Shopping | ES Best Home | Fashion | Women's The Evening Standard's journalism is supported by our readers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard.
Read our privacy notice . Sartorial trends are increasingly being defined by what ‘core’ they slot into. High fashion brands are categorised by fashion enthusiasts as embodying ‘quiet luxury’, ‘coquette’ , ‘ballerina’ or ‘gorpy’ aesthetics, resulting in certain labels achieving cult status among popular clothing cliques.
Yet there’s one nostalgic trend that has re-emerged in recent years which is threatening to buck the perfectly neat categories that social media influencers have created. The bubble hem was a classic, 1980s prom silhouette which was often realised with contrasting, jewel-toned colourways yet 21st century designers have been re-introducing the puffy, dramatic finish to a bustling variety of collections. Jeremy Scott was inspired by the vintage high school queen aesthetic in his spring/summer 2019 Moschino collection, where Gigi Hadid starred as the perfect 80s bride.
Simone Rocha flirted with the flouncy hemline in a 2019 autumn/ winter collection, and Stella McCartney debuted a cape-adorned bubble mini in her summer 2024 ready-to-wear collection. Even more recently, H&M’s bespoke 2024 Met Gala looks showcased an array of extra-inflated, flirty and feminine puff ball fin.
