I Just Cleaned My Closet, and These Trends Were Due for a Prompt Exit

It's completely normal to wait until January to take a deep organizational dive into your closet, but once you're a fashion editor, doing so quarterly becomes almost a necessity. Until a few weeks ago, my closet was bursting at the seams with new additions—including trends on the rise and staples I've been wanting to add—so a thorough purging session was imperative. And with that, a whole lot of pieces made their prompt exit just ahead of fall.

The bulk of the items on the chopping block were things that I've had for years or trends that have overstayed their welcome and felt pretty obsolete. I'm not one to immediately cycle through trends when it comes to my personal style, but there are definitely trends that I've put on ice and haven't really worn in a minute. While it was sad to see them go, bidding them farewell for more exciting pieces that I'll actually wear made complete sense. To see the trends I put in the donation bin and the trends I'm favoring instead, keep scrolling. 

Exiting My Closet: Dainty Florals

Replacing With: Abstract Prints

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(Image credit: @jo.rdan)

It's not that florals are officially over, but in my world, they've been supplanted with abstract prints with an artistic edge. I find them cooler than a traditional floral pattern yet versatile enough for an array of occasions and moods. I really like the quality of not immediately knowing what you're looking at on an abstract print. That makes the viewer intrigued. 

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 Exiting My Closet: Cardigans

Replacing With: Distressed Leather Jackets

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(Image credit: @hannamw)

I 100% blame Prada and ACNE Studios for this new fixation, but I can't get enough of distressed leather jackets. Distressed to the point where you can't tell if it's a vintage heirloom or not, this take on the classic has an intentional spin that feels unique. I recently bought an affordable Zara version, and every time I wear it, it garners a ton of compliments. 

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 Exiting My Closet: Tight Pants

Replacing With: Loose Trousers

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(Image credit: @idaheritier)

I've never been a skinny-pants or jeans type of person, but the few pairs I do own are getting shafted in favor of looser trousers. It would be difficult to find a harder-working staple in my closet right now—I wear them with crop tops, button-downs, T-shirts, etc. I like to go the vintage route with mine, but I've also come across really great pairs at places like Zara and H&M.

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Exiting My Closet: Basic Autumnal Tones

Replacing With: Saturated Colors 

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(Image credit: @emnitta)

My obsession with strong color started earlier this year and still is in full swing. Bright, bold colors are all I want to wear when I'm trying to make a splash, and they're surprisingly versatile. On the flip side, colors like deep burgundy, tan, and olive green feel extremely specific to me, and they never really gel with my spring or summer wardrobe, so these shades are on the back burner for now.

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Exiting My Closet: Risqué Cutouts

Replacing With: Unique Textures 

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(Image credit: @lifeofboheme)

Cutouts have really sprouted to domination over the past few years, and I'm guilty of giving in. I've amassed cutout dresses, tops, etc., but lately, they've lost my interest. Instead, to fulfill my risqué-trend needs, I'm turning to pieces with dimensional textures and details that give a sheer or nude illusion. Think A. Roege Hove's sheer knits or Margiela's sheer tops. I like to layer them over black undergarments for something extra.

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Next up: This Anti–Skinny Jeans Trend Has Come Back With a Vengeance

Fashion Market Editor

Indya Brown is a fashion editor, stylist, and writer living in Los Angeles. While going to school at Columbia University in New York City, she got her feet wet in the fashion industry interning at Elle magazine, Harper's Bazaar, and New York magazine's The Cut. After graduating in 2016, she joined The Cut as a fashion assistant, eventually working her way up to fashion editor. There, she worked on a multitude of projects, including styling inbook feature stories for New York magazine's print issue, writing and pitching market stories for The Cut, and serving as fashion lead for The Cut's branded content. While New York has been her home for over 10 years, she moved to Los Angeles in the midst of the pandemic in 2020 for a new chapter. Now she is a fashion market editor for Who What Wear, focusing on emerging designers, rising trends on and off the internet, interior design, and BIPOC creatives and brands. Aside from her duties as a fashion market editor, Brown is also a freelance stylist and writer, working on national print and video commercial campaigns for Sephora, The Independent, and Cadillac. Her bylines also include Harper's Bazaar, Vox, and The New York Times. But once the computer goes down and the emails turn off, she's likely eating her way through Koreatown, hunting down vintage furniture, scoping out new outrageous nail designs to try, or taking a hot cycling class.