In the early ‘10s, celebrities and civilians alike were seen wearing some interesting trends, now one has made a comeback, peplums. As the decade transitioned from the early aughts to the 2010s. You’d see fedora hats, “hipster” framed glasses with or without the lenses, suspenders, skinny high-waisted jeans, flats, and peplum tops. These tops were often available in a scuba style of a tight tank fit and a flared and slightly ruffled hemline. It was peak fashion at the time, but looking back the silhouette could’ve used some improvement. I hate to say, but I had a peplum top that I wore religiously in an unfortunate scuba silhouette. For some reason, I too played into the business casual trend in the ‘10s, except I was in middle school with a serious obsession with growing up faster.
The flared fabric was especially jarring to see on the red carpet at the 2023 Critics Choice Awards on Angela Bassett. The actress wore a velvet black Christian Siriano dress that was strapless and tight at the top with the classic peplum flare–and she was ahead of the curve since she donned this at the top of the year. Bassett made it work, of course, looking chic as ever because it wasn’t the peplum we were used to. Despite this look, late last year was when I really started to notice the trend making a resurgence on red carpets, Spring/Summer 2023 runways, as well as Fall/Winter runways. Even street style looks during Fashion Month included it.
My favorite red carpet darling Taylor Russell caught on to the trend early with an all-red Alexander McQueen leather peplum style moto jacket at a 2023 BAFTA Awards event. Most recently, days ago Emma Stone, the actress wore a peplum Louis Vuitton dress to the 2024 Oscars, and fashion Twitter had a plethora of insults to spew. It wasn’t my favorite maybe because it looked too similar to the scuba peplum top that I used to wear.
I’ve also been seeing the trend on runways like Brandon Maxwell, Tory Burch, and so on that points to the peplum making a grand return. There are definitely some mixed feelings among my fashionable friends about its return. Brandon Maxwell’s iteration of the peplum trend was refined and chic with the flare being carefully placed right at the waist of a strapless top. This particular runway look is in a corner of my vision board as a reminder to dress how I want to feel—grown up but playful. Tory Burch, TOVE, Jil Sander, and a slew of other luxury fashion brands had fun with the trend by making it their own.
Jil Sander recreated the trend with knit tanks with a flared addition while TOVE went the dramatic route with cream satin ruched fabric scrunched in a puff manner with an even puffier flare. Tory Burch’s approach was regal and elegant with mixed fabrics of satin, possibly wool, and lace to create their iteration of the trend.
While I wore my single peplum top throughout the 7th grade, I’m glad to see that the trend has taken on a new life. If it hadn’t, I surely wouldn’t be wearing it or even have Brandon Maxwell’s look on my vision board. Whether or not you hate the trend, unfortunately, there are too many instances pointing to it coming back with full force. Except this time it won’t be hideous. Often we would see peplum tops paired with skinny jeans and pumps, but now proportions are being applied with grace.
Wide-leg pants or jeans are now the base of an outfit rather than its skinny counterpart and the scuba silhouettes are actually “out” as style connoisseurs would say. If you’re going to try the trend again, I won’t judge you. 2024 and 2011 are very different eras yet here we are looking back as a way to move forward.