Oh 2012, the year of ratchet moments, cray moments and just all around WTF moments. But one thing this year has been good for is some damn good fashion trends. In 2012, menswear grabbed women’s fashion by the lapel and took things into their own hands as men started suiting up, and owning up to their space in the fashion world. This year, women kept things sassy while borrowing some pointers from the boys to pair up with the many trends they had at their disposal.
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With the land of fashion bloggers growing exponentially by the minute, their presence has allowed everyone a front row seat at trends as they unfold.
After a long year of trend watching and checking out our favorite celebs and average people alike (and even ourselves) rock some of the looks below, we compiled ’em all.
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Save for the peplum and nail art, influences of this year’s trends can be seen in both men and women’s clothing this year.
Check out our top 12 trends of 2012 in no particular order below.
1. Baroque
Few things are more royal than baroque print this season. The women rocked this trend on dresses, embellished purses and belts with ornate earrings while the dudes integrated this into their wardrobe with t-shirts and jackets.
2. Neon
The ‘80s made a return with the neons this year, and we weren’t complaining. This year the summer colors we knew and loved were bumped out by highlighter infused wardrobe selections. Women rocked this with accessories, and clothing items alike while men slowly integrated it into their wardrobes a little with neon accents to their grays and blacks. Still one of our favorite trends of the year.
3. Nail Art
Nail art was formerly reserved for the nail salon, but the Internet made it possible to master your own perfect manicure. Sally Hanson’s nail strips also played a big role in the resurgence of nail art and women worldwide dropped their boring French for fun manis.
4. Animals as prints
Ferocious animals were suddenly not so scary once they made their way onto the front of sweaters, purses, and of course the Givenchy Rottweiler collection had its hand in making that trend as large as it was.
5. Peplum
Love it or hate it peplum had it’s fun this year. The Kardashian sisters seemed to favor this trend, but there really is a peplum for every body type. We’re not sure of peplum’s staying power, but we know that it’s left a mark on trends this year.
6. Tangerine Hues.
Tangerine was Pantone’s color of the year, no naturally it dominated the stores this summer.
7. Bold prints.
Normally people try to shy away from prints, but not this year. Men and women alike we rocking all print everything when it came to really making a statement. Printed denim also hit the limelight at the height of fall.
8. Color Blocking
Pairing colors with neutrals Is so last year. 2012 was all about pairing bold colors with bold colors and color blocking it all the way to the runway.
9. Layering Jewelry
Layers on layers on layers, arm candy replace chunky bangles this year. It was all about keeping it small and layering unconventional pieces together. Watches no longer had the wrist real estate to it self. Women took it to sparkle heights while men layered with wood accessories and woven bracelets.
10. All Leather Everything
Leather leather leather and, oh! More leather? Sure why not. This year was all about leather taking over every single item of your wardrobe. Whether it was a leather trim or pocket or a pair of leather pants the trend had its place in our closets. We can thank KimYe as well as Givenchy for putting leather on our radar.
11. Studs
Bedazzling is so 90s, but studs and spikes? Those were all the rage in 2012. Whether it was spiked out jackets or glam spiked bracelets and sneakers studs found their way into the mainstream and gave everyday items an extra bit of hardcore edge.
12. Religious Scenes
We can thank Yeezy and Jay for bringing this trend into the mainstream and off of the church walls. Religious references that range from crosses to depictions of the last supper were praised for their beautiful painting and plastered on everything from neoprene shirts to sweatshirts.
Of course there are some other trends that had them time to shine, but didn’t quite ride out strong into the end of the year, and they made it to our honorable mentions.
– Men in skirts (sorry Yeezy and Marc Jacobs)
– Hi-Low mullet skirts and dresses
– Ombre hair
– Wedge sneakers
– Metallic leathers
– Ear Cuffs
And of course there are some of our favorites that will always be around, like leather moto jackets, anything camo and of course, a good all black outfit (or LBD)
What was your favorite trend of 2012?
