The post is titled "2011s Fashion Trends: 3 Ideas," but it holds six ideas, and they run from Italian menswear styles and long topcoats with peak lapels to spiked glitter high-tops, then on to how fashion changed in 2011, what celebrities did to it, and the rise of online shopping.
How much attention you want your clothes to draw decides which one is yours: if you want the outfit to stay calm, take the long topcoat or the Italian look, and if you want one loud piece to carry it, take the spiked glitter high-tops.
The rest is advice on borrowing from the past, copying celebrities and buying online.
1. Italian Styles in Menswear
The palette stays quiet, so the texture of the jacket does the talking.
Loafers in a matching brown tie the outfit together, and a scarf adds a layer without adding bulk. I’d keep the trousers slim but not tight, since the Italian look depends on an easy line rather than a sharp one.
A tote swaps cleanly for a backpack here, and it looks better with the jacket.
2. Long Topcoats with Peak Lapels
A long double-breasted topcoat with peak lapels is a serious piece of outerwear, and the pointed lapel gives it a sharper shoulder line than a notch collar would.
Black or charcoal wool keeps it easy to wear with almost anything underneath.
Keep what’s under it simple: a dark sweater, slim trousers, plain leather shoes. The coat is the statement, so let it be the only one.
Button it fully for the strongest silhouette. Wear it open if you want something more relaxed.
3. Spiked Glitter High-Tops
Red glitter panels, white spikes along the toe and black trim make this high-top loud on purpose. It’s a sneaker you build the outfit around, not one you tuck into a busy look.
I’d pair it with black jeans or plain dark pants and a solid tee, so the shoe carries all the attention. Anything with a pattern fights it.
The spikes are rubber, but they add width at the toe, so expect it to look chunkier than a standard high-top. Wear it where bold is welcome, like a night out or a show.
Fashion’s Evolution in 2011
Fashion in 2011 mixed nostalgia with modern cuts, and that is still a useful way to shop. Pull one idea from an older decade and keep everything around it current.
A vintage-leaning jacket works with plain, well-fitted basics.
A throwback graphic tee works with clean dark jeans. When every piece looks borrowed, the outfit reads as a costume.
I’d limit the old-school element to one item per outfit. It’s easier to wear, and it looks like a choice instead of a theme.
Celebrity Influence on Fashion
Jay-Z, Kanye West and Lady Gaga all changed what people bought in 2011, and that influence still gives you a decent lesson: copy the idea, not the outfit.
Take one detail you like, such as a silhouette, a color palette or a type of shoe, and rebuild it with pieces you already own. Head-to-toe copies rarely survive a normal workday.
Check the fit before you check the label. A plain piece that fits your shoulders and waist beats a famous piece that doesn’t.
Rise of Online Shopping
Online shopping made high-end fashion easier to reach, and it rewards a little discipline. Without a fitting room, the size chart is your tailor.
Measure a jacket or pair of pants you already like, then compare those numbers to the listing. Read the return policy before you pay, and check whether you cover return shipping.
I’d buy one piece at a time instead of filling a cart. Order the item that fills a real gap, try it with what you own, and send back anything that needs a second outfit to work.
Net-a-Porter was first to demonstrate that shoppers would spend $2,000 online for a dress. This year, Moda Operandi began offering impatient customers a way to order designer merchandise straight off the runway.
— Newsweek
Frequently Asked Questions
What were the most popular clothing styles in 2011?
Polka dots, bold stripes, lace and high-waisted jeans were all common. Menswear mixed nostalgia with modern cuts: Italian-style jackets in quiet palettes, long double-breasted topcoats with peak lapels, and loud glitter high-tops.
How do you wear 2011 fashion trends today?
Take a single piece from the era and let the rest of the outfit stay current.
Try a jacket with a vintage cut over plain basics that fit well, or a throwback graphic tee with dark jeans that are clean and sharp.
How do you style a long topcoat with peak lapels?
Keep everything under it simple: a dark sweater, slim trousers and plain leather shoes.
Peak lapels point up and out, which builds a stronger shoulder than a notch collar does; in black or charcoal wool, the coat pairs with nearly anything in my closet.
Buttoned all the way, the coat gives the cleanest, strongest line; open, it looks looser and easier.
