What Fashion Trends Should Stay in 2023 and What Trends Should LEAVE

In the fashion industry, trends are constantly changing and evolving, especially with the influence of social media and the concept of fast fashion. New trends arise daily, and it can be hard to keep up. Fashion exists as a mode of expression, so dress as you please and never feel pressure to follow trends, nonetheless, here are some of, in our opinion, the best trends of 2022 that should follow into 2023.


Floor Length Maxi Skirts

Floor length skirts have made a huge comeback, from denim to knit, they are all the rage, and we love it. Especially for winter, floor length skirts are the perfect garment to spice up an outfit, and still allow for ways to layer and be warm underneath. With the TikTok trend of the “long skirt girly,” many were influenced to make the switch from short skirts to long, and we love it.

Micro Mini Skirts

On the other end of the spectrum, we have micro miniskirts. With the resurgence of Y2K fashion, micro miniskirts have been extremely popular, especially over the summer. These skirts have so many styling possibilities, and with the chance of upsetting boomers, the micromini skirt is an essential piece to bring into 2023.

Bedroom Wear Turned Casual Wear

This year, there has been a surge in typical bedroom wear, such as corsets, chemises, and slip dresses as casual wear, styled with formal or casual wear. Think of the semi-sheer slip dress you throw on as your mother says, “that’s supposed to be worn as an underdress.” From lacy lingerie tops to patterned corsets, these garments add such a classic and romantic feel to any outfit and need to stick around.

Leather

Leather jackets, leather pants, leather boots, leather dress, leather bags; we love it all. Leather has surged in popularity during 2022, and for good reason. A classic leather piece can spruce up any outfit and allow for a mix of textures to complete a look. Most in 2022 are opting for a faux leather, for sustainability and animal cruelty reasons, but either way, leather is not going anywhere. In 2022, we saw an odd surge of the Canadian tuxedo look (denim on denim), and in 2023, I would not be surprised if an ‘Italian tuxedo’, if you will, (leather on leather) becomes popular.

Feathers

Towards the end of 2022, especially in colder weather, we have also observed a surge in the use of faux feathers on garments, from sleeves to trim to full feather gowns, and we LOVE it. The fashion industry is slowly moving away from minimalism, just as is happening in the world in general, and the use of feathers is the perfect way to spice up any minimal outfit, by adding a fun texture & color.

Sportswear turned Streetwear

This year, we have seen an immense growth in the trend of varsity jackets, racing jackets, and other sporty wear worn as casual street wear. The combination of interesting colors used on these garments along with the sleek look of the leather fabrication of many of these jackets creates such an aesthetically pleasing outfit. Often sported by style-influencing celebrities such as Bella Hadid, we have seen this trend blow up in the winter of 2022, and this will definitely continue into 2023.

Although there are many pieces that need to be brought into the new year, there is an equal number of pieces to discard while you are doing your January closet clean out. Often times, we keep clothes that we wholeheartedly believe will be used within the year. However, many of these pieces are outdated and no longer have a place within the current fashion view. In 2022, the following garments should, in our opinion, be abandoned and, quite frankly, should not be worn again.

Patchwork

As you get dressed each day, you are making a design choice. This choice is often the make-it-or-break it moment of a garment. In this instance, open seam patchwork is breaking it. Open seam patchwork makes the hard work used in order to create the garment feel cheap and unfinished. Having open seams and excessively used patches throughout a design, is not, in our opinion, “fashion”. Having a juvenile feel, any and all exposed seam patchwork designs need to be left behind in 2022.

Dirty Air Force 1s

Deciding to wear dirty white Air Force 1s for your daily wardrobe is a questionable decision. Wearing DIRTY and beat down Air Forces with every single outfit is something that should never be considered in consumers' minds. While the shoe itself can be used in streetwear looks, making the fashion choice of wearing shoes that are actively falling apart is not an option that should ever cross one's mind. Please stop wearing Air Force 1s that were originally white and appear as if they are grey and black; it is not cute nor will it be tolerated in the new year.

Gucci Belt

Although Gucci belts are very beautiful, consumers today do not understand how the belt should be worn, thus creating a bad reputation around the entirety of it. When studying Gucci’s past work, one can clearly see how to properly wear the Italian hand-crafted belt. However, the trend to wear mom jeans, with a tight-fitting crop top, dirty Air Force 1s, and a Gucci belt, has placed a hatred in our views revolving the belt. Due to its misuse, Gucci belts need to stay behind in 2022 until consumers understand how to properly style it, rather than continuously wearing basic outfits and believing you look fashionable, solely because you have designer on your body.

Shoelace Belts

While we are on the topic of belts, shoelace belts need to be addressed. Although I believe thrifting to be an amazing thing any fashion consumer can do, buying pants that are six sizes too big and telling yourself that wearing a shoelace belt will make the pants fit any better, is a blatant lie. Shoelace belts are not an accessory that amplify any look, and oftentimes cheapen those amazing thrifting finds. Shoelaces are meant to be worn on shoes, not as belts. Understanding this will become a lot easier when accepting the fact that this unfashionable and overdone look needs to be left behind in 2022.

Vans

Skater looks are one of my favorites, yet Vans seem to continue to come back to haunt me. When styling a skater look, Vans seem to be the most essential part of it. Nevertheless, Vans are used in inappropriate styles, leaving viewers to wonder if taste is even considered when making fashion decisions. Vans are regularly worn with inappropriate pairings, such as skinny jeans, tube tops, and jackets, placing a sour taste in fashion consumers' minds. For this reason, and countless others, we are voting to leave Vans in 2022.

Skinny Jeans

Wearing skinny jeans is not only uncomfortable but could be the worst silhouette of jeans ever made in the fashion industry. They do not add to any ensemble and are frankly overdone. Not only are they ugly, but they also stereotype bodies. Skinny jeans were made from society’s disgusting beauty standards, telling consumers that these types of jeans are only made for those who are the “ideal” body type. Skinny jeans, along with toxic beauty standards, should have been left ages ago. Let's hope 2022 will be the year.

Shein

The fact that we even have to state this makes me extremely sad and angry at our society. We should not be supporting Shein, along with all their toxic work environments and unsustainable means. For you to say, “I only need ONE thing, how bad could that be?”, is blatant ignorance. We are positive that there are millions of other consumers that state the same to themselves, further prolonging the problem. Influencers who post Shein hauls send the wrong message, telling their viewers that it is okay to purchase from Shein. This business should have never gained the popularity that it did, and it makes us sad we must remind our viewers to leave Shein behind in 2022.