Seven trends you need to know now

Be your most stylish self with our killer guide

- JOE BROMLEY

A new year! So what can be expected on the fashion front? More turmoil behind the rails of the luxury sector, certainly, as purse strings keep tightening - but plenty of new looks are anticipated, as debut collections from Sarah Burton at Givenchy, Louise Trotter at Bottega Veneta and Matthieu Blazy at Chanel are currently being cooked up in the ateliers.

If 2024 was the year of the sell-out, celebrity-designed high street collection (Sienna's M&S, Kate's Zara, etc), you can bet on even more this year - but at least these are more collectable than the usual fashion fast outputs. "2024 marked the slowdown of the hyper-curated digital aesthetics that defined fashion in recent years," says Depop's trend specialist, Agus Panzoni. "Amid uncertain economic prospects [and] a growing ethos of de-consumption... fashion is returning to fundamentals." Durability and versatility will be key for shoppers, they predict.

Here's to hoping. Below, the pieces worth tapping into this year - and those to come.

The new preppy style

From rugby shirts to boat shoes, preppy style last year enjoyed a cultural dominance not seen since Serena van der Woodsen was calling the shots. If you have already invested, pat yourself on the back, for it’s going nowhere. Top Northern Irish designer JW Anderson has produced a new “Modern Preppy” collection for the latest instalment in his line of collaborations for Uniqlo, coming this month. “It focuses on classic items such as Oxford shirts, jeans, polo shirts and hoodies,” he says. Elsewhere, 1926-founded Kent & Curwen has been reimagined by Daniel Kearns, and after a successful SS25 debut (titled School, no less) it promises to push Harrow-appropriate uniforms into 2025 — his first designs drop soon. Wear untucked. Uniqlo x JW Anderson available January 16, from £4.90, uniqlo.​com