From her Ra-ra-ra’s to her ooh-la-la’s, Lady Gaga poses as one of the biggest fashion icons to date. Although there is much controversy on her “image”, it is clear that the fashion trends reflect Lady Gaga’s outrageousness and individuality. This is not to teach you how to dress like Lady Gaga, because we all know how unpredictable that may be. But this will open a small window as to what trends Lady Gaga has brought into the fashion industry and tips on how to achieve the look.

Just from looking at the above photo of Lady Gaga, we can spot over three trends:

• Leather/Pleather: Leather (can also be replaced with the word pleather) has made a peak ever since Lady Gaga made her first breakthrough. To date, you will be able to see plenty of leather jackets on the streets, worn by people of all ages. You can also expect to see more leather as time passes, whether it is in the form of jackets, shorts, pants, necklaces, and tops.
  Tips:
  
  • Ladies: Play around with leather! Another huge thing this year is to be androgynous while looking feminine and girly at the same time. Don’t be afraid to wear a ruffled dress paired off with a leather jacket, and harsh black leather shoes.
  • Men: If you ever find that the look of a leather jacket is too harsh, then go simple. Wear a plain t-shirt underneath or even a western-styled button up! Or make it comfortable by layering it with a hoodie.
• Black-on-Black: Simple, sophisticated and classic. Aside from Lady Gaga’s extreme outfits such as “the meat dress,” full black is what she will often wear. Black-on-black has become less gothic and more trendy (giving leeway because it depends on how you wear it!).
  Tips:
  • Ladies: When wearing full black, try to avoid wearing over-pieces (other than a jacket) that are also black. One of my favourite tricks to this trend is adding accessories. I tend to tuck in my top into my black skinny jeans and wear a brown belt to tie it in. You can also go for crazy accessories such as a four-layered necklace consisting of metal, pearls, and more metal.
  • Men: As many guys have more of a relaxed style, wearing black-on-black can be uncomfortable or maybe normal. If it’s uncomfortable then try wearing a printed black shirt, that way you get colour without effort. If it is comfortable then make sure it doesn’t look tacky, e.g. wearing a baggy black tshirt with baggy black jeans.
• Structured Shoulders: Looking back on photos from the 1930s you’ll see that many women wore large shoulder pads. Lady Gaga has brought this trend back, and many other trends from decades ago. Whether it involves structured shoulder pads, or shoulder detailing with chains and studs, the trend of shoulder detailing is growing.
  Tips:
  
  • Ladies: Don’t be afraid of  looking like you have large structured shoulders. This trend is still new, so it’s  most likely uncomfortable to be showing off a masculine feature. With this trend, I would suggest showing off your femininity by wearing something with structured shoulders, but with a feminine cut that shows off the waist and hips. That way you mix in that androgynous and girly look with a different approach.
  • Men: Sorry guys! You already have the shoulders, so this trend is more for the ladies. Besides, structured shoulders in blazers already exist, and are completely normal!

I know that a lot of people don’t believe that the trends revolve around Lady Gaga and that’s understandable considering how outrageous her outfits are! But within a few years, I can almost guarantee that there will be a “blast from the past” and that you’ll see women wearing all sorts of crazy things that Lady Gaga has worn before.