Fashion 2017 – Revivals, Rehashes, Reinventions

CEBU, Philippines - It seems many of past fashion trends are coming back around this year. This is hinted by Edited, the global analytics firm that continually monitors when merchants add looks to their sites, slash prices and sell out of styles. Edited is able to determine not only what brands are peddling, but which fashion trends the global fashion set is picking up.

The website www.thefashionspot.com quotes the Edited forecast that “the trusty bomber jacket, preferred top layer of celebrity fashionista sisters Gigi and Bella Hadid, fared better than its laid-back denim and leather biker cousins when it came to online sales.” Only 22 percent of spring bombers made it to the price chopping block, the website states, while 30 percent of denim and biker toppers were placed on sale. It can be deduced, thus, that market-savvy retailers are propagating the trend – 20 percent of the bombers now available online have been reportedly stocked within the past few weeks.

Additionally, tulle skirts, seemingly a niche item, resisted discounting this spring. While skin-baring fabrics may not have gotten their usual due at this year’s Video Music Awards, despite Ashley Graham and Kim Kardashian showing their staunch support, tulles and sheers are said to be poised as Spring 2017’s breakout materials. “Sheers will offer an ultrafeminine antidote to gender-neutral dressing and the sports aesthetic,” said Katie Smith, Edited’s senior fashion and retail market official, citing pre-collections from brands like Erdem, Moschino and Gucci.

In warm regions like the Philippines, the bare shoulder trend, which saw a staggering 9,000 styles hit the U.S. online market these past few months, is likely to pick up. The clavicle-complementing Bardot styles have outperformed peekaboo shoulders, for rather obvious reasons. Slip dresses, another ubiquitous item that captivated the luxury market in particular, are also expected to stick around.

Quite noticeably, white shirts of all kinds are currently “dominating” the online scene. In the last few months, more than 50 big retailers have featured porcelain toppers in their newsletters. The oversized, half-tucked button-down with jeans look is holding out well, too.

Revivals, rehashes and reinventions in the fashion trends of 2017 are not new developments. The fashion world has always thrived on these. As the saying goes, “There’s nothing new under the sun”; which is particularly true in fashion.

One thing that everyone hopes is for designers to start seriously considering comfort side by side with look. Well, may they also resist the urge to play it safe. Up to a certain point, déjà vu begins to suffocate. - Zenaida Cabilao