When It Comes to Fashion Trends, Shoppers Are Embracing ‘The Joy of Missing Out’
The lighting-fast trend cycle may slowing down as shoppers look to savor sartorial moments.
That’s according to trend experts at the Magic trade show in Las Vegas last week, who said consumers are looking to reuse and repurpose items in their closets.
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“Trends are really lasting longer and longer, which is great because we’re seeing more sustainable pieces, quality goods, and things they’re not having to turn over,” Kelly Helfman, president of Informa Markets Fashion, told Sourcing Journal. “A lot of these [trends] have repeated from season to season,” she explained, noting that “the trends that we spoke about in February have just evolved a little bit.”
In a presentation with Wendy Bendoni, assistant professor of fashion marketing at the School of Business at Woodbury University, Helfman spoke to some of spring 2025’s anticipated influences—many of which stem from entertainment and culture.
The forthcoming Bob Dylan biopic, “A Complete Unknown,” starring Timothee Chalamet and Elle Fanning, will usher in a fresh wave of 1960s folksy-beatnik chic. Meanwhile, the third season of “Emily in Paris” showcased over-the-top, whimsical, feminine fashions replete with ever fashion motif conceivable, from stripes to polka dots, ruffles, feathers and more.
The “Parisian Clean Girl” aesthetic brings together elements of French styling, but pared down. Capri pants, black and white stripes and menswear-inspired suiting are central to the theme, which also includes cropped sweaters and simple button down shirts.
Sports have also played an outsized role in driving fashion trends in recent seasons, and that’s poised to continue. “The tunnel is the new runway,” Bendoni said, referring to the pre-game catwalk that has come to define an athlete’s walk to the locker room.
While the movement began with the NBA, with players like Lebron James and Russell Wilson showcasing the most out-there getups before they hit the court, the 2024 Olympics, as well as Wimbledon, have spawned an interest in both sporty styling and using matches and games as an opportunity to showcase fashion, Bendoni said.
“Sport-core,” which pulls elements from uniforms and traditional sport attire, like tennis skirts and piped jerseys, will continue to influence women’s styling. Kim Kardashian’s Skims supported the Olympic games with a line of Team USA gear. Even though it’s been difficult, traditionally, to find women’s sports on television, 10.9 million people viewed the U.S. women’s basketball finals and 58 percent of the U.S. gold medals were won by women. “Women are watching, they are paying attention,” Bendoni said.
“With sports, Skims and the Olympics, a lot of bodysuits and athleisure is going to continue to evolve in how we wear it, from day to night,” Helfman added. Diesel will be a brand to watch for spring, with a Y2K-era take on sporty sets and bodysuits.
Familiar motifs like animal prints—seen in February’s presentation as an element of “Mob Wife” styling—will continue into spring, though this time they’ll be pared back. A pair of leopard-printed jeans might be worn with a retro band tee, Helfman said. Vintage styling, including oversized graphic T-shirts bearing the names of bands, entertainers or slogans will become an essential element of spring styling.
In that same vein, comfortable, casual separates will bounce back for the first time since the pandemic, Bendoni said, coining the trend, “JOMO,” or “the Joy of Missing Out.”
“This usually comes with disconnecting and getting off social media,” she said.
While consumers certainly aren’t getting off social permanently, or even for the long-term, Helfman believes the swipe-see-buy cycle might be abating and they could be looking for a more conscious way to consume. Instead of running out and buying a head-to-toe look, for example, trend forecasting for next spring indicates that they could make use of things they already own, pairing separates like skirts, tops and trousers with different elements and accessories to embody the influences they’re seeing in the culture at large.
For example, romantic, feminine pieces with bustiers and bows popularized by period pieces like Bridgerton for this fall will transition well into a folk-boho look for spring, she said. The Western pieces like cowboy boots and hats seen in recent seasons will also remain in the rotation. “So you get these staple pieces that are able to cross the different trends,” she said.
Asked why shoppers might not be turning over their closets as quickly, Helfman believes “a combination of many things” has influenced the evolution. “When we talk about JOMO, they’re staying in more,” she said. “They’re also just simplifying their lives and their wardrobes, and finding pieces that last longer.”
That’s evidenced in the way people are buying clothes, too. The gravitation to resale and vintage, from thrifting in person to shopping on online marketplaces like Depop, Vestiaire Collective, The RealReal, Poshmark and ThredUp continues on, and shoppers are interested in scoring rare, vintage pieces that serve as closet staples rather than just seasonal acquisitions.
Making these pieces work within the context of a new trend “all comes down to styling,” she said.
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