The top 10 fashion trends of 2012

Miu Miu came out with sparkly, glittery heels in 2011, and by 2012, the trend was everywhere. Fashion-obsessed girls snagged the look for next to nothing thanks to a plethora of DIY tutorials on style-sharing sites like Pinterest and Tumblr.

2012 Fashion Trend: Leather Everything If there was a trend to invest in this year, it was leather (real or faux). Statement-making leather clothing was all over the runway throughout 2012, on tons of airport-hopping celebs, and in our September issue, to name a few places.

2012 Fashion Trend: Full-On Suits Alexa Chung, Elizabeth Olsen, Emma Roberts, and Kate Hudson were just several of the many stars who embraced the full-on suit trend we saw on the runways in 2012. Office- and party-appropriate, this chic new outfit idea was an equally big hit in stores too.

2012 Fashion Trend: Peplum Pieces Figure-flattering and festive without being costumey, the peplum look became a new standard for evening events and some daytime occasions as well. Narrow pencil skirts and skinny pants looked fresh again with this new detail in the mix.

2012 Fashion Trend: Wedge Sneakers Busy ladies everywhere rejoiced when the comfortable but height-enhancing sneaker wedge came onto the scene thanks to hip designers like Isabel Marant and Marc Jacobs. Like the Ugg boots trend, sneaker wedges were worn with everything from maxiskirts to denim shorts this year.

2012 Fashion Trend: Digitized Prints Print playfulness reached new extremes in 2012, and the fashion crowd was more than up for the styling challenge. Over-the-top digitized prints gave dresses a modern makeover—even Kate Middleton and Michelle Obama hopped on the trend.

2012 Fashion Trend: Neo Neon A surefire way to get noticed at a party or a red carpet event? Wear something bright—really bright. Neon pieces cut in simple shapes were big news on the red carpet this year. Shoppers too were pretty excited to try out this trend—it’s gorgeous at every price point.

2012 Fashion Trend: Statement Pants Pants got a major makeover in 2012, rendered in bold prints, unconventional cuts, and statement-making fabrics (think brocade and silk dupioni). Dubbed “party pants,” “crazy pants,” and “power pants,” the trend was major fodder for street-style photographers.

2012 Fashion Trend: Exposed Midriff Flashing your tummy may seem kind of déclassé, but in 2012, designers found a million and one ways to make the act not so cringeworthy (hint: don’t show any belly button!). Lauren Conrad, our May 2012 cover star, managed to look both sweet and sexy in Miu Miu’s two-piece outfit.

2012 Fashion Trend: Big-Impact Collars Bedazzled collars, larger-than-life necklaces, and menswear-inspired layers came together in 2012 to form the detail shots to end all detail shots: the big-impact collar. From dickeys to DIYs to designer lapels, this trend was attainable in a variety of chic ways.