This year has seen it all. Never before have so many trends overlapped. Here is some style news:

Cottagecore: After the “Strawberry Dress“ come the “Prairie Dress” and the “Peasant Dress”. Cottagecore refers to the lifestyle of the countryside. Simple, industrious, slow, a new pastoral for tough times.

Instagram is all rage with this style. Every brand, big, medium and small, has a bit of this aesthetic this year. It means Victorian blouses, tiered dresses, crotchet details, lace, pretty prints, flouncy silhouettes, frills and ruffles, voluminous sleeves. Think ‘Little Women’.

Faux leather: Pants, skirts, jackets, trenchcoats. Love it or hate it, cannot miss it. Alexander Mc Queen and Balenciaga, to name a few, have adopted this trend this autumn-winter.

Military: Designers Shantanu & Nikhil have a whole collection dedicated to sharp military fashion, including accessories such as brooches and belts. Olive, Khakhi still seem to be the colours of choice.

Red: This colour got noticed this year. Red can be seen on high street brands in bits and spurts.

Fringes & tassels: Credit for this goes to Miuccia Prada, for pairing a grey blazer with a fringe skirt. Giving the strong masculine look more femme grace. Brands such as Dior and Salvatore Ferragamo and others followed suit. Dior brought the 20’s style flapper dress back. Fringes and tassels are on bags and jewellery too.

Bling: Shimmer pants, tops, bustiers, dresses...the whole shebang. Even if it is a party at home with the family, this trend is HUGE.

Loungewear: Let’s set the record straight. Loungewear is not PJs. It is more luxe. The earlier part of the year had the PJs and Athleisure as highlights, the latter part is doing lush velvets and sensual silks. Yes. Top and bottom sets.

Shapewear: Ms Kim Kardashian has launched her shapewear brand Skims. Apart from that, bejewelled bralettes and corsets have made a comeback.

The odd one: Biker shorts/ cycling tights: Seriously, unless you really are on a bike or fear you may have a Marilyn Monroe “dress” moment, this one trend is inexplicable. But then fashion does not need to explain itself!

Stay awesome, stay stylish!

The columnist speaks her mind on everything about fashion. Contact sanika.kakirde@gmail.com