ASOS New Trend: Nomad

ASOS Nomad Trend

It seems as though the fashion industry (and myself I must add) are obsessed with the great outdoors at the moment. Already this season we have seen; town meets country, tweed/heritage, hiking boots and plaid/checks really being pushed by the the power design houses and high street alike, and now with THE major online fashion retailer pushing their own take, it seems set to stay for the foreseeable future.

ASOS describe the Nomad trend as:

Spanning the wilderness of North America, Scotland and Scandinavia, Nomad is a look grounded in the history of cross-continental adventure. Playing with ethnic patterns and texture is vital, with Navajo and Fair Isle mixing like never before. It’s a look obviously influenced by wandering tribes and their distinctive take on the functional, yet is equally at home in town. It’s time to take a journey to the great outdoors…

As you can see, we can easily pick out the key words and ideas behind the whole look straight from that paragraph: ethnic patterns, texture, home, town, great outdoors. This is another take on the current trends by bringing the wilderness to your home city or town. Where this differentiates from the town meets country trend we have covered before however is through texture and pattern. By using ethnic patterns such as Navajo and Fair Isle it means the look has evolved and there is an added element to the layering. Bold, striking prints mean your outfit definitely becomes more of a statement, and there seems to be a real emphasis on having fun with your prints by mixing and matching without considering if this colour coordinates with that colour etc. As our men’s fashion basics writer Matt Allinson always preaches – “Sometimes breaking the rules is the way to show you understand them.”

One could say that this is the next step and evolution of the original town meets country trend. In town meets country we had the clashing of styles and use of bold statement colours which goes against everything the dark and dreary winter months stand for. Now we have bold prints and textures such as cords, tweeds, quilting and Fair Isle taking us to the next level. This really does round up all of the major outdoorsy trends of the moment in one solid swoop in order to create a really unique look which can be made individual so easily just by picking pieces from all your favourite trends. Town meets country, tweed/heritage, earth colours, hiking boots, outdoor accessories and plaid/checks are all fair game, and can be combined effortlessly in order to create multiple unique looks in an instant, as well as a plethora of layering options.

This is not all about casual outfits however. You can easily mix in tailoring with your outdoor pieces, but the key is to use softer materials and keep your shapes unstructured. Try throwing on an unstructured blazer over a soft brushed cotton check shirt and pairing it with informal chinos. This is where using chunky winter accessories comes in; as snoods, scarves, gloves, trapper hats and chunky socks in bold prints and colours will inject some life and character into your smart casual outfits.

Most of all though remember to have fun with it and express yourself. Now is the time for bold and unusual accessories and feel free to mix in old battered pieces such as winter/outdoors jackets with this years new styles such as chinos – you CAN pull it off. Effortless style is the KEY to this whole look – you want it to look like you “just threw it on” – and in essence you actually should of.

ASOS Nomad Look Book Editorial

So before we show you some of the key pieces ASOS are pushing in order to hit this trend, you should take a look at this amazing look book they produced which really emphasises the look we are going for. Featuring Douglas Neitzke photographed by Fergus Padel and styled by Robbie Spencer:

Get On Trend

Outfit Inspiration

Casual

Smart Casual