Spring 2021 Fashion Trends Inspired by Media and Entertainment

Pop culture and social media are determining factors on what's trending. The media reports celebrity news daily, capturing every fashion look and latest whereabouts. Watching television shows and movies often double as window shopping for viewers as each characters' wardrobes are carefully curated.

After spending almost a year inside, Americans haven’t had much opportunity to be inspired by anything other than entertainment. Bridgerton, Netflix’s hottest adaption of a novel series, is the inspiration behind “Regencycore.” TikTok is another top influencer on what’s hot in younger generations.

Two aesthetics will be showing out this spring: regencycore and Y2K aesthetics.

Regencycore

Once major designers pick up on trends, the trends will appear on every street corner. According to L'OFFICIEL, designers like Erdem, Gucci, Moschino, and Kenzo showcased modern period piece designs on the runways in the Spring/Summer 2021 and Fall/Winter 2020 shows.

Regencycore — also known as princesscore or royalcore — is the hottest trend for spring. America has always been obsessed with British royalty. The Crown won four Golden Globes this year out of six nominations. The characters in Bridgerton waltzed around in beautiful ball gowns, frolicked through open fields in corsets. Who wouldn’t want to aspire to live and dress like that?

Here are a few standout pieces you can piece together in your royalcore outfits for spring.

Corsets

Hopefully, the corsets worn nowadays are more breathable than the ones worn back in the day. There are now many modern adaptions to the traditional corset. Wear it over a t-shirt or maxi dress for a modern-day look.

Babydoll Dresses

Although the ball gowns in Bridgerton were to die for, it's not really practical to wear a large, voluptuous gown on the streets of L.A. or on subways in NYC. Instead, the classic babydoll dress has modernized this year by adding dramatic sleeves, shortened hemlines, and incorporating ruffles. Although the babydoll dresses may be shorter in 2021, there are still yards of tulle and satin being used.

Statement Jewelry

Statement jewelry — aka chunky jewelry — has returned to the trending charts. This time, the trend focuses on rings. I’ve watched the creation of fun and funky fashion rings by artists on TikTok. Many Etsy shops have colorful, handmade rings for affordable prices. Another ring style for regencycore is one with a large gemstone. Emerald, ruby, and aquamarine are common gemstones on rings.

Y2K Aesthetic

The recent news in the pop culture realm has triggered nostalgic feelings in all of us. From the new Britney Spears documentary on her conservatorship to Juicy Coutoure bringing back velour jumpsuits, it’s time to revisit the Y2K era. ‘90s fashion trends have been at an all-time high for a while, but it's time the early 2000s steal the title.

Shackets

Is that a shirt you’re wearing or a jacket? Why can’t it be both? A shacket is the perfect layer for springtime. It’s what you put on in the type of weather that’s too warm for a parka but too cold to go without a jacket of some kind.

Shoulder Bags

A shoulder bag sits right below your armpit and fits essential items only. Prada brought back its 2000 nylon mini bag 20 years later and it’s still just as cute. Maybe one day I will treat myself to a designer bag, but for now, I have a Liz Claiborne leather mini bag that is a perfect dupe for the Prada re-edition. Don’t sleep on Ms. Liz.

Baggy Jeans

Baggy jeans don’t have to be unflattering. The term “baggy” doesn’t mean your pants are barely being worn. A lot of the TikTokers wear jeans that fit perfectly high-waisted and are loose everywhere else.

The 2000s was the height of lowrise jeans. Although that is a trend I won't be participating in, I am happy to contribute to the death of skinny jeans. Straight leg, boot cut, and bell-bottom pants will elevate your spring outfit more than skinny jeans ever could.

Brand Revivals

Juicy Couture has reimagined their iconic velour tracksuits with brands like Apparis and Skims. Other brands that were known for mostly logo work are making a comeback. Von Dutch, Ed Hardy, and Avirex clouded the early 2000s by appearing in numerous celebrities' closets and their paparazzi photographs.

Thongs and G-Strings

It was common to see someone’s thong or g-string sticking out of their lowrise jeans in the ‘90s and 2000s. Thongs came in handy by eliminating tricky panty lines that showed underneath clothes. Thongs and g-strings still make one of the highest-selling types of underwear today, but designers are incorporating the strings into their designs.