Mirror, Mirror: Ten likely fashion trends for 2015

It certainly wasn't a year of fashion firsts - midriff-baring tops, slim midi-skirts, tailored blazers, and floral fit-and-flares have trended time and time again.

But 2014 was notable because of its juxtapositions.

Women "dressed up" - but in tailored athletic wear they paired with golden, quilted sneakers. (Thanks, Chanel.) And for fun, they treated metallic temporary tattoos like permanent jewelry.

Dudes rocked jeggings, but did so sort of masculinely, with groomed beards and "lumbersexual" plaid shirts. Some even boldly went the fitted-suit route.

Cultural appropriation was rampant as fashion insiders credited everyone - especially the Jenner/Kardashian brood - for making braids and big butts new.

Nonetheless, celebrities' booty antics boggled our minds and tangled up our Instagram feeds: Rihanna bared her backside in June in see-through glitz at the CFDA Awards. Iggy Azalea and Nicki Minaj spent most of the year vying for the "Who has the fattest - never mind the fakest - rump of the year?" award. And Kim Kardashian's bottom almost really did break the Internet in early November, thanks to Paper magazine's winter issue cover.

When the A-listers weren't flaunting their bottoms, they were getting hitched in memorable dresses.

Kardashian's tummy-baring Givenchy wedding gown was more proof that sleeved, special-occasion dresses are popular with the fashion-forward. Angelina Jolie's spaghetti-strapped Versace featured darling doodles by her children.

Solange Knowles came close to finally upstaging her sister Beyoncé, not in the elevator, but at her November wedding in New Orleans. That was until Queen Bey released the "7/11" music video in the same week, which featured Beyoncé joyfully jumping around in boyshort undies. (Can we say 2015 trend-in-the-making?)

Oh, how we loved Amal Alamuddin's sartorial choices for her Venice wedding weekend with George Clooney, especially the very short, exquisite Giambattista Valli floral frock she donned at her post-wedding brunch.

The French lace gown she wore for the ceremony was the final piece created by America's best-known couturier, Oscar de la Renta, who died in October at 82. In March, the fashion world lost L'Wren Scott, also Mick Jagger's longtime girlfriend, to suicide.

And the red carpet lost its fashion fairy godmother with the death of Joan Rivers in September; she was 81.

As 2014 wraps up, so will certain trends. But others will gain steam well into next year. Here are 10 to count on.

Wearable technology.  Wearable tech got upgraded this year, courtesy of Tory Burch's Fitbit bracelet and Misfit Shine monitors. In 2015, however, look for the technology to go beyond sensors that count steps to shirts that keep track of vitals. In August, tech firm Qdesigns introduced the Qbracelet, a sleek futuristic wristband that doubles as an iPhone charger. 

Shopping at your fingertips. Shopping apps - from Spring to Zulily - allow us to browse our favorite collections while waiting in line at the post office. In 2015, look to shop more department stores and specialty boutiques on social media sites. Eventually, said Apu Gupta, owner of Center City-based technology firm Curalate, we will be shopping directly from Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Golden goods. A renewed interest in gold jewelry, accessories, and trim on clothing is ushering a return to Old World opulence. Look for the gilded metal to continue brightening earlobes and high-top sneakers. For jewelers, too, it's more fun setting a precious stone in gold than in silver.  

Marsala (and all things wine-colored).

 Earlier this month, the Pantone Color Institute named marsala the 2015 color of the year. Not only should our pillows and walls skew this shade of muddy scarlet, so should our lipsticks and evening gowns. Look for a very claret-hued Golden Globe Awards in January.

The wavy blowout. In 2015, put a bend in that below-the-shoulder blowout.

"It's all about the wave," said Frank Rizzieri, owner of Rizzieri Salon & Spa in Moorestown. The volume in this hairstyle comes from a wave in the middle of the tresses instead of a big curl at the end.

"It's a bit undone and slightly glamorous," Rizzieri says.

Who's doing it now? Top model Cara Delevingne and former Gossip Girl Blake Lively.

Bringing back the professionals. While celebrities such as Lupita Nyong'o and Kerry Washington and celeb-turned-model Kendall Jenner cinched major billboard time and spokesmodel gigs this year, real runway girls such as Joan Smalls, Karlie Kloss, and Bucks County native Samantha Hoopes - a 2014 Sports Illustrated swimsuit model - will get more cover-girl shine.  

Cropped tops and matching skirts. Matchy-matchy is back. And it's coming to you in tops that bare the stomach, paired with librarian-length skirts. But these looks, courtesy of contemporary labels A.L.C. and Tibi, aren't conservative, and should be paired with contrasting shoes and handbags.

Back to the drawing board.

In September during New York Fashion Week, I noticed several front-rowers feverishly sketching models as they walked the runway. This year, fashion illustration blogs by Garance Doré and Donald "Drawbertson" Robertson and local artist Melissa Noucas are bringing hand-drawn freshness to a world now dominated by the cellphone photo. 

So gray, it's black. First, muted gray was all the nail rage. Then we went cold and dark with black.

"Now, we're blending the two for a sexy slateness perfect for the modern working woman," said Kim Brady, a manicurist at the Rittenhouse Spa & Club.

Bring on the denim. As silhouettes get more fitted and we continue to focus on American heritage designers, denim on denim will be a fashion faux pas no more. But thanks to chambray fabrics and jeans with stretch, our blues won't be stiff, but fun and easy to wear.

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