a digital world all the while trying to stand out when we do go out into public has shifted the whole fashion industry. Many of us are trying more natural methods of living and dressing but at the same time want to stand out and act out when we care to go outside and interact like we used to. Coming into the 2022 winter season there are several trends that I have read about and seen with my own eyes and others that I have bought into, knowing that they are trends that have historical basis of being popular as well as beautiful for the winter weather. After reading news from Depop, Trend Stop and Promostyl, it is clear to me that this winter’s styles and colors are morphing out of their summer counterparts. Both bold colors and soft colors, vintage ski gear and archive avant garde all at the same time.
As Gen Z accounts for more and more of the luxury resell market, we are starting to push for more sustainability in buying vintage pieces that will hopefully last us a long time. With this comes a more environmentally healthy way of living such as vegan meats and supporting sustainable brands. The colors associated with this mass movement are neutral nudes such as muted clay (light pink), soft Jade (light green), tofu (the neutral color of soymilk) and one of my favorites, natural lavender, or periwinkle. These natural colors that used to define styles of normcore or soft boy in the mid 2010’s have grown up since the pandemic. Reselling and the search for archive pieces have brought a new face to fashion as we all know, but what are some of the core pieces that express this newfound color expression for the winter in particular? I have found that among the influencer elite and the smaller niche influencers on fashion Instagram and Tik Tok, these colors show up in mass asymmetrical layering. Sculptural styling, sheer clothes, and vintage designers like Carol Christian Poell, Jean Paul Gaultier, Diesel, Rick Owens, Post Archive Faction and Hyein Seo all contribute to the growth of this style. Entering the winter months, this style gives vast opportunity to layer clothes, like I mentioned before. Mesh long sleeves mixed with an altered vest, fingerless gloves, big leather boots, balaclavas and insulated coats call all come together to make an amazing genderless and futuristic style.
On the other side of the trend cycle, vintage ski gear and more extravagant insulated “puffer” pieces are in order. Following the Balaclava hype that has taken over Tik Tok, all sorts of colors and types of headgear are blowing up. Whether it be made of wool, mohair or synthetic down, Balaclavas are my favorite and most functional pieces that are trending this winter. Both dressing up for winter parties with your friends, or going to the mountains for the weekend, nothing will make you look more like a 1970’s lesbian ski trip photo than the classic balaclava. Obviously staying warm is a priority in the winter which is why ordinary pieces such as a scarf or pants are being made with down to create a bold and bulky appearance. These bulked up classics come from that same era of ski/ outdoor enthusiasm that happened in the 1970’s through the 1980’s. Bold, attention grabbing colors are what post pandemic consumers are going for and vintage ski gear following the rise in “gorpcore” makes too much sense. Vintage Spyder, Moncler, North Face, Columbia and REI will likely rise in popularity within the next month.