It’s safe to say that 2020 was the year of sweatpants, oversized hoodies and bed hair. With most of the year being spent inside, formal work clothes and dress-to-impress outfits were retired to the very back of wardrobes everywhere, but with 2021 now upon us, it’s time to pull them to the front and dust them off.
A new year brings with it ample opportunity to revamp your wardrobe, and if ever there was a time to invest in new pieces to make a fashion statement, 2021 is it. With so many people spending most of their time in comfy loungewear, it’s expected people will be going all out in terms of outfits as life hopefully begins to return to normal with the prospect of several vaccines being rolled out to tackle to pandemic.
So, what can we expect from 2021 fashion? Accessories! Keep reading to find out more about the top accessory trends you need to be aware of as we move into the new year.
1. Hair Pieces
As we said earlier, many people spent 2020 doing the bare minimum – hair included. Salons closed their doors and hair took a backseat, but in 2021 as salons re-open and those luscious locks return, people will be desperate to draw attention to their silky smooth, perfectly cut and nicely colored hair.
We saw 90’s clips come back in 2020, but 2021 will see more sparkle, more jewels and more high-end hair accessories making their way onto people’s heads. Designer bags will be replaced with designer headbands as we go all out to impress (and to make up for all those days spent donning greasy buns).
2. Men’s Jewelry
Hair isn’t the only thing that will be glistening at the turn of the new year, men’s cufflinks will be, too. Every year we see trends of decades past make their way back into the general fashion arena, and cufflinks are set to be one of the things making a return. Shunned in recent years in favor of short sleeved shirts or shirts with a buttoned cuff, cufflinks were seen as an unnecessary expense, but now they’re a way for men to express their personalities and add some regal glamour to their wrists.
3. Mobile Bags
Say goodbye to your big tote or shopper and hello to the mobile bag. Mini handbags first made it mainstream in 2019, but they weren’t warmly received. Persistent celebrities like Gigi Hadid, Rihanna and Kylie Jenner continued the trend in 2020, and it seems they’ve won over the crowds because mobile bags are here to stay for another year. Mostly manufactured by designer brands like COACH, Chanel and Michael Kors, we’re seeing more mall shops stocking mini bags which means 2021 could be the year we finally see people other than celebrities accessorizing their outfits with them.
They might seem impractical, but in 2021 all you need is your phone, your keys, your mask and your bank card, all of which should be able to fit inside a mini/mobile bag easily. After all, anything else is just a chance to pick up bacteria, right?!
4. Odd Earrings
Forget odd socks, 2021 is all about odd earrings. Whether it’s one big and one small, one gold and one silver or one hoop and one stud, mismatched earrings are in! There are a million ways to work mismatched earrings to reflect your style and personality, meaning you can really tailor this trend to your unique preference. They add dimension and spark interest in any outfit. 2021 is the year of accepting that not everything has to be perfect and learning to accept the imperfections (although odd earrings are not so much of an imperfection as much as they are a serious style statement).
5. Head Scarfs
As mentioned before, fashion trends are an accumulation of times gone by, and one of the trends that is due to make a return is the head scarf from the 1950’s and 1960’s. Timelessly chic and the perfect item to cover up a bad hair day, head scarfs can instantly make it look like you’ve put more effort into an outfit than you actually have. Not only this, head scarfs are great for color-picking other aspects of your outfit and instantly pulling it together.
Will you be putting any of these five accessory trends to the test in 2021, or will you continue the 2020 trend of comfort above looks?