Autumn/Winter 2021 fashion trends have landed, bringing some much-needed fresh air to our wardrobes after a year of pandemic outfits. We’ve all been there over the last twelve months: trendy tops over tedious PJ bottoms and joggers. Luckily, the best of this season’s catwalks lend themselves perfectly to thrifting, meaning massive savings and a sustainable approach to fashion. Below are the best of the cold season’s trends, along with some hints on fool-proof second-hand purchases.

 

 

Autumn/Winter 2021 catwalks saw GenZ’s nostalgia for the early noughties and commercial fun, and responded with maxi denim jeans, colourful see-thru tops, sparkly accessories and furry collars in pastels hues. We’ve seen a hunger for the revival of the Britney and Christina era, and it’s likely we all have something pop in a remote corner of a closet to dig out and shine in. The result is a thorough spring cleaning from the likes of Blumarine, Anna Sui, Roberto Cavalli and Alyx.

 

 

 

On the other hand, the ‘60s were refreshed with cheeky knee-high boots walking the Tom Ford, Fendi and Blumarine catwalks and full black/white monochrome outfits with sharp, clean, trapezoidal cuts from Versace.

 

 

S/S 2021 collections saw ethnic prints proliferate on headscarves and big coats. A/W 2021 literally recycles this idea for kaleidoscopic patchworks, with Gabriela Hearst, Chloé, Coach 1941, Simone Rocha reusing leftover fabrics for new maxi coats, dresses, tees and trousers. If your tastes are colourful and baroque, Dolce&Gabbana is on hand with its mélange of Sicilian memories. This trend is surely going to awake the crafter in you, allowing you to kindle your love of vintage and heritage patterns.

Photo by Kyle Cleveland, Unsplash

 

 

Capes, wraps and ponchos are back (Chloé, Alberta Ferretti, Missoni and Gabriela Hearst). For Missoni, ponchos mean ‘70s palettes and geometries; while Stella Jean took the chance to collaborate with the FAO and Kyrgyz women crafters to create a capsule collection with traditional embroidered felt using sustainable materials.

 

 

The mirage of ski resorts reopening inspired in maisons like Miu Miu, Givenchy, Coach 1941 and Chanel dreams of white holidays and fluffy, Alpine outfits, with soft puffers, ski goggles and furry moon boots inviting us to get out, wrap up and stay cosy.

 

 

The fil rouge of this A/W 2021 is a comfort that can be seen and touched in chunky textured knitwear. Bold cable knitwork defines XL sweaters, maxi dresses, tops and trousers in a neutral and comforting palette in designs by Altuzarra, Gabriela Hearst, Chloé and Italian Miu Miu. The same softness can be experienced with maxi furry coats and jackets in eco-friendly leopard prints, brown hues and shades of arctic white (Givenchy).

 

 

 

Photo by Nicole De Khors, Burst by Shopify 

 

Covering creations with one’s own logo is too strong a temptation, at least for Versace, Fendi and many others. For some, the signature ends up covering the whole fabric as micro patterns; for Valentino it becomes a timeless geometric decoration; for Givenchy a translucent hint over a sheer curtain; and for Marine Serre a copied & pasted motif from head to… shoes.

This season, skirts and trousers are maxi and floating in satin fabrics to exalt the beauty of infinite pleats, checks or tartan (Max Mara, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Jil Sander, Plan C).

Photo by Hermes Rivers, Unsplash

 

 

If it’s true that fur and knitted texture are a match made-in-heaven with muted hues, shiny and saturated tones have ample space in winter collections. It must be bold and with character for Versace, Prada, Salvatore Ferragamo and Balmain’s wardrobe; silvery and flamboyant for Moschino and Paco Rabanne; and leather in all of its declinations – liquid, rubber matte, natural – for Hermés and Simone Rocha.

 

 

 

 

A/W 2021 answers the urge to go out and socialise but also gives a chance to recycle and reduce both waste and expenses. Go thrifting: set a budget with some spare cash and plan ahead your purchases. At Fashions Finest, we love exploring outfit combinations starting from what we already have. Once at the store, we go without fail and zero impulse buys.

 

Patchworks can be homemade with outdated clothes; maxi knitwear and ‘70s capes are easy targets in second-hand stores. Loud 2000s outfits are surely somewhere just out of sight and may need just a little brushing up. Maisons love virtual thrifting when repurposing past trends, and, with a little imagination, you can too.