As summer sadly comes to a close, we want to remember some of the great things it has offered us. Summer 2018 has given us so much: lasting memories, new friends, fun times and even new meme material. While all of those are great things, we really want to thank summer for the fashion trends it has blessed our bodies with.

Summer fashion is a wholly different ball game compared to other seasons. There is more freedom to experiment with colors, patterns, prints, silhouettes and more due to the flamboyant summery vibe, and this past summer did not disappoint. As we get in our last bits of fun before summer ends, we want to reflect on all the crazy fashion trends that we are sad to see go.

Mini Everything.

When a concept or style in fashion becomes popular companies try to find any way they can to incorporate that specific style into various articles of clothing. This is exactly what happened with the “mini” trend. Mini products have been booming this past year, especially this summer.

It all started with mini backpacks that you’d see people rocking on a daily basis. Then mini or small framed glasses came back paying homage to vintage style. Mini-skirts continued to shine in different fabrics like denim, corduroy, patent leather and more. And now we have kitten heels, which are elegant shoes with extremely small heels. We don’t know what it is about miniature items that make them quite attractive but they seem to be a favorite amongst the crowd.

Oversized Pants

The reintroduction of oversized clothing this summer has definitely brought us back in time. Oversized clothing screams 2007 “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” vibes. The style then, called for extra-large shirts, extremely baggy shorts and clunky chains. Though 2007 fashion would not pass in 2018 there are still trends we take from that era. One of those trends is oversized pants. People moved away from the tight-fitted pants to more loose-fitted wear.

One of the reasons why they were so popular this summer was because of a specific style of oversized pants. The camo-designed pants, specifically, the orange camo pants that put this style back on the map and took over many people’s closets. Needless to say, these pants are fire.

Fanny Packs

Every season there’s a wacky trend that comes along and everyone jumps on. Whether that trend is cute or not, you will see a mass production of that particular clothing item. We have no clue how and where the fanny pack trend all started but it took the fashion game by storm.

These oh-so-90’s bags have come out of hiding to show us how fashion is really done. Not only did they come back with a vengeance, they completely reinvented themselves. Some genius fashionistas thought that they’d shake up the game by sporting fanny packs sideways thus birthing a whole new fashion culture. Luxury brands, celebrities, fashion icons, and even classmates were all getting on this fanny pack train. All we can say is that bags everywhere were left shook.

Cheeky Swimsuits

Summer is notorious for being hot, which means most people end up going to the beach. If you’re going to the beach you will need a swimsuit but not just any swimsuit. You want something that is functional but also stylish.

The cheeky swimsuit held the crown for swimwear of the year. Everyone scrolled through their Instagram seeing at least one person posed from behind in their cheeky swimsuit. What this trend got down right was its ability to juggle sexiness and playfulness without being racy, a difficult task for designers. There was definitely a sense of empowerment as people, especially women, shared their photos and loved their bodies in these cute bathing suits.  Besides, what’s summer fashion without a little bit of skin showing?

Wrapped Ruffle Dress

The wrap dress is a well-known silhouette when it comes to dresses. It’s great for everyday wear or for special events. As I window-shopped online with no money to spend, I noticed in the dress section of many stores that wrap dresses kept coming up. Not just plain-wrap dresses but wrap dresses that had ruffled detailing.

These dresses take a popular trend of the year, ruffles, and a simple dress to make a dress made in heaven. The ruffles add a perfect amount of dimension and detail to the dress without overwhelming it. It’s easy to go overboard with ruffles but having them here or there or as the centerpiece of the dress elevates the style with some flare.

Though we are sad to see these trends go, we can look back and say summer 2018 offered us so much in the fashion department.

Cynthia Ntinunu can be reached at [email protected].