My 60-Year-Old Mom Is Flagging These 2020 Trends to Try This Year
If you’re not yet familiar with my mother yet, let me give you a quick rundown: Nancy’s a 60-year-old Midwestern woman who’s interested in fashion but doesn’t always step out of her sartorial comfort zone. Sure, she’s down for testing out fresh trends that skew on the classic side to incorporate into the timeless wardrobe she’s been curating for years, but it takes a bit of a nudge to convince her to try some of those new, fashion-crowd-favorite looks.
But as she mentioned to me over the holidays, she’s actually ready to give her wardrobe another little refresh to, as she said, "kick-off 2020 with a bang.” So I sat down with her and went over the 2020 trends that I’m coveting and that could also work well for her. My mother then stopped me (as she does often mid-conversation when she likes or doesn’t like something) when a specific look piqued her interest.
Ultimately, it was those fashion-forward yet highly wearable trends that seemed to be the front-runners for Nancy. While my mom is 60 and is excited to try said looks this year, she was especially into this group of trends because they can actually work for any of her friends who are all of different ages. Because remember, age is just a number and has nothing to do with what you should or shouldn’t wear.
So without further ado, keep scrolling to check out the 2020 essentials my mom is flagging, complete with street style inspiration. Plus, check out her notes and shopping picks for each trend as well.
"I always like to invest in nice outerwear pieces because I think it’s the easiest way to make a statement. I’m into these updated trench coats people are wearing because they feel classic but just slightly more ‘of the moment.’ I’m probably most excited about this trend, to be honest.”
"I’m thrilled peplums are coming back. I always thought the detail looked nice on me, and I especially like that it can make even the most basic shirt or sweater feel fancier and more elegant.”
"I’ve worn loafers for years during my days as a teacher—probably when they weren’t cool—so I’m excited to see loafers come back in style. While the super-high-heeled loafers look fun, I’ll probably try a pair with a low, chunky heel for comfort.”
"I think I’ve mentioned this to you before, but I’m always searching for the ‘right’ jeans. I tend to stick to skinny jeans or darker-wash straight-leg jeans, but I’m open to giving these light-wash jeans a try as well this year because they feel cool.”
"I actually first tried the puff-sleeved top trend last season and loved it because I found it to be fun and flattering on me. I want to try even more silhouettes this year in the form of pretty blouses and sweaters.”
"Yes, I admittedly wear a lot of black, but I also love me some color. I was thrilled when bright green was popular last year, and I’m actually excited to try orange this year. It’s a bit out there, but I think I can pull off the color in the form of a nice jacket or sweater with jeans.”
Next, check out the brainless shopping rule that’s probably saved my mom hundreds of dollars.
Bobby Schuessler is a fashion editor with over a decade of editorial experience covering shopping, style, and beauty. He's spent over seven years at Who What Wear, currently leading the market team to deliver highly covetable and convertible content. He creates data-driven shopping guides featuring top retailers like Nordstrom, Shopbop, and Net-a-Porter and is at the forefront of Who What Wear's shopping tentpole strategies, including Amazon Prime Day. He also works on branded content initiatives and appears on camera in video and shopping livestream franchises. He has also worked across a variety of other media brands and fashion retailers like Refinery29, PureWow, Men's Health, and Gilt covering commerce, trend reporting, women's and men's fashion, home, and lifestyle.
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