12 Trends You Can Ditch Before 2019

It can be difficult to keep up with ever-changing trends, but Hilary Alexander, fashion director for The Telegraph explained it this way: "The speed of change of fashion is what keeps the high street lively." Contrary to what we may believe, change is consumer-led. A constant stream of new styles is what keeps us all looking fresh and, yes, it's all kinds of fun to try out the latest trends.

At the same time, we also get a dose of nostalgia when experimenting with current styles because fashion is, for the most part, cyclical. Franca Sozzani, the great, late Editor in Chief for Vogue Italia once wrote: "Cycles and recycles are a common thing in fashion ... Always in different ways but nonetheless inspired to a particular era."

As we near closer and closer to 2019, what will happen to the trends we embraced in 2017 and are still embracing in 2018? The List spoke with fashion experts and discovered what should get left behind— and their answers may surprise you.

When mom jeans first came on the scene in the late '80s, they weren't worn with the irony we see today. Amy Leverton, a trend forecaster and author of Denim: Street Style, Vintage, Obsession told New York Post they were actually modeled after Marilyn Monroe and other "starlet silhouettes." She continued, saying, "The style was modernized in a very different way, but the attitude was definitely this pinup sort of vibe."

Of course, just when you were finally coming around to appreciate the high-waisted jeans, they're headed to their funeral. Anne E. Appleby, a sociologist and designer who studies current trends, told The List, "Mom jeans go in and out. Next year, they will go out because they have been so overdone in the last few years." Appleby made the comparison between this denim trend and one we likely all remember — and probably wish to forget — in the '90s: low-rise jeans. The horror.

Walk in to your local department store and you won't be able to swing a stick without hitting bell-sleeved blouses. Erm, not that we're recommending you take a stick into the mall. In 2015, bell sleeves began emerging from the catacombs of the 1970s.

"Stylistically, it was a free-for-all," designer Betsey Johnson said of the decade to The New York Times. A free-for-all that included copious amounts of billowy frocks. Bell sleeves, flared pants, and a whole lot of suede defined the era. Although it may have been hard to imagine the wild trends coming back, that's exactly what they did. And hard. Bell sleeves, especially. 

Similar to what happened with mom jeans, fashion expert Anne E. Appleby explained to The List that bell sleeves have officially been overdone. Bell sleeves also have the disadvantage of being "not so practical." Appleby opined, "You drag those sleeves over everything." For. Real.

In September 2018, Who What Wear reported that leopard print was "particularly booming" ahead of the fall and winter seasons. Elyse Johnson, a former buyer for TJX Corporation and a wardrobe stylist for the Emmy-winning show The List (great name, might we add, but no relation) agreed, saying, "Leopard is back for fall." Woot woot! 

Before you get too excited and start buying all leopard print everything, you should know that the bold animal print has a significantly reduced life expectancy. "That trend will be extinct in 2019," the stylist clarified, "It always has a good strong go and then quickly hibernates for a few years." So, while leopard print is an endangered trend at the moment, feel free to wear it up and wear it out — or at least put it in the back of your closet until it's back on trend again at some point in the 2020s. 

Trying on a boxy cropped t-shirt for the first time is an experience. On the hanger, they often look more like squares of scrap fabric than articles of clothing. Off the hanger, you probably think a magical transformation will occur, but once you slide the shirt over your head, there's a good chance it'll look much the same as it did on the rack. As far as uncomplimentary ensembles go, this one takes the cake.

Vanessa Valiente, a San Diego-based personal fashion consultant, wardrobe stylist, and creator of the popular fashion site V-Style, told The List, "Boxy tees ... are unflattering for 95 percent of women and felt tired almost immediately." 

Diane Lloyde Roth, a wardrobe stylist with decades of experience dressing celebrities and socialites, and owner of the luxury boutique L'Armoire, feels similarly. She told The List that 2019 will bring "softer, more fluid looks." And thank goodness because, as Roth said, "We all don't have J-Lo's abs! (We might if A-Rod was working us out... but alas, there is only one of him!)" Good riddance, crop tops!

While we must give credit to Cher Horowitz for cluing us in on how to make plaid so fetch (ya, we're mixing references), people began using the twilled fabric in clothing over 3,000 years ago. Though, at that time they would've referred to it as "tartan." Since then, we never really stopped wearing it. Nevertheless, 2019 may be the year to part ways with the trend — at least for a little while.

Cassandra Sethi, a New York City stylist and founder of Next Level Wardrobe told The List that the pattern is "coming in hot" for fall 2018, but "may not last through 2019." Sethi further explained, saying, "Plaid is a print, so if you wear it a few times it is very memorable (especially the bright colored ones) and so it isn't the print to go to if you want to get a lot of wear out of something." Capsule wardrobe connoisseurs, consider yourself forewarned.

USA Today dubbed dad sneakers the "ugly-turned-trendy shoe of the summer" in 2018. If you were a kid in the '80s, you probably remember your dad's thick-soled sneakers. Betcha he never would have guessed you'd be wearing them in the 21st century and calling them chic — but that's exactly what happened. "Just within [2017], chunky sneakers have seen a 238 percent uptick in stock in the last three months compared to three months prior to that," Katie Smith, a retail analysis and insights director for Edited told the publication.

