By Catherine Taylor
It’s that time of year again. Autumn/Winter is here, bringing sweater weather and pumpkin spiced lattes back with a vengeance. This year’s trend forecast is proving to be even more fabulous than the last, with key trends such as power dressing and preppy prints emerging victorious in 2018. Also inescapable is animal print, the ‘it’ pattern that’s basically become synonymous with ‘neutral’ in our closets. Extra points for fierceness if you show your stripes in red and black. We’ll be checking out Penneys’ fabulous new Autumn/Winter collection in order to nail this one.
Speaking of prints, 90s babies can rejoice because check is back in a big way. Channel everyone’s favourite Clueless icon Cher Horowitz with the check co-ordinate in pretty purple and yellow hues. Looking for a more understated take on the trend? Check pieces are more versatile in monochromatic shades; think grey check culottes teamed with your favourite trainers or a neutral check coat. These investment pieces will see you into 2019 in style and can be paired with just about everything in your wardrobe.
If you’re on the hunt for the perfect Winter outerwear to ward off the Galway chill, look no further than the Borg and Teddy jackets currently infiltrating the high-street. These jacket styles are both cosy and versatile. They can be dressed up with a pleated midi skirt and strappy sandals for a night out or dressed down with jeans and trainers when you’re running late for a lecture.
For a more formal setting, both the leather dress and the tuxedo dress are viable alternatives to your everyday LBD. ASOS, always the sartorial saviour, is currently offering a fabulous selection of leather mini dresses sure to turn heads at any Christmas party. Alternatively, fashion it-girl of the moment Meghan Markle was recently seen out an about in a black above-the-knee tuxedo dress. Pretty Little Thing is our go-to for this trend, proving that power dressing can be fabulous and affordable on a student budget.
Elsewhere, the ever-present, student-friendly sports luxe trend isn’t going anywhere for Autumn/Winter 2018. Logos are back, adorning everything from t-shirts and sweaters to ‘ugly trainers.’ This sometimes questionable shoe trend, birthed by high-end designer Balenciaga, dominated the style stakes through Spring/Summer 2018 and shows no signs of slowing down in the coming months, with affordable alternatives available throughout the high-street.
