I Spot Microtrends Like It's My Job, and These 5 Are About to Blow Up

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(Image credit: @marenschia)

You're probably aware to some degree of the major trends at play for spring and summer 2019. (But just as a refresher, here's our big, beautiful trend report.) And by the time March rolls around, we'll have hammered them into your permanent memory. But I'm not here to talk about anything mainstream… yet. Instead, I'm interested in what I'll call "microtrends." These are the hyper-specific iterations of all the bigger sartorial shifts at play, and I've become somewhat of an expert at spotting them (okay, it's basically a pastime of mine at this point).

These are trends or sometimes even specific items that a handful of influencers and fashion girls have all started wearing simultaneously. Take the hair clip trend, for instance. Barrettes, hairpins, and all manner of nostalgic hair accessories that remind us of our grade school days are trending in a major way. But under the surface, it's pearl-adorned hairpins specifically that have earned their own microtrend subcategory. Get the gist? Good.

I'm about to share five of these microtrends for spring and summer 2019 that may be all in the details but will have a big impact in just a few months time. Once you commit these to memory, consider yourself a bonafide insider. Keep reading to discover and shop all the microtrends of the moment.

Pearl Hair Clips

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(Image credit: @marenschia)

Like I said earlier, throwback hair accessories are having a major moment. But it's all the hair clips with pretty pearl adornments that I'd like to give a shoutout to here. Between all the trending pearl jewelry and said hair accessories, I'd say we've hit a peak with the pearl trend. Sure, pearl hair clips run a little sweet, but that's exactly what makes them so fun to wear.

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(Image credit: @maria_bernad)

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(Image credit: @couturekulten)

Shop pearl hair clips:

Leather Trench Coats

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(Image credit: @sylviemus_)

The '90s are the decade that just keeps giving. It seems every season, designers cherry-pick a new '90s style to bring back again, and this time it's the leather trench coat. Everyone's been well-acquainted with leather biker jackets, but it's time to cozy up to the idea of a leather-coated trench. Think Neo from The Matrix or Carrie Bradshaw in the early episodes of Sex and the City.

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(Image credit: @anna__laplaca)

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Moiré Satin

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(Image credit: @annarvitiello)

Have you ever seen a satin garment that resembles the pattern of wood grain when the light hits it? As I recently learned, this lovely wavy pattern is referred to as "moiré" satin, and labels like The Attico and Ellery are reintroducing the fabric on everything from voluminous dresses to ankle boots.

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(Image credit: @camillecharriere)

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(Image credit: @katcollings)

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Animal-Print Belts

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(Image credit: @thora_valdimars)

Chain belts had their moment in 2018 as did crystal and rhinestone belts. Fashion girls love a good statement belt because it's the easiest way to add style to jeans and a tee (or really anything else). The next wave of statement belts: animal print. While zebra and leopard were to be found on everything from shoes to coats last fall, the trend has evolved into these simple belts that pack a big punch.

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(Image credit: @mscanga)

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Acrylic Handbags

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(Image credit: @alyssainthecity)

Remember all that colorful acrylic jewelry? Meet its cousin, the acrylic bag. All the candy-colored shades like mint green and lilac and swirled patterns have found their way onto bags and the offerings are nothing but fun. Come time for summer vacations, these will be splattered all over your Instagram feed.

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(Image credit: @double3xposure)

Shop acrylic bags:

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Editor

Anna is an editor on the fashion team at Who What Wear and has been at the company for over five years, having begun her career in the Los Angeles office before relocating to New York, where she's currently based. Having always been passionate about pursuing a career in fashion, she built up her experience interning at the likes of Michael Kors, A.L.C., and College Fashionista before joining the team as a post-graduate assistant editor. Anna has penned a number of interviews with Who What Wear's cover stars over the years, including A-listers Megan Fox, Issa Rae, and Emma Chamberlain. She's earned a reputation for scouting new and emerging brands from across the globe and championing them to our audience of millions. While fashion is her main wheelhouse, Anna led the launch of WWW Travels last year, a new lifestyle vertical that highlights all things travel through a fashion-person lens. She is passionate about shopping vintage, whether it be at a favorite local outpost or an on-the-road discovery, and has amassed a wardrobe full of unique finds. When she's not writing, you can find her shooting street imagery on her film camera, attempting to learn a fourth or fifth language, or planning her next trip across the globe.