Each summer brings new trends. Last year, it was graphic T-shirts, ruffled tops, and bright-yellow maxi dresses. In the early aughts, it was miniskirts. Same for the ’60s, but instead of Paris Hilton in Juicy Couture it was Twiggy in Courrèges. But this season already seems to have brought a bewildering — and at times beguiling — array of fads. And if the hottest streetwear seems hard to pull off in a fashion-y fashion, that, its wearers might suggest, is exactly the point.
1. Neck Wallets
In about a year, the humble fanny pack has gone from something your parents wore around their waists to a favorite of streetwear enthusiasts, who love to swing them nonchalantly over their shoulders. Now they seem to be turning into necklaces. Combined with chunky sneakers and tall socks, the look we’ve landed on might be called “tourist chic”: passport pouches paired with Croakies, circa 2018.
2. Ugly Shoes and Status Socks
Chunky, unflattering sneakers, or “ugly shoes,” as the fashion industry has dubbed them, have been flying off shelves for a few seasons now. Balenciaga can hardly keep its Triple S style in stock. And now socks are a tandem statement-maker. Think of them as the new graphic T-shirt, offering the opportunity to flaunt a luxury logo or your own words-to-live-by, like “GO AWAY” or “More Feminism, Less Bullshit.”
3. Three Oranges in a Mesh Bag
For some reason, fashion people everywhere are carrying oranges. But not just one orange, three. And not just any bag; a net bag. “It makes me feel like I’m living in an aspirational and picturesque Jacquemus world when I really have a fairly mundane existence in New York,” says Black Frame fashion-PR manager Sandi Halimuddin, referring to the French designer Simon Porte Jacquemus — who, by the way, seems to prefer lemons.
4. Yolo Bolo
This spring, you could find bolo ties at cool downtown stores like Maryam Nassir Zadeh and uptown at Versace. This fall, Louis Vuitton will also have one on its shelves. Worn loose, more like a necklace, a bolo makes an event out of an otherwise simple look.
5. Bike Shorts
On the opposite coast, the Kardashians have made bike shorts and cycling sunglasses their uniform, despite rarely having been seen astride a bike. In New York, a crumbling subway system has made cycling something like a necessity — and shoppers at popular athleisure boutiques like Outdoor Voices are so comfortable in their spandex shorts they’ve decided to stop wearing anything else.
6. Tie-Dye
New Yorkers are DIY-ing tie-dye in their kitchens and backyards this summer. Maybe it’s because Dead & Company is touring again. Or maybe wearing tie-dye makes you feel like you’re mentally and emotionally upstate.
7. Prairie-core
Inspired by vintage Laura Ashley dresses — and the tastes of her “eccentric mom” and grandmother — Queens-born designer Batsheva Hay developed a namesake line of modest, “kooky” calico dresses with yoke collars and ruffled sleeves. Vogue editors, influencers, and celebrities ranging from Erykah Badu (top left) to Natalie Portman are big fans, perhaps because the Picnic at Hanging Rock look happens to be trending in general. Evidence: the luxury wicker baskets and prairie dresses you’re seeing everywhere.
If you buy something through our links, New York may earn an affiliate commission.
*This article appears in the July 9, 2018, issue of New York Magazine. Subscribe Now!