What To Expect From Fashion in 2019

2016, 2017, and even part of 2018 was still riding the Fear Of God, hyper minimalist, earth toned, and fake vintage band tee wave that had bee going strong thanks to 2016 Kanye, Jerry Lorenzo, and Justin Bieber, among many other pop culture icons that flocked to the California inspired chic grunge look. Lately, however, these powers have been a little less prevalent in streetwear through 2018, and the trend isn't looking too good going into 2019.

While Kanye is still rocking earth tones and minimal, boxy fits, a majority of the fashion world has moved on to brighter, more "in your face" trends that are reminiscent of styles from the 80s and 90s. From Travis Scott's Astroworld merch being brighter and more vintage inspired than merch taking more notes from metal and rock concerts of the 90s as opposed to the looks pioneered by Virgil Abloh and Jerry Lorenzo. Speaking of those two, Virgil is becoming more occupied with Louis Vuitton, and Jerry's clothes haven't really even been spoken of too much lately, even with the recent collaboration with Nike. While 2019 will be as driven by trends as ever, it seems that this up coming year no one will really be leading the charge, as brands from Helmut Lang, to Carhartt, and even a resurgence thrift shopping and vintage stores begin to emerge as bigger names and trends in 2019.

Fashion is indeed a cyclical beast, and what was uncool a couple years ago is now the up and coming force in fashion. Straight leg jeans, camo pants, and cargo pants, as well as relaxed fit chinos, are on the rise. These wide leg pants call back to 90s styles that valued utility and comfort over plain style. Ironically enough, people are now willing to spend borderline designer and resale prices for pants dudes like skaters and punks wore because they were cheap and comfortable. Believe it or not, you can find a really good pair of old chinos or jeans from your local thrift shop (or your mall if you don't want pre-owned pants). Hell, you can even find camo pants at your local thrift shop or military surplus if you live near one. In fact, a military surplus shop will actually help a lot with the essentials for 2019 for a not so absurd price.

Another trend that we had a taste of before this year is boxy cut shirts. The difference being is that people are now wearing more than band tees for their vintage baggy tees. In fact, we're seeing less and less of the band tee trend, since it's being replaced with brands that are still big today, such as Nike and Adidas, with brands such as Guess, Fila, and Reebok making appearances with heritage collections exploiting the trends with baggy tees, primary colors, big logos, and over the top patterns. Again, though, thrifting and vintage shopping is the best way to get these time loved, baggy tees for your 2019 wardrobe.

Brands were huge in the 90s, so their shirts became borderline billboards. Today, it's similar. Logos look cool, and we like them. No shame there. So go crazy and look for branded tees. Adidas, Nike, Fila, and Tommy Hilfiger are good places to start when looking for cool vintage brands. When thinking back to the hip-hop fashion of the 80s and 90s, you think mainly of the brands, since they played a pretty big role in the fashion of hip-hop and such at the time. If you're feeling especially bold, try out a jersey. Whether you want to be like Tupac and his Redwings jersey, or Drake and his weird Jeep jersey, you can always experiment. Be careful though, it can catch you flack among people who care way too much about trivial things, and it can come off as a "Sunday's for the boys" outfit, or it can just look tacky.

You know what else was cool in the 90s? Utilitarianism and workwear. Where else do you think Timbs got their start? Speaking of that, rock some Timbs for a New York 90s style. Brands like Dickies, Rustler, Wrangler, Levi's, Carhartt, and L.L Bean help you go for the styles that were popular among skaters in the 90s, with sturdy and comfortable chinos, flannels, jeans, and shirts that will flow well with any trend 2019 wants to follow.

Footwear this year is as varied as ever, with the trend of vintage ugly shoes such as anything by Golden Goose and the Balenciaga Triple S, to the vintage runners and basketball shoes Adidas and Nike have been reviving since 2017. My personal opinion, though? Vans and Converse. They're timeless, but will especially compliment the looks of 2019 and forevermore. With their neutral silhouettes and varied colors and models, there is tons of variety and something to fit any style. Just look around! You'll eventually find something you like, whether it be Converse, Vans, or the athletic sneakers of the 80s and 90s current sportswear brands are especially fond of.

The beauty of this 90s look is that you can find it literally anywhere. If you're comfortable with mallcore, go ahead and get literally every piece from Pacsun, Forever21, and Zumiez. But you can also shop on Carhartt's main page, and even their streetwear oriented WIP page. Dickies has an entire tab dedicated to skater essentials, and it takes no searching at all to find some nice Levi's, Rustler jeans, or Wranglers on Amazon, Ebay, or the respective sites. Thrifting is forever an option, and even preferable with vintage being the new wave for 2019.

Look around, most importantly! You always find cool clothes where you least expect, and the best part about what to look for in 2019 is that you'll have the chance to be eclectic and varied with your wardrobe, as opposed to sticking around ASOS and H&M. Even designer pieces can compliment the aesthetic for moving into 2019, and remain timeless and classic staples no matter the season or trend.