It has been a very important couple of weeks for fashion. It is that time of year again when the world’s best designers grace the catwalks with their new and upcoming designs at New York Fashion week, where the upcoming fall/winter 2013 are displayed ever so artfully at numerous runway shows.

That is right. As we are gradually saying goodbye to our winter ensembles, fashion is already saying hello to trends for next year.

It may seem silly to some that trends so far in advance are already being talked about, but in the fashion world, being far ahead of the game is necessary.

As an outsider looking in, it is fun to see what kinds of things people will be wearing almost a year from now.

Even though I was unfortunately not physically at fashion week, I was longingly drooling over online photos and Instagram pictures of the event. As I scoured through these photos, not only did my obsession for the fabulous British model Cara Delevigne flourish  as I swooned over those caterpillar eyebrows and her perfect bone structure, but also my Topper Trend inspiration was kicked into full gear.

Therefore, it seemed impossible and unfitting for me to write on only one upcoming trend, since fashion week supplied me with many. So, I came up with a list of my 5 favorite trends to be on the lookout for this upcoming year.

1. Layering

It was once all about the crisp, simple pieces and layering was seemingly over. Well, not anymore. Now, it is all about adding dimension to your outfit by layering a sweater over a collared shirt or simply putting on a high-fashion jacket to polish your ensemble.

2. Menswear fabrics

Remember a couple of years ago when it was in to wear men’s style clothing? I am talking boy cut jeans and preppy plaid jackets. Yep, it is back. Tommy Hilfiger, for example, showed off this preppy menswear fabric style by layering up houndstooth, checks and pinstripes.

3. The beanie 

As any of you avid readers know, I am a huge fan of grunge style. Unfortunately, it did not touch the runways this year as expected. The exception to this was the beanie, which was seen everywhere from Victoria by Victoria Beckham to Tommy Hilfiger.

4. ‘70s

As both history and fashion tells us, things repeat themselves. Rather, they are repeated in a revamped way. Marc by Marc Jacobs and Von Furstenberg injected some feel-good 70s glamour into the week, including bold prints and lots of velvet.

5. Matchy-matchy 

It is usually a huge fashion crime to match from head to toe, but not anymore. At DKNY, a pink leopard sweater was worn with a matching pink leopard skirt, bag and shoes. Yes, all matching. Right now, fashion is taking a chance and finding new ways to make matching modern.

Now, I know we all may not be able to wear the newest Marc Jacobs or J.Crew pieces, but what we can do is look to them for inspiration. Take some of these looks, tweak them and make them your own in order to show off your personal style.