6 Fall Trends That Will Define 2022's Going-Out Style

Generally speaking, glamour and extravagance tend to thrive in times of economic uncertainty. Take the sequinned flapper girls of the roaring twenties, for example, who flourished in the era right before the Great Depression. And the same is true of the inverse. In more recent memory, minimalism reigned supreme as we emerged from the 2008 recession, no doubt a balm for troubling times. I may be no economist, but it seems to me that recent inflation and forecasts of an impending economic downturn are once again informing how we're getting dressed. 

Based on what the fall 2022 collections presented us, the roaring twenty-twenties have officially arrived, and fashion is once again flourishing with frivolous, flirty, and fun-loving looks that are ready for their big nights out. Finances aside, I could not be any happier for the drama and spectacle of it all. With that, I'm pleased to share that our going-out style report is here. Ahead, read about the six party trends that are defining 2022, from sheer sequins to Y2K-inspired ruffles.

In fashion, we're always reminding ourselves to never say never. Anything you might deem dated or tacky now could be given the fashion treatment and come bubbling right back up to the surface. Case in point: sequins, the likes of which are making their glimmering return to the spotlight this fall with decidedly see-through fabrications. The pieces from 16Arlington have already reached cult status, which was aided by Hailey Bieber, who wore one of the brand's dresses in NYC last month.

In the market:

Shiny patent leather was found all over the collections, whether it was via a body-hugging Versace dress, a slick trench coat at Rokh, or a striking corset top at Blumarine. Patent-leather pants may be a closet classic, but plenty more pieces are getting the latex treatment this season, and they were pretty much tailor-made for your Saturday-night wardrobe.

In the market:

Platforms have been on our radars as a major shoe trend all year, but the fall runways were covered with one specific version: platform Mary-Janes. While Mary-Janes aren't the first shoe style I'd think to wear on a night out, the lifted sole transforms them from prim and proper to fun and flirty. You don't need to look any farther than the patent-finished pairs that Versace and Valentino showed alongside gorgeous gowns to understand their after-dark potential.

In the market:

Corsets have been floating around for so long now they've basically become a standard fixture across our wardrobes. So while they're hardly breaking news, designers have been experimenting with fresh ways to make and wear corsets, offering moto jacket–style leather options, crystal embellishments, and nontraditional fabrics like knits and tweed that subvert the lingerie staple from an undergarment to a bona fide fashion piece.

In the market:

All aboard the Y2K train! Chiffon pieces with softly draped ruffles were a key night-out look in the early 2000s, and today, the fluttery details are adorning dresses and tops all over the internet.

In the market:

Florals that might actually be groundbreaking? Sign me up. The florals in question aren't a print. Rather, they're 3D embellishments that are adorning some of fall's coolest ensembles. The detail may be small, but it certainly has an outfit-making impact. So far, these florets are popping up mostly on dresses per Saint Laurent, but rose-like chokers also make for an easy addition.

In the market:

Next, see the 8 fall trends my fashion colleagues are politely declining.