Let’s admit it: We have been through some extremely interesting times when it comes to fashion.
The pandemic, which began in 2019 and eventually confined the entire world to their homes in 2020, changed many things about our lives, our psychology and naturally, the way we viewed fashion. Until life gradually began returning to normal in 2022, we were largely confined to our homes. Our only opportunities for social interaction were walks around the neighborhood and trips to the supermarket. Naturally, the only things we wore were pajamas and tracksuits. By the summer of 2022, many of us had accumulated dozens of them from online shopping platforms.
Then came summer.
Suddenly, we were desperate for excess, sparkle and drama. Sequins, crystals, daring cuts and skintight silhouettes became wildly popular almost overnight. We could barely remember what we used to wear, but after spending years living in oversized tracksuits, we were exhausted by the idea of dressing like men every day.
Perhaps that was exactly why everything became fashionable at once.
We were longing for different eras, styles and aesthetics – whether from fashion history or from our own wardrobes. For a while, it felt as though everything was in fashion because, quite simply, we wanted everything. And, let’s be honest, the major fashion houses gave us exactly that.
Lace, silk slips, feather details, sequins, crystals, cutouts, embroidery ... Apart from the brief interlude of the “quiet luxury” trend, a look back at fashion over the past six years makes it easy to see what I mean.
We spent several years dressing like decorative dolls, wearing colorful new clothes and trying to attract attention. We wanted to look as flawless as dolls displayed in their boxes. We put enormous effort into appearing polished and perfect in ways that often had little to do with real life.
The result?
Fashion has reminded us once again that life is not supposed to look like that.
After spending an entire day working in an office, it is simply impossible to remain perfectly polished, even when heading out for a nice dinner in the evening. And over the past year, fashion seems to have encouraged us to return to ourselves – and, more importantly, to reality.
Perhaps the clearest sign of this shift was the appointment of designers who draw heavily from real life, imperfections, nostalgia and street style to lead some of the world’s biggest fashion houses.
Matthieu Blazy’s appointment as Chanel’s creative director in December 2024 was far from a simple move. Neither was Jonathan Anderson’s appointment as Dior’s sole creative director. Anderson has already made history as the first creative director since Christian Dior himself to oversee the house’s womenswear, menswear and haute couture collections.
And the result?
Designers inspired by the street and real women – creating real clothes, even when they come adorned with luxury labels.
Perhaps the strongest evidence that we are happy with this change came in Lyst’s second-quarter 2026 report, released recently. The platform, which analyzes search, sales and social media data from more than 160 million shoppers to identify the world’s hottest fashion brands and products each quarter, placed Chanel at the top of its first list of the year.
It was followed by Miu Miu, the brand that helped us fall in love with layered, slightly messy and imperfect looks again. Dior took third place.
In short, brands that have renewed their collections by taking inspiration from real women and street style have risen to the top.
Fashion seems to have grown tired of its ivory tower and fallen in love with reality.
And we could not be happier about it.
The oversized bags that can fit everything we carry – even our laptops – are back. Low heels, layering, long skirts, clashing colors and an effortlessly undone attitude have all returned. Bags and hair accessories that do not necessarily match a carefully planned outfit have suddenly become part of a fashionable look.
The things we naturally incorporate into our lives while rushing from one place to another have become trendy.
The era of women spending the entire day at home, then scheduling their hair and makeup, planning an outfit days in advance and buying whatever pieces might be missing from their wardrobes is long gone.
This is the era of real women again – women who run, work, create and enjoy life and who have far more interesting things to think about than what they are going to wear.
