Too Many Shapes and Colours: The It Person Guide to Trending Patterns and Silhouettes

Illustration by Jayda Korn.

Bows, cheetah print, the obsession over polka dots… these are just some of the pattern fads that have cycled over the past few years. By next year, they will be stale, so the pertinent question to ask is, what’s the next trending pattern on the ever changing fashion forecast and, more importantly,  how can you style it?

Personally, plaid is the pattern I itch to see become next year’s “it. Its resurgence can be traced across both historical and contemporary cultural moments, from the long standing presence of tartan, originating from Scottish clans, to its reappearance in recent pop culture, such as PinkPantheress’s mixtape Fancy That. This pattern has increasingly re-entered mainstream fashion, positioning itself as a recurring visual language rather than fleeting trend. The playfulness of differing colours and patterns, that fall inline with that distinctive criss cross, allows plaid to stand out while remaining adaptable across styles and settings. Its presence across casual and more polished looks demonstrates how plaid adapts to aesthetics, capable of shifting meaning on stylization, rather than being focused on a singular look.

While plaid has had its ups and downs in trend cycles, stripes have always been in, but have failed to receive that widespread obsession that it deserves. Horizontal or vertical, thin or thick, stripes come in all varieties and are some of the easiest patterns to style. Arguably, stripes go with any bland outfit, providing the perfect mix of spice and simplicity to make your outfit more visually appealing. It is the perfect pattern if you are not feeling bold enough to flaunt the plaid's distinctiveness. 

Craving the freshest animal print? Animal prints have been re-emerging in varied forms, making it difficult to single out one dominant style. There are so many that have caught my attention recently that it’s hard to choose one. Zebra and snow tiger prints have surfaced as more playful reinterpretations of classic stripes, maintaining a sense of sleekness while still standing out as visual statements. Snake skin print has also returned in a more noticeable way, polarizing but undeniably striking due to its dense, intricate texture and visual intensity. More recently, deer skin print has begun to appear, offering a softer, almost whimsical alternative that sets it apart from the bolder animal prints dominating current fashion cycles.

So you have all the patterns that are trending/will be in trend next year (choose whichever fits better). Now, it’s just a matter of how you style it. Summer or winter, I say layer it. From bigger, baggier layers to slim, form fitting ones, there is never an instant that layering is not in. Clash patterns or stick with your favourite, play around with the shape and form of your outfit.

You now have the patterns, you now have the silhouettes, now go get creative with it. Finding what works comes less from following trends exactly and more from paying attention to what consistently feels right on your body and wardrobe. Patterns often gravitate toward personal style, and whether that’s bold and attention grabbing or subtle and understated, depending on what you feel confident reaching for again and again. Remember, your personal style never goes out of fashion.