6 Fall Trends That Will Define 2022's Going-Out Style

Generally speaking, glamour and extravagance tend to thrive in times of economic uncertainty. Take the sequinned flapper girls of the roaring twenties, for example, who flourished in the era right before the Great Depression. And the same is true of the inverse. In more recent memory, minimalism reigned supreme as we emerged from the 2008-era recession, no doubt a balm for troubling times. I may be no economist, but it seems to me that recent inflation and forecasts of an impending economic downturn are once again informing how we're getting dressed. 

Based on what the fall 2022 collections presented us, the roaring twenty-twenties have officially arrived and fashion is once again flourishing with frivolous, flirty, and fun-loving looks that are ready for their big nights out. Finances aside, I could not be any happier for the drama and spectacle of it all. With that, I'm pleased to share that our going-out style report is here. Ahead, read about the six party trends that are defining 2022, from sheer sequins to Y2K-inspired ruffles.

In fashion, we're always reminding ourselves to never say never. Anything you might deem dated or tacky now could be given the fashion treatment and come bubbling right back up to the surface. Case in point: sequins, the likes of which are making their glimmering return to the spotlight this fall with decidedly see-through fabrications. The pieces from 16Arlington have already reached cult status aided by Hailey Bieber who wore one of their dresses in NYC last month.

The sequins everyone in fashion is talking about right now.

Sequins and minimalism don't typically go together but this somehow just works.

I'm simply mermerized.

She's fun.

Shiny patent leather was found all over the collections, whether it was via a body-hugging Versace dress, a slick trench coat at Rokh, or a striking corset top at Blumarine. Patent leather pants may be a closet classic, but plenty more pieces are getting the latex treatment this season and they were pretty much tailor-made for your Saturday night wardrobe.

White hot.

Commando's mastered shapewear so you know these will fit impeccably well.

Such a cool option for fall.

Barbie after dark.

Platforms have been on our radars as a major shoe trend all year, but the fall runways bubbled over with one specific version: the platform mary-jane. While mary janes aren't the first shoes I'd think to wear on a night out, the lifted sole transforms them from prim and proper to fun and flirty. You don't need to look any farther than the patent-finished pairs that Versace and Valentino showed alongside gorgeous gowns to understand their after-dark potential.

I didn't think these iconic platforms could get any better until I saw the pointed-toe iteration.

Bottega Veneta's next It shoe is loading...

Style with white ankle socks.

I've tried these on and can't explain how comfy they are.

Corsets have been floating around for so long now they've basically become a standard fixture across our wardrobes. So while they're hardly breaking news, designers have been experimenting with fresh ways to make and wear corsets, offering moto jacket-style leather options, crystal embellishments, and non-traditional fabrics like knits and tweed that subvert the lingerie staple from a traditional undergarment to a bonafide fashion piece.

I'm taking notes on this styling idea.

Double denim FTW.

Nab the matching cardigan while you're at it.

So pretty.

All aboard the Y2K train! Chiffon pieces with softly draped ruffles were a key night-out look in the early 2000s and today the fluttery details are adorning dresses and tops the internet over

Worthy of red carpets in 2003 and dinner dates in 2022.

Yep, it's already earned a hearty fanbase on TikTok.

Is it me? Am I the drama?

To wear with jeans and heels for a night out.

Florals that might actually be groundbreaking? Sign us up. The florals in question aren't a print but rather 3-D embellishments that are adorning some of fall's coolest ensembles. The detail may be small, but it certainly has an outfit-making impact. So far these florets are popping up mostly on dresses per Saint Laurent, but rose-like chokers also make for an easy addition.

No one is doing elevating the Y2K comeback quite like Blumarine.

She's sweet, but not too sweet.

Zara always gets it.

I actually think about this dress at least once a week.

Next, see the 8 fall trends my fashion colleagues are politely declining.

from Who What Wear