Your 2023 Fashion Forecast: Style Trends Right Now to Keep a Lookout For

Aside from Pantone’s pick for colour of the year in the piercing tone of Viva Magenta, the fashion world has already been diligently laying down the tracks for our Spring/Summer 2023 run since last September’s round of shows.

In an age of abundant inspiration that’s constantly accessible, the mood board right now seems split between the trickle-down aesthetics from high rolling designer brands, versus the democratic popularization of user-generated style from the chronically online, which comes in tandem with viral items or brands that shoot into the public eye owing to the ever-mysterious algorithm or social media influencers.

We are seeing a lot of style inspiration from eras past being breathed new life, as well as next-level upgrades to many popular trends of 2022, thanks to the creativity born out of adaptations and DIYs uploaded to TikTok and beyond. Get inspired for your latest wardrobe revamp, with our internet and runway-gazing predictions of the pieces that’ll define this year’s look and what to wear in 2023.

Boho Chic/Festival Style Revival

With most of the world attempting to return to the good ole days of buzzing music festivals and travellers running wild with wanderlust, the beloved Boho aesthetic is just the perfect style to complement this collective wayfaring imagination.

Last we saw of the Boho resurgence was in its 2010s wave, when Vanessa Hudgens was crowned Coachella royalty thanks to her reign as Tumblr’s poster girl for the style. Referencing the Bohemian love for more left field forms of arts and culture, Boho draws from a treasure trove of influences that incorporates hippie staples from the 60s and the rocker chic of the 70s.

Low-effort yet still decidedly maximalist, it could also be interpreted as a 180-degree move away from the high maintenance glam derived from the current Y2K nostalgia grip, that shows no sign of unclenching its chokehold, whilst still pulling from pieces that were popularized during the early 2000s. Hang on tight to your crocheting projects and thrifted grails! In 2023, we anticipate a more androgynous approach to the looks, with silhouettes that have been pared to be sleeker, alluding to your inherent glamour that can’t be dampened by the rough and tumble of fighting your way to the front of an outdoor concert.

Get the look: Big chunky accessories – think statement belts, dimensional pendants, folk craft jewellery (please buy from artists directly), giant saddle bags. Light draping layers, usually lace, kaftan, chiffon, or eyelet knit. Flowing maxis, usually paired with down-to-earth shoes like sandals or dessert-ready boots.

Sculptural Bags

Could the gradual shrinkage of purses serve as commentary of how tight pocketed we’ve been forced to become because of the worsening global economy? That’s a reach but based on the territory that purses have moved into, foresight is saying that the next ‘it’ bag to hit 2023 might just be one that’s as much a utilitarian solution to carrying for your belongings as is a paperweight serving more than one (fairly useless) purpose.

Levelling up from the laughably miniscule party bags that have come as the evolution following the baguette bag craze of 2020 and 2021, the next great move could be to double down on the tongue-in-cheek ‘uslessness’ of the accessory. Prioritizing its form and making it first and foremost an art piece, there lies potential for bags to move towards taking on fascinating new sculptural qualities, whether useless or not in its ability to actually hold things.

Playful Hems

In 2022, the micro-mini was battling it out against the sweeping maxi for the unofficial title as the definitive staple skirt that was to become your capsule closet must-have. We hope the two factions can reach a happy medium in 2023, which could be achieved through loosening up a little (metaphorically, not in terms of tailoring) and turning our attention towards adjusting the hemline itself rather than fixating on where along your leg it sits.

There are a lot of ways to interpret the look, though asymmetry has seemed to rise as a constant when it comes to the emergence of this trend amongst various aesthetics and designers. The best part is you can decide how much of a contrast you’d like to incorporate, how much skin you want to show, how many layers you would like to pile on; there’s a broad space of interpretation according to your personal style.

Get the look: For the classically feminine, ruffles and handkerchief hems make for whimsical and flouncy pieces that come across as effortless while also delivering on comfort. Or turn these elements on their head by getting pieces in darker tones and textural fabrics to subvert the look. Experimental folks can dabble with poofed-up bubble skirts, playing around with proportionality for a truly unconventional shape.

Hotpants and Lounge Shorts

Erupting the internet in the tail end of 2022 thanks to fashion’s mainstay rotation of nepo-models - Bella Hadid, Kendall Jenner, and Hailey Beiber – popularizing the look both while on and off duty, the small yet mighty shorts seem to be showing the potential for adoption into the mass market. First reaching mainstream fashion in the 1930s, hotpants were initially popularized at the beach or in sports. We can all embrace hot girl energy in a pair, revelling in how the name of this cut was referred to as ‘hot’ because of all the heads that the wearers would turn.

Typically worn over tights or paired with a long jacket to balance out the real estate of skin that’s out in the open, there’s room for mixing-and-matching and to experiment with textures, though most outfits we’ve seen tended to polyester, tweed, and knits. Though at the same time, there seems to already be a pauper’s version of the trend, where lounge shorts, bloomers, and men’s boxers stand in as a thrifty alternate that’s easier on the budget and more on the casual side.

Sheer

The sheer fabrics trend is the latest iteration of the failproof outfit formula that stars underwear as outerwear. A bold and daring way to express yourself through fashion, it allows for a great deal of versatility and creativity. Mesh, crochet, lace, thin knits, you name it. All are excellent options to layer over an already formed look, creating an interesting and intriguing dimension yet leaves a lot to the imagination.

For those who want to show off a bit more of their skin, the alternative of using slip dresses, body suits, and other intimatewear as the focal point of an outfit, providing a sexy and seductive look. No matter which route you choose, the sheer trend in 2023 is sure to be a major hit that can be interpreted by a plethora of individual aesthetics, offering a unique and exciting way to elevate any look.

2023-ification of Indie Sleaze

Coined by TikTok trend forecaster Mandy Lee (@OldLoserInBrooklyn) and immortalized in the raw party shots of online photographer CobraSnake, ‘indie sleaze’ was fashion aesthetic that emerged to the scene in the late 2000s to early 2010s. Loud in it’s quirkiness, with a penchant for vintage shopping and destructive DIYs, its inspiration came from merging the glamour of 80s fashion with the down and dirty grit of 90s grunge.

Part of the appeal of this style was its rejection of perfection, as well as it’s affordability, something that’s valued and particularly relevant to today’s post-pandemic inflation and general financial hardship. Dusting off the style for a 2023 crowd, this year’s version is rife with room for new references in music and pop culture, icons, and outfit compositions that are to be shown off with flashy photos.

Get the look: Throw all the rules out the window, messily mix and match your whole wardrobe as if you’ve just woken up from the wildest, craziest party ever, getting dressed in the dark picking up random items you’ve just found off the floor. The attitude matters most in conveying this fun-loving, carefree aesthetic.