Trends You Can Ditch Before 2018

Should "buy now and dispose of later" be your motto when it comes to fashion? 2017 has been a year of fads, fast fashion, and bold accessories. Some of these trends have been resurrected from the early '90s and others have, unfortunately, been resurrected from the fashion graveyard. So, which looks are here to stay, and what will end up at the thrift store or worse, in the garbage less than 365 days from now? I asked some of the top fashion and style experts, designers, bloggers, and influencers what their predictions are. How many of these items are in your closet? 

According to celebrity stylist, television personality, and podcaster Ali Levine, the statement t-shirt is getting kind of basic and heading towards a serious upgrade in 2018. Levine told me that powerful slogan shirts are where it's at, "The rise of empowerment has opened up clothing more and more to have a voice. People are wearing their feelings and words more and more." So, wearing your heart on your sleeve or maybe even on the back of your shirt is becoming more popular. 

A good example of this is designer Jac Vanek's Couch Hoodie which says, "I wish I loved exercising as much as I love sitting on the couch and eating everything." Although humorous, it's a brutally honest statement that, frankly, applies to most of us. On the flip side, more serious, politically-oriented items are also becoming trendier, such as Red Bubble's Viva La Resistance t-shirt.

Whether it's a social or political statement, it's safe to say these statements are not going away anytime soon.

Designer Louis Verdad dresses some of the top celebrities in Hollywood including Cate Blanchett, Madonna, Milla Jovovich and Eva Longoria. But he has not dressed Kim, Khloe, Kourtney, Kris, Kylie, Kendall, Caitlyn or anyone else with the last name Kardashian or Jenner. He told me that's because he thinks any trend that this family has embraced is on it's way to getting canceled faster than their reality show. This means "peasants tops, mega-distressed jeans, super tight leggings and Japanese style embroidery items" are all about to be over.

Verdad's collection consists of mostly black, white and gray items that are classic and sophisticated with a good dose of haute sex appeal. In case you were wondering, he does not offer any lip kits at this time and he isn't planning on it in the future.

If you like corset belts, you better wear yours enough now so you're over it by the time 2018 hits. Unfortunately, this trend is not here to stay. Designer Verdad would probably raise a glass to blogger Amanda Katherine, who told me she thinks that Kylie Jenner is giving the corset belt the Kardashian kiss of death. She told me, "Kylie Jenner was just spotted out in Miami with Travis Scott wearing a t-shirt dress with a cream-colored corset belt." Although this look is on its way out, Katherine is still a fan, "I like this look and it gives your body a little more of an hourglass shape when you are wearing loose dresses."

However, if you are thinking about buying an expensive corset belt, she suggests saving your money and not investing too much in this trend. An affordable fashion expert, Katherine's lifestyle blog Dope + Broke, showcases stylish alternatives to pricey pieces.

Podiatrist and luxury footwear designer, Joan Oloff sees women gravitating away from painful footwear and choosing shoes that won't cramp their toes or their style instead. She told me, "What I see going out of style by 2018 is pain!"

Oloff believes the tides are turning when it comes to female footwear preferences, "Women are rejecting the notion that they have to suffer if they want to wear sexy, beautiful shoes." She continued, "In 2018, women are becoming empowered and choosing fashion that coexists with function. We are just at the beginning of this shift and I am excited about what we are seeing for Spring!"

Fashion influencer and personal style Instagrammer Amanda Brooke thinks pom poms and other tiny decorative and furry frills will be on the "not" list by 2018, telling me, "There's definitely a long list of trends that will be out the door in 2018 and at the top of that list are chokers, furry slides, patches and just about anything with pom poms or tassels." She believes this because, "Runway trends convert to fast fashion, and fast fashion items [are] mass produced everywhere. It's easy to become tired of trending items before you've even had a chance to wear them more than once."

But what should you do if you want to wear any of these trendy items? Brooke suggests not overly investing in them both financially and emotionally, "Since items like these tend to go out of style so quickly, I always recommend buying more accessible versions of the trend so you don't break the bank every season." Although she's sad to think of retiring her favorite pom poms soon, she feels better knowing that "we never know what new, fun concepts will emerge in seasons to come."

Leon Rbibo, who is the president of the jewelry store The Pearl Source, is predicting chunky, clunky accessories such as large, bulky necklaces, big bracelets, as well as clunky, and oversized earrings are on their way out. Over the past months, he has really seen how customer trends have changed, "We've seen a noticeable difference over the last year in what pieces people, especially younger generations, are choosing to purchase. Put simply, the trend clearly shows that streamlined, sleek styles are in." He continued to tell me that "The driving factor behind this might very well be Millennials, who have shown a tendency to favor more simple, classic looks. Subtle chic is what we like to call it." 

