Castlecore, mocha mousse and aliens: The biggest 2025 fashion trends

According to the fashion experts, we’ll be coming out of our shells in 2025.

Turbulence from the past few years has manifested in fashion through comfort, nostalgia and soothing tones. They will still be a prominent factor in this year’s trends – but with a sense of humour, a desire to dress up despite the circumstances, and a will to get back out there and express ourselves.

Trends intelligence agency The Future Laboratory has named the theme across all consumer good sectors as “curiosity”, while Pinterest Predicts has stated that for 2025 “more people are leaning toward bold forms of expression and maximalism.”

Here’s how that will look in your outfits… 

Space race 2.0

Science fiction is set to be top of the box office in 2025, with sequels to Avatar, Star Trek and Tron, and it’s also set to influence our wardrobes as Pinterest notes a 115% increase in searches for “solar punk fashion”.

Just as Pierre Cardin and André Courrèges introduced new silhouettes in the 1960s inspired by humanity’s first foray into space travel, designers today are driven by our current fascination with escapism and existentialism about the future of the planet. This was seen in the Prada SS25 collection through metallic dresses, alien-eyed sunglasses and a revival of the brand’s 2012 “rocket heels”. However, brands are also experimenting with this in the form of futuristic materials, such as Coperni’s air swipe bag, which is made from NASA-produced silica aerogel developed to catch stardust.  

Deputy foresight editor at The Future Laboratory, Dan Hastings, said in a trend briefing: “Fashion is entering a new appreciation for space-age materials, with fabric innovations inspired by space travel that are driving sustainability, protection and new branding and storytelling opportunities.”

A macaroon feast for the eyes

Pantone announced its 2025 Color of the Year as “Mocha Mousse”, a soft brown tone which Laurie Pressman, vice president of the Pantone Color Institute called “a continuing evolution of our desire for comfort and harmony.” Pressman said it lends itself particularly well to buttery leather, suede and shaggy knits for “a tasteful touch of glamour.”

However, creative fashion director Kristine Kilty says that the “quiet luxury” trend has had its moment, and we’ll be pairing lush neutrals with more mouthwatering colours to add some zing to our wardrobes. “The standout colors at the collections, looking at London, Paris and Milan would be a lot of mustard yellow, a lot of crimson, baby blue, pistachio and pastel pinks will be on trend.”

Throw on a throwback

Having trouble keeping up with all the trends? You’re not alone. Hasting says: “We are all struggling at the moment with an oversaturation of content, noise, aesthetics, cores, TikTok trends… we believe that nostalgia is making a major comeback because it provides comfort.”

This is being used in very literal ways in some cases, such as old photographs of celebrity icons and now-extinct brand logos – like in High Snobiety’s “Not In” collection, which featured photographs of Princess Diana and David Beckham from the 90s wearing baggy t-shirts and sweaters.

We’ll also evoke a more celebratory mood from the end of the 20th century. Kilty says: “Designers are looking at pop culture from the past; people want to be inspired by the dramatic catwalk displays of bygone eras. The Vogue ‘Inventing the Runway’ exhibition [in London] showcases really incredible catwalk shows from past decades, and it particularly focuses on the 80s and 90s. I feel like fashion is starting to look back to the 80s and 90s again. We’ve been dabbling in it for quite some time, but I think now we’re gonna really go there with a more maximalist vision.”

Structured softness

The saccharine girlishness of the coquette trend is giving way to a more nuanced take on femininity in 2025 that pairs traditionally feminine styles with sharp tailoring to play with ideas of delicate and strong. “Designers such as Stella McCartney, Roksanda and Victoria Beckham sent tailoring down the runway. The architectural pieces were balanced with fluid drapery, sheer cut out panels or lingerie elements to give each look a very light and playful feel,” says Kilty. “For me, 2025 will be all about being powerful, yet soft, and being romantic, all with a sense of architectural coolness and ease.”

This look also lends itself very well to incorporating eveningwear into daytime dressing, making full use of your wardrobe and tapping into a feeling of fun and experimentation that pervades the 2025 mood. 

Armour up!

One of the more surprising historic references of 2024 has been Medieval-inspired looks. Since Chappell Roan’s Joan of Arc costume at the VMAs and Loewe’s SS25 pre-collection campaign, which featured Leo Woodall stood next to a full suit of armour, the aesthetic has been creeping into our consciousness. Pinterest has seen a 110% increase in searches for “medieval core”.

Snoods, chunky antique jewellery and chainmail tops are more wearable nods to the trend as well as studded boots and bags that allow us to bring a bit of the fancy dress box to our daily style. 

According to the Pinterest Predicts report, it’s a trend for homeware too: “Gen Z and Millennials will take home décor inspiration from ancient castles, while fashion and accessories will be gothic inspired. It’s a comeback of the highest order.”