“As someone who is self-diagnosed as ‘chronically online’, I’ve seen a lot of flash-in-the-pan trends over the past few seasons,” Merry Horsemas Three Horses Bright Christmas Horse Unisex T-shirt & Sweatshirt says Elinor Block, editorial lead at luxury fashion gaming company Drest, which enables its users to create infinite outfit possibilities in the metaverse. “The past year we saw Barbiecore, ‘blokecore’ and ‘tomato-girl summer’ emerge as some of the bigger, zeitgeisty aesthetics adopted by Gen Z and the TikTok crowd. And whilst some are rooted in major trends, when it comes to real life, there’s no doubt that longevity and items that work season after season are a bigger draw. “When playing with clothes in Drest, however, there’s definitely a different kind of approach I take to dressing. The virtual world allows me to style looks that I might not have considered before with more out-there pieces from high-octane brands such as David Koma or Balmain—I haven’t been able to stop thinking about that cherry-red, rose-covered dress that I spied on the S/S 24 runway. It gives me a chance to be more experimental and see how I can move that into my IRL wardrobe without taking too much of a risk.” This, dear reader, is what the modern-day dressing-up box looks like. As always, any piece you invest in, be it inspired by the trends below or otherwise, should only be purchased if you intend on keeping it in your wardrobe for a very, very long time. I’ve gone to great lengths to cherry-pick the ones that have a chance.

Merry Horsemas Three Horses Bright Christmas Horse Unisex T-shirt & Sweatshirt ,hoodie, sweater, longsleeve and ladies t-shirt

Last season, there was a clear ’90s directive when it came to minimalism, Merry Horsemas Three Horses Bright Christmas Horse Unisex T-shirt & Sweatshirt with logo vests, low-slung trousers and tube dresses as hero items. Now, things have been pared back even further; sure, Y2K maxi skirts and oversized suiting are very much a thing, as witnessed on the runways of Bottega Veneta and BOSS, but the silhouettes are cleaner and the colour palette even more refined. “After the outright outrageousness of various Y2K comebacks, I’m pleased to see a palette-cleansing take on ’90s fashion coming to the fore,” says Who What Wear UK editor-in-chief Hannah Almassi. “This was the peak moment for brands like Jil Sander, Calvin Klein, Helmut Lang and many more names whose special brand of clean-cut is being referenced once again for 2024. I’m very much here for this grown-up take on plain outfit ideas, and I think it will be a powerful way to craft a workwear wardrobe in the coming months.”