Rbibo thinks that pearls are going to be big in 2018, "One thing that will continue to trend into 2018, though, is pearls. Allure magazine put it nicely when they said we are in the middle of a pearl renaissance. Everyone from Ellen DeGeneres, Beyonce and Michelle Obama are all sporting the pearl look."

2017 is definitely the year of the male romper. But fashion and grooming expert Aidan Gill, who has been featured in both Esquire and GQ, cannot see how this craze can continue. It is a total flash in the pan, as he explained to me "The (male) romper is a fad that is likely to end up as a GQ regrets sidebar." 

In fact, Gill sees men forgoing trends all together and embracing more traditional and less of-the-moment styles in the future, "The lumberjack look, which is popular in many circles, will be supplanted by the re-emergence of the always-in-style classic suit."

Gill says 2018 will be about "high-waisted pants, reminiscent of Spanish bullfighters." He also predicts, "Waistcoats also will be increasingly visible, as more men are pairing vests with jeans, with or without a blazer." 

Stylist and media personality Ali Levine is pretty sure 2017 is the last year of the one shoulder look. But if you like it, not to worry because this trend is simply evolving and will appear in other ways. Levine told me that "Exposed skin is in and being sexy is in. The one shoulder look is a huge part of that."

Levine says cutouts won't be out for fall. "From the runways to every day street life, we are starting to see exposed skin in the back, hip, sides, and even in the neck as well as the shoulder."

Personally, she loves this style. "It is the peek-a-boo detail that makes the look both exciting and sexy." Levine also thinks of it is as a more subtle way of looking sexy, but polished, "It reveals a little without showing a lot." If that feels a little too exposed for fall, she suggests pairing this trend with a jacket. 

If there was one trend that will not go away in 2017, it's everything unicorn. If something could become unicorn, we found a way to do it and make it trendy. According to The New York Times, this includes food, such as Starbucks' Unicorn Frappuccino, bagels and even toast and salads. For a while, it felt as if you could not look at anyone's Instagram without seeing #unicorn.

Unicorn makeup is also everywhere. In April 2017, Allure showcased the best unicorn products including Too Faced Melted Matte Lipstick, Tarte Unicorn Makeup Brushes, and even Unicorn Snot Glitter Gel by FCTRY.

Unicorn fashion was also a thing with stores such as Forever 21 selling items including unicorn headbands, chokers, and even bikinis.

However, Lindsey Cummins, who is the CEO of Winq, which is a social polling app for Millennials, shared with me that it's looking like the great unicorn craze is about to fly off. Judging from the data gathered by Winq, the unicorn should go the way of the dodo bird by 2018.

According to Refinery29, counterfeit handbags, clothing, cosmetics and anything else that's fake will be way out of fashion by 2018. A report from The International Counterfeiting Coalition states that $1.7 billion worth of items were seized at U.S. borders in 2013.

Buying counterfeit items don't simply involve getting a bargain or fooling someone. Buying these items can have real consequences. It supports child labor and human trafficking. Fakes also take away tax dollars and hurt local, legitimate businesses. 

If you cannot afford a flashy, new designer handbag, don't buy a fake. Buy designer resale instead. Websites such as The Real Real and Tradsey as well as brick and mortar stores like Crossroads Trading and Buffalo Exchange sell your favorites designers including Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Saint Laurent at a significant discount. Some of the items are gently used and others can be new with tags. Either way, second-hand is a great alternative to buying fakes.

Corey Varga who writes the blog You Could Travel, thinks the travel boho chic look that is currently permeating Instagram will be done by 2018. He told me "I strongly believe that most of Instagram travel boho will be gone by 2018. All those lovely peasant tops and embroidered dresses will be totally gone way before the end of the year." He predicts this look is evolving to become gypsy surf, "Surf Gypsy is a 2017 trend, as a subset of bohemianism, inspired by global travels to beach destinations. Surf gypsy aesthetic features rainbow-hued colors mixed with a surf-inspired vibe." He also predicts that "towards the end of 2017, we will have futuristic trends, which will clearly rely on better-crafted fabrics which promote long-term use and recycling."

So what is the next big thing? Varga thinks, "Influencers are now shifting their focus onto 'psychotropical' fashions which are defined by vibrant colors, tropical patterns, and prints. You can clearly see the epic visual cues borrowed from nature, like beautiful leaves, tropical undergrowth, and vivid sunsets."

If reading all of this expert advice makes you want to throw out everything in your closet and delete half your Instagram feed, don't. While it's great to purge, take your fave peasant top to the dry cleaner, fold up a few of your silly statement t-shirts and store some of your most cherished painful stilettos away for the future. Everything eventually comes back in style, which means, in due time, you'll be wearing your current favorite outfits again as if they are brand new.