There is never a time in fashion when there isn’t something strange being designed or a new, weird trend taking hold. 2024 was no different, with even more bizarre items and collections making their way to the catwalk and magazines.
Whether it be a new take on an old trend or cheap designer clothes, here are the strangest items, collections, and trends we saw this year.
Shackets
While they are more subtle than other items on this list, shackets have taken over women’s Winter fashion. A combination of a shirt and a jacket is often made up of a plaid shirt altered to be worn as a warm jacket.
As mentioned, it is a more subtle and straightforward trend but is something that has altered the usual jacket or boyfriend shirt look.
Inflatable Latex Trousers
On the bizarre end of the spectrum, inflatable latex trousers were something we never thought we would see. However, designer Harikrishnan took the plunge and created bellowing latex trousers for the catwalk.
Harikrishnan paired them with cropped shirts and tailored jackets, the pants inflated with a valve near the bottom and resembled oversized clown pants in a way. While strange, they do look like something that could be worn to a special event.
The Rubber Band Collection
Another designer that took a step into the world of rubber was Rie Sakamoto. The Japanese designer created the Rubber Band Collection, where rubber bands were knitted together like wool or yarn to create the garments.
What she discovered was how versatile rubber bands can be. The fact that they can stretch and return to their original shape means the clothes can adapt to most body shapes and still fit how they should.
Inverted Glasses
Glasses have been an item that hasn’t varied too much over the years, yet Gucci decided to turn the classic design on its head. Taking a pair of cat-eye glasses, switching the arms around and then turning them over, giving us the somewhat unique inverted glasses look.
KFC x Crocs
Brands and designers collaborate all the time. Whether it be a fashion house with a sports team, or a classic design being replaced with a much-loved logo or brand name, we have seen many of these over the years.
However, we didn’t expect a collaboration between Cros and KFC. The chicken-inspired Crocs feature what looks like the top of a KFC bucket and a few pieces of very crispy-looking chicken. If you’re a fan of both, these are the shoes for you.
Grass-Stained Jeans
Most of us either want our jeans to be clean, ripped, or both. However, Gucci decided that we would not only want a pair of designer jeans, but we would want them to be stained to look like we were rolling in the grass.
The grass-stained jeans are another item that you look at and struggle to think of a reason for why they exist. While it is apparently a different take on grunge, it is hard to see why anyone would buy them when you could just slide along your garden and get the same effect.
Ripped Stockings
Another item that you usually want to keep intact is stockings. Getting ladders in them is as simple as passing a door frame a little too close. Once again, Gucci has come through with a strange take on a simple item.
They have taken the humble pair of stockings and ripped them for fashion. Once again, it is hard to see why you wouldn’t just rip them yourself if that was the look you wanted, but now you can buy a pair of designer stockings that have been ripped for you.
Blood Shoes
Lil Nas X sparked controversy a little while back by releasing his own pair of sneakers. While that wasn’t what caused the drama, each pair had some human blood in them and that did cause a stir.
The sportswear giant immediately disowned the Nike sneakers due to the controversy. The idea of humans and fashion becoming as close as basically sharing DNA is a step we didn’t think we would see.
These are only a few of the very strange and bizarre trends and items we saw this year. As mentioned, fashion always surprises us, changes, and adapts, and there is never a year where we see a repeat of what we saw the year before.
