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SoleStyle: Fall/Winter ’21 Trend Report

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Written by Henry Yeh


The Fall/Winter ‘21 season is a culmination of unique uncertainties, pent-up creative energies, and an insatiable desire from designers to bring a positive light into dark times. The trends spotted on the runway this season for both Men and Women are approachable, yet inspirational. This season sees a new iteration of workwear, the evolution of pants, bold statement knits, all tied together by explosive pops of color. With so much newness and excitement, it is apparent that the Fall/Winter ‘21 season can be defined with one word: Optimism.

WORKWEAR MEETS UTILITY

Workwear this Fall takes on a minimal spin while maintaining its practical details and streamlined styles. Traditional silhouettes are elevated with nods to utility and performance through technical materials and creative design. Look for closet staples such as “shackets”, vests, and chore coats to have more pockets, nylon finishes, hidden hoods, and more structure. Brands like OAMC provide highly technical pieces with everyday wearability. SOLID HOMME, One of Korea’s hottest brands, delivers one of its strongest collections to date with beautifully crafted outerwear and trousers. For more approachable pieces, look no further than UNIQLO, as the brand’s ‘Uniqlo U’ line as well as its upcoming collaboration with legendary Japanese Brand White Mountaineering, is stronger than ever for FW21. Look for streetwear staples such as ENGINEERED GARMENTS, CARHARTT WIP, and BEAMS PLUS to have strong offerings as well. For women, find inspiration from JACQUEMUS, JONATHAN SIMKHAI, and SACAI.

Key styling notes: Look out for performance/technical materials, utilitarian aesthetics, patch pockets, and quilting. In your outfit, the outerwear piece should.

(Left to right: A-COLD-WALL*SOLID HOMMEUNIQLO U, CARHARTT WIP)

(Left to right: JACQUEMUSJONATHAN SIMKHAISACAI, BEAMS PLUS)

THE NEW PANT

FW21 is the season of pants – no question about it. As simple as it sounds, the humble trouser is the absolute star of the season with new silhouettes (straight-fit is back!) and unique use of materials (patchwork is everywhere). Powerhouse brands like JW ANDERSON, another Uniqlo collaborator, delivered some of the strongest pants this season by using mixed-media patchwork, all-over prints, and gender-fluid shapes. Avant-garde brands like 1017 ALYX 9SM, and HELIOT EMIL use flowy shapes and technical nylons to elevate cargo pants, dress pants, and casual joggers. The Liquid Metal Pants from HELIOT EMIL uses actual metal fibers in the composition! On the other side of the world, Korea’s ANDERSSON BELL continues to evolve their very strong pants assortment by exploring unique patchwork and prints. A-COLD-WALL*’s Samuel Ross draws heavy inspiration from his time spent during lockdowns to introduce one of the best lounge pants of the season. We’d be remiss not to mention the likes of STÜSSY and NOAH, who put out great pants season after season. And of course, SoleSavy community favorite 18 EAST just re-released the iconic Gorecki Pants featuring an intricate fabric as well as a relaxed fit.

Key styling notes: Don’t be afraid of mixed-media such as patchwork and prints, embrace a wider fit, and find technical pieces that are functional – cargo pants with big pockets are a good place to start.

(Left to right: JW ANDERSON, A-COLD-WALL*HELIOT EMILSTÜSSY)

(Left to right: JACQUEMUS, UNIQLO, ANDERSSON BELLPARIA FARZANEH)

THE STATEMENT KNIT

If pants are the “it” commodity of FW21, the Statement Knit is not too far behind. The cozy knits that we were all accustomed to wearing in the comfort of our own homes throughout lockdown get the creative treatment in bold prints and patterns. From geometric to Nordic-inspired, these playful knits spark smiles. AIMÉ LEON DORE continues its rise to fashion royalty this Fall/Winter by concentrating heavily on its knitwear to introduce incredible cardigans and mixed-media sweaters. STÜSSY and thisisneverthat both offer great knits without breaking the bank. JW ANDERSON takes home the award for best knits this season – the playfulness of incorporating mixed media, patchwork, and 3-dimensional knitted root vegetables? Who would’ve thought? As always, PRADA delivers stellar knits in Fall/Winter with its genius play on geometric patterns in bold colors. JUNYA WATANABE draws heavy inspiration from Nordic and military themes to bring forth beautiful hybrid knits. Prints are also front-and-centre this season, as seen on stunning sweaters from brands like SONG FOR THE MUTE and UNDERCOVER. Other brands to keep an eye out for are ANDERSSON BELL, and MARNI. For women, look at the same brands for inspiration! The best part of knitwear is the fact that many styles this season are intended to be unisex.

Key styling notes: Look for chunky or thick-gauge knits in cardigans, crewnecks, and roll necks. Prints of the season are geometric, nordic-inspired, or nature-inspired. Statement knits are meant to be the statement of the outfit – don’t clash them with busy pieces.

(Left to right: JW ANDERSON, PRADA, JUNYA WATANABE, ANDERSSON BELL)

(Left to right: SONG FOR THE MUTE, OAMC, AIME LEON DORE, STÜSSY)

BE COLOR BOLD

Without getting into a specific part of the outfit, the overarching theme of the season is to be bold. Be colorful. Using pops of color to signify joyful optimism during these unprecedented times is not only appropriate, it is also refreshing. Bright orange, cobalt blue, greens, and reds are everywhere this Fall/Winter. Brands like JACQUEMUS and JW ANDERSON really delivered on the message of optimism this season, with pops of pinks, reds, greens, yellows represented all over the runway. 1017 ALYX 9SM) seamlessly injects the use of bright blues and reds throughout its collection in a beautiful, elegant way. For the less daring, you can look for color inspiration from brands like ACNE STUDIOS, A-COLD-WALL*, OAMC, and WOOYOUNGMI. These brands do offer pieces with the aforementioned pops of brightness but also layer in great base options in lighter shades of khaki and beige. These aspirational brands may be on the more expensive side, but keep an eye out for everyday brands like Zara, H&M, UNIQLO, and GAP, to introduce bright pops of color for Fall/Winter ‘21. 

Key styling notes: Try wearing colors you would have never considered wearing before – confidence is key! Use these pops of color either sparingly (as the focus of attention) or in unison (utilizing multiple shades of the same tone). Start by building a foundation from core neutrals such as black, cream, or beige. Then try layering on one core color rather than mixing different bright hues together in order to avoid looking like a Christmas tree.

(Left to right: 1017 ALYX 9SM, JACQUEMUS, JACQUEMUS, SACAI)

(Left to right: JW ANDERSON, ACNE STUDIOSWOOYOUNGMIA-COLD-WALL*)

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