Yay or Nay? Rating the Top 10 Trends of 2014

Perhaps inspired by the success of American Hustle, designers brought the funk in 2014. There were shaggy fur coats, bellbottoms, and groovy prints as seen on the runways of Gucci, Prada, Louis Vuitton, and more.

Ruling: Yay. It’s all groovy, baby!

From left: Gucci, Holly Fulton, Missoni, Prada, 3.1 Phillip Lim

Miuccia Prada enlisted five artists to adorn the walls of her Spring show with colorful murals that were then replicated onto the clothing with remarkable detail. At Céline, Phoebe Philo studied graffiti and then translated it into with Brassai-inspired prints. Meanwhile, Christopher Bailey showed hand-painted trenches and handbags at Burberry and newcomer Adam Selman adorned his wares with splattered paint.

Ruling: Yay. Wearing works of art is always cool with us.

From left: Burberry Prorsum, Prada, Adam Selman, Céline

Exposed abs were a permanent fixture on the runways for both Spring and Fall (and even made their way into the bridal shows as well). If only these looks came with a trainer too.

Ruling: Yay. As long as we stay on top of those sit-ups.

From left: Tommy Hilfiger, Versace, Diane von Furstenberg

From Moschino’s McDonald’s moment to Chanel’s supermarket sweep, food was at the forefront of several collections. The bags make for fun accessories, but that’s where our craving ends.

Ruling: Nay. Please drive through! Much like food itself, there is an expiration date on these items.

From left: Chanel, Asish, Moschino

There was also a ‘70s feel to the elongated monochrome full-knit ensembles seen at Marc Jacobs, Stella McCartney, and Céline. The cozy factor rates high here, but where could you see yourself wearing this?

Ruling: Nay. Perfect for sitting by a fireside, but not much else.

From left: Michael Kors, Stella McCartney, Céline, Marc Jacobs

Perhaps in an effort to prep us for another Ice Age-esque winter, designers layered on the shearling for Fall 2014. Not that we are complaining. These Nanook of the North-style coats are both functional and fashionable.

Ruling: Yay. A tad much? Perhaps. But these super coats will keep you warm when the temps plummet.

From left: Prada, Sacai, Helmut Lang

Tied into the graffiti moment, designers opted to text their way into our closets for Spring. DKNY brought back the graphic ‘90s branding while Christopher Kane spelled out his floral intentions. Alexander Wang, meanwhile, was unabashed in letting you know that his clothes were not for kids.

Ruling: Yay. This was young and fresh, unlike some of the more staid logo-branded accessories of the past few years.

From left: Dior, Christopher Kane, Jeremy Scott, DKNY

There is nothing new about designers showing sporty looks on the runway, but this year was fun as the outfits either got a bit sleeker (as in the case of Alexander Wang’s tennis gal) or more overt (Tommy Hilfiger’s show was all about surfer chicks). Leave it to Jeremy Scott though, to take his football-inspired runway to new extremes. His closing look was Gigi Hadid in a tube sock dress.

Ruling: Nay. Uniforms are for the playing field

From left: Tommy Hilfiger, Jeremy Scott, Alexander Wang

This year was a cowgirl’s paradise with denim-on-denim looks, suede jackets, blanket coats, shit-kicking boots, and lots of fringe. All that was missing were the horses to ride off into the sunset.

Ruling: Nay. This look works best in the heart of Texas, where it is a way of life and not a fashionable fad.

From left: Sacai, Burberry Prorsum, Lanvin