However, that will soon come to an end, says wardrobe stylist Elyse Johnson. "These orthopedic sneakers are making fashion too comfortable," she told The List. Surely everyone wants to be comfortable in what they wear, but, in addition to being comfy, these are far from flattering. Johnson revealed: "These will be peacing out of the fashion limelight in 2019... and into the discount store racks!"

While you may see copious amounts of leather fringe and more cowboy boots than you can count in fall 2018, the trend won't be sticking around forever. Personal stylist Cassandra Sethi told The List the reasons for this. For one, cowboy hats — and belts and boots and everything else — make for a "pretty bold statement." 

Sethi also explained that "the fabrics within western wear usually tend to look a bit heavier than spring and summer items." This is partially because western wear relies on fabrics that are actually physically weightier — like flannel and suede. And, as the New York City-based stylist put it, those are "not exactly the most season-appropriate fabric[s] for taking a walk on the beach." As 2018 sees itself out, western wear will as well. In the meantime, feel free to pull on your cowboy boots and swing your partner 'round and 'round — or whatever it is you want to do.

What good is a cowboy without a lasso, right? Well, 2018 made it entirely possible to hog-tie one in with your western wear. How? With the inclusion of another interesting trend: long belts. For as low as $22 at Urban Outfitters or as high as $765 at Nordstrom as of this writing, you can take part in the dramatically long belt trend. Alexander McQueen's elongated leather belt is, according to the company, "straight off the fall 2018 runway." That may very well be true, but the unusual style will apparently be coming to an abrupt end by 2019.

According to wardrobe stylist and fashion expert Elyse Johnson, major retailers are not the only ones inspiring the look. "Fashion bloggers are making off-white belts the thing to have," the style expert told The List, "but long belts will be draped around the trash can in 2019." Eek!

In recent years, mules have reared their (arguably) ugly heads and come back on trend. The half-pump, half-slipper creation has been embraced — and shunned — by many. Carine Roitfeld, the former Paris Vogue editor, told The New York Times, "Mules I'm sure I will never wear." She went on to say she despises the shoe — but that's not all. "I hate the noise when someone walks with mules," she admitted, "Clomp, clomp, clomp. I think it's very not chic." Spanish fashion designer Manolo Blahnik disagrees. "When you walk in mules, you walk a bit differently," he told W Magazine, "It's very sexy to me; you have to get your balance."

Whether you love them or hate them, mules will be sent to the farm in 2019 — specifically pointed toe stiletto mules, according to stylist Vanessa Valiente. This is because of their '90sesque nature. "Whenever a trend is taken too literally from its inspiration it fizzles out faster because it feels like a flashback costume, instead of fresh personal style," the expert told The List.

Thin-framed sunglasses, another trend inspired by the 1990s, are finally going to be sent packing come 2019. Wardrobe stylist Elyse Johnson doesn't even understand how — or why — they've lasted as long as they have. "They are super unflattering to all and, hello, its 2019 — everyone knows the more sun coverage the better!" said Johnson. She speaks the truth. Though, Kylie Jenner and Beyoncé almost had us convinced that we could pull off the itty-bitty shades — but let's leave that to Neo, shall we?

Now listen, The Matrix was a great movie, don't get us wrong, but let's not forget that it's dystopian sci-fi. Can we agree to keep the tiny Matrix-inspired sunglasses there (where they belong)? Johnson says we will all agree to those terms as we transition into the new year as both "big sunglasses — and sunscreen — will be the hot thang in 2019."

San Diego-based personal stylist and founder of CBS Lifestylist Catherine Bachelier Smith says it's time to pare down our clothes — but not in the way you might expect. While 2018 may be full of big  — and boy do we mean big — clothes with big hair or perhaps big earrings with big shoulder-pads, Bachelier Smith told The List that 2019 is going to be the time to pick one or the other — "not both." 

She explained, "If you're sporting a big top, then pair it with a slimming or tight bottom. Conversely, if you have a wide leg pant, pair with a tailored button down, tee, or blazer." Scale and balance are key. The stylist also revealed that much of this "big everything" trend is inspired by '80s — which is fine — but "don't look like you literally jumped off the 1980s page of a magazine." Yeah, we hear that.

"It's always recommended to have a great pair of denim in your closet as it is a seasonless staple," personal stylist Cassandra Sethi divulged to The List. However, the pair you choose is going to be important. In 2018, many brands are, as Sethi explained, "putting their twist on denim by incorporating hardware, color, screen printing, patches and more." That's all well and good, but it's not exactly the most versatile for your wardrobe. It's also likely to become very dated. 

"While this trend is fun to play with for 2018, it will be on it's way out for 2019. The brighter or louder the embellishment, the least likely it will carry over to 2019 because it is so trend-driven," said Sethi. If you are looking to add some denim staples to your closet before 2018 is up, the expert recommends picking more subtle embellishments because you will "get more wear" from the understated varieties.