Our Editors Agree—These 6 Trends From Last Summer Aren't Out of Style
Recently, I've been thinking about which new on-trend items I really want to buy and which of my current pieces I can breathe new life into. I took inventory of my current wardrobe assortment, and it turns out I bought a ton of trendy pieces last spring and summer. Anyone else guilty of the same?
After sifting through every last thing I own and trying on plenty of outfit combinations along the way, I realized that many of 2020's best trends are still going strong today. I bet you already own at least a few of these six items, but if not, I've shared my favorite 2021 versions below. Here, shop all of my favorite picks.
1. Bucket Hats
I'll admit I felt a little silly the first time I ever wore a bucket hat. (I borrowed it from a friend while at the beach.) This trend took a little time for me to get used to, but now I'm 100% on board. It's also arguably the most practical trend—on sunny days, that is.
2. Thong Heels
Thong sandals or flip-flop heels? We may not be able to agree on exactly what to call this shoe trend, but we can probably agree that it shocked us all when it first appeared in S/S 19 collections. It took a minute for this style to grow on me, but after seeing them over and over again, I finally caved (as I often do).
3. Tie-Dye
If you've spent more than 10 minutes on Instagram in the last few weeks, then you know that tie-dye has reached peak popularity. I bought quite a few pieces last year when the trend emerged for the first time in a long time, and I plan to ride the tie-dye train for as long as possible. With all the extra time on my hands, I may even dip my toes into tie-dying a few pieces of my own.
This piece from Who What Wear Collection is one of my favorites from the drop.
And the same thing goes for the matching shorts.
4. Suiting
Suit sets were all over my Instagram feed this time last year, but the momentum really hasn't slowed down. This season, however, it's all about sets that you can wear as a full look or mix in with other pieces from your wardrobe.
5. High-Cut Bikinis
Thanks to the likes of Bella Hadid and Hailey Bieber, high-cut, '80s-style bikinis got plenty of attention last summer. The bottoms sit higher on the hips and create a V-shape, so they're ideal for anyone looking for the illusion of longer legs. Apparently, that's a lot of people because the high-cut style is back by popular demand from many of our favorite swimwear designers.
Shop the matching Nicole Top ($125).
Finished with a cool ring detail.
Shop the matching Always Fits Bikini Top ($55).
I love this ribbed material.
6. Anklets
The inner 7-year-old in me was just plain giddy when anklets became an Instagram-approved trend last summer. As a child, mine were homemade out of rainbow-colored string (and were awesome, by the way), but now I opt for more sophisticated versions that involve proper clasps. They're great to wear with swimwear or a pair of open-toe mules.
I'll just go ahead and file this anklet under "jewelry that makes me smile."
Next, check out the comfy loungewear replacing our sweatpants.
This story was published at an earlier date and has been recently updated.
Michaela Bushkin is the associate fashion director on the branded content team. She is based in Los Angeles and is going on her sixth year at Who What Wear. Michaela has always worked in the content world, previously at Whalerock and The Zoe Report. Her current role involves executing content, photo shoots, and events for fashion brands from retailers to luxury designers and everything in between. She spends her free time online shopping (or "researching" as she likes to call it), reading at the beach, and trying as many new restaurants in L.A. as possible.
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