Flirtatious, fun, feminine—the pouf detail is the pre-fall 2021 trend that brings just the right amount of quirky drama to liven up your wardrobes this season

After a full year and a half in various degrees of lockdown, designers have agreed on one thing: It’s time to bring back the fun in fashion. For pre-fall 2021, fashion houses turned their eye to a fabulously fun trend to add a dose of positivity to wardrobes everywhere.

Enter the pouf. A more feminine take on the power shoulder trend of the ’80s, the pouf was used liberally on dresses and tops this season, lending its dramatic silhouette to basic pieces, and a sense of whimsy to everyday outfits.

See also: The Best Fashion Launches In July 2021

Take Nanushka for example, who added the pouf to a neutral-coloured, long-sleeved top, instantly elevating the sleek classic with unexpected ebullience. Similarly, the creative minds behind Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini and Batsheva employed the trend to great effect on their minidresses, giving them an air of fresh girliness.

Moschino paired the dramatic pink pouf with a tough-as-nails leather motorcycle jacket, in line with creative director Jeremy Scott’s “collage as an art form” theme for pre-fall, while Oscar de la Renta echoed the pronounced pouf of its sleeves with equally spacious trouser shorts, nipped in at the waist with a smart tailored corset detail.

See all our top picks of this lively trend that’s a top hit from the pre-fall 2021 season.

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Above Moschino pre-fall 2021 (Photo: Courtesy of Moschino)
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Above Oscar de la Renta pre-fall 2021 (Photo: Cass Bird / Courtesy of Oscar de la Renta)
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Above JW Anderson pre-fall 2021 (Photo: Courtesy of JW Anderson)
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Above Jil Sander pre-fall 2021 (Photo: Courtesy of Jil Sander)
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Above Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini pre-fall 2021 (Photo: Courtesy of Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini)
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Above Nanushka pre-fall 2021 (Photo: Courtesy of Pierre Ange Carlotti / Courtesy of Nanushka)
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Above Batsheva pre-fall 2021 (Photo: Courtesy of Batsheva)
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Above Khaite pre-fall 2021 (Photo: Courtesy of Khaite)

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