Like It or Loathe It, the Peplum Top Is Officially Back
The Noughties-era, waist-defining silhouette is making a bold return
Remember that flouncy, waist-cinching detail that once dominated both offices and your local Vodka Revolutions? Well, it’s back—the latest in a long line of Y2K styles we thought we’d seen the billowy back of (see also: the maxi boho skirts).
In 2025, the peplum top has shed its corp-core connotations and embraced a more versatile—and dare I say, fashion-forward—identity.
According to data analysts at the trend-forecasting site Lyst, searches for peplum pieces are up 37% month-on-month, with fashion insiders enthusiastically embracing the once-maligned silhouette.
A model walks the runway during the Bally Ready to Wear Fall/Winter 2025-2026 fashion show as part of the Milan Fashion Week.
On the Bally Autumn/Winter 2025 runway, peplums were plentiful, shooting out from structured leather tops and peeking out from underneath the bottoms of men’s bomber jackets.
At Erdem, peplums—admittedly somewhat a signature for the darkly romantic label—came in the form of structured skirts with in-built volume, cascading capes, and fitted blazers reminiscent of Dior’s 'New Look' of 1947, a defining moment in fashion history that designers continue to homage.
A model walks the runway during the Erdem Ready to Wear Fall/Winter 2025-2026 fashion show as part of the London Fashion Week.
Bottega Veneta, Magda Butrym and Tove have also been quietly reworking the peplum, reimagining the silhouette as softer and less overtly corporate. Unlike earlier iterations, the peplum of 2025 is soft, architectural, and just a little subversive. Think: sculptural tops layered over column skirts, waist-cinching knits, and party season dresses with just a whisper of flounce.
Celebrities are leaning in, too. Sydney Sweeney, Demi Moore, and Kim Kardashian have all been spotted sporting modern peplum looks recently. Kardashian even wore a structured version designed by John Galliano to court for the long-awaited trial of the “Grandpa Robbers,” who held her at gunpoint in 2016. Sartorially speaking, it was a powerful statement—especially paired with £5 million worth of diamonds.
Kim Kardashian wears a peplum blazer dress designed by John Galliano with a necklace by Samer Halimeh, Repossi diamond earcuffs, and Brioni Raymond earrings for her court appearance at the Palais de Justice in May of this year.
But statement celebrity styling aside, the modern peplum is all about balance. Pair a peplum top with slim trousers or a pencil skirt to highlight the waist without overwhelming your frame. Or, for a more relaxed vibe, try a peplum blouse with wide-leg jeans or a maxi skirt.
On TikTok, the girls are calling it “stealth flirty.” Another user summed it as such: “I swore I’d never go back, and yet…”
Like low-rise jeans and wedge heels before it, the peplum proves that it’s impossible to keep a polarising trend down.
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