The fashion calendar is a complex and confounding puzzle—even for those who work in the biz. Spring and Fall anchor the industry and have folks traipsing across New York and Europe twice a year. Then, there are the pre-season collections, which occur sometime between the core showings (the exact timing is up to the designer's whims). Resort is particularly perplexing. Synonymous with cruise and pre-spring, the season that follows Fall has no set destination (for 2024, Gucci showed in Seoul, Chanel in L.A., and Dior in Mexico City) and serves as a glimpse of what's to come in the new year. To make sense of what the recent resort season revealed about Winter 2024's fashion trends, Marie Claire combed through the collections and curated our findings into one comprehensive report.
We tapped Brigitte Chartrand, Vice President of Womenswear at SSENSE, and Kendall Becker, Fashion Director at Trendalytics, for their insight and turned to the fashion search engine Tagwalk for hard data. Ahead, find a digestible breakdown of the key trends for winter 2024—and be sure to check out our guide to winter's shoe trends, too, for more insight.
Life Aquatic
This season invites you to get in touch with your inner Ariel. "Mermaid-inspired looks, seen in major brands like Louis Vuitton and Gucci, have surged, [aligning] with the nautical theme, growing by 162% compared to Resort 2023," shares Tagwalk.
Becker concurs, particularly shouting out a marine-centric color palette: "Unsurprisingly, consumers are fatigued with pink after all the buzz of Barbiecore of the past year; looking ahead to 2024, blue is the newest hue to watch," describes the Fashion Director. "Cerulean is already seeing a 3,313 increase in market adoption (products added to the market), and cobalt sees a 595 percent increase compared to last year."
Whether you're escaping to a beach destination or merely dreaming of the deep blue sea, test the waters of the trend with scuba-like textiles, oceanic blues, and frothy fabrics.
All American
Calling all prep school dropouts—this one's for you. Chartrand foresees irreverent takes on classic Americana and Ivy League codes. "Taking cues from the recent film Saltburn, this trend presents ‘modern prep’ through the lens of subversive and punk undertones," says the SSENSE expert. "Expect silhouettes like oversized polos, shrunken blazers, varsity colors (red and royal blue), striped shirting, windbreakers, subtle logos, and boat shoes."
Studio '24
No need for a time machine—this winter revisits the high-octane fun of the '70s. "High-shine has been on the rise in a celebratory manner since coming out of the lockdown era, but the idea of 'disco dressing' hasn’t slowed even as life has resettled," Becker shares. "What’s important here is that it’s not limited just to silver sequins per se but silver, gold, iridescent pink, circular paillette sequins, lurex knits, and so much more."
Soft Romanticism
A soothing lullaby to the grit of your every day, winter 2024 invites you to get in touch with your softer sartorial side. "This upcoming season also includes subtle femininity displayed through sensitivity in fabrication and prints," Chartrand shares, shouting out "3D florals, sheer gauzy fabrics, rose-tones, and bridal dresses to ballerina flats, bubble hems, and drop waist fabrics,"
The Edie Sedgwick Effect
With a prevalence of hot pants and micro-mini briefs, the Resort 2024 season invokes the twee legacy of Edie Sedwick. "Shorts are back, embracing mini and micro formats reminiscent of the short-shorts frenzy of the 60s," Tagwalk shares with Marie Claire. In particular, "mini shorts are experiencing an impressive 49 percent growth compared to Resort 23."
Funny Business
Beware: winter 2024 is about to get a little strange and subversive."Think of this as the modern evolution of the working wardrobe: a re-interpreted edit of wardrobe essentials with unexpected twists, avant-garde tailoring, elongated collars, trompe l'oeil prints, XXL tote bags, sheer trench coats, contrast stitching, twisted shirting, and multi-wear items," explains Chartrand. "Key reference points include Maison Margiela, Balenciaga, Dries Van Noten and Y-Project."
Warm and Fuzzy
"Sometimes, it's the coat that makes the outfit," says Becker, "and statement outerwear is back in full swing, capturing consumer attention this holiday season. There’s been a 730 percent increase in average weekly searches on the term 'faux fur coat' and a 25 percent increase in market adoption in comparison to last year." Consider cozying up in a nubby teddy style, shearling-lined bomber, or furry trench.
Below the Belly Button
You tried your best to ignore it, but, alas, the low-rise resurgence continues. "The 2000s low waist is at the height of cool for Resort 24, boasting a remarkable 152 percent growth compared to Resort 23," Tagwalk shares.
