The year 2023 is synonymous with Adidas Sambas, Pinterest-inspired coquette and the clean girl aesthetic. But, with a new year comes a new list of fashion ins, outs and keepsakes. Luckily, if you don’t have a thrifting trip planned for the next few weeks, you can still stroll the city in style because some 2023 trends, like a sleek white baby tee and your trusty oversized denim jeans, are following you into 2024. What defined 2023’s fashion identity was the momentum gained by gender-neutral fashion. Androgyny isn’t going out of style on Gen Z’s watch, so you can count on more iconic “Timothée in red silk” moments in 2024.
In December, you probably noticed the hoards of New Yorkers sporting an oversized woven blanket scarf on their way to work, and that 2023 choice of winter accessory is continuing into January, adding a splash of color to the city’s typically gray streets. But if pops of color aren’t your speed, not to worry. Vogue predicts that 2024 is the year for minimalism appreciation, as the spring/summer ’24 runway season featured a 46% rise in muted looks, simple silhouettes and discreet chic. You may have already seen it in action during The Row and Khaite’s spring ’24 show, where business sensual and bold sets were sent down the runway. While statement gowns had their time in the sun last year, drop waist dresses and under-the-radar embellishments are predicted to define the gowns and cocktail dresses in 2024.
Hyperfemininity is still a developing sect of high fashion according to StyleCaster, so keep your maxi skirts for spring break and weekend brunches, but be prepared to pair them with loose-fitting tops or oversized layers for a more relaxed, seemingly low-effort look. Louis Vuitton’s floaty, layered maxi skirts with bomber jackets from the brand’s spring showing are perfect examples of the kind of metropolitan chic aesthetic expected by style experts. Hyperfemininity had a strong hold on 2023. There were mini-skirts, extravagant hair ribbons and bows and calf-length socks galore. If that sounds like your Pinterest board, you’re in luck. The coquette aesthetic doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon. Accessories and adorable adornments like Sandy Liang’s SS ’24 finger bow ties were and still are the ideal closet content of this year.
Fashion is a constantly changing art, and while there are keepsakes from year to year, there are also new trends to obsess over, new brands that enter the market and new influencers that catch your eye. For instance, almost everyone has at least one friend with bangs. Expect a surplus of that archetype because bangs are sweeping the top spot for most expected hair in 2024. If you haven’t scrolled to a TikTok praising the bangs and fur coat combo, you may be on the wrong fashion-forward account. Another emerging trend is the classic slingback heel, which can be seen on the feet of multiple models in Gucci, Saint Laurent and Valentino runways. InStyle insists that the demure heel is another avenue towards chic minimalism and an opportunity to practice quiet luxury or vampiric drama.
The second shoe walking down the ’24 runway is the boat shoe, a concept Emma Chamberlain swears by on her podcast “Anything Goes” (something you’ll definitely be taking into 2024). Before you think “country club wannabe,” give the trend a chance. GQ insists that the hybrid versions that grace the Miu Miu runways today are made with a rugged sole and derby-like vibe that set them apart from the slim-bottomed academic association of the ’90s.
Preppy still has a place in 2024, though. Collared shirts are expected to make a comeback as business sensual, or the place of sheer flowing fabric in the workplace is a defining trend of spring and summer collections. According to Vogue, we can also expect shorts to become shorter, at least for men’s shorts and fitted skirts in retail. Pencil skirts and short shorts are booming on the Milan runway, and we can expect to see them paired with knee-length boots or, you guessed it, a slingback heel. Some trends that may be better left in 2023 include media sensations like the jellyfish dress, jersey usage and the clean girl aesthetic, which may work well for Zoom, but may also keep your style too stagnant. The siren effect that dominated summer ’23 encouraged sharp winged liners, which are sure to stay, and crochet or fishnet skirts. The siren skirts, however, are falling behind on runways, which likely means they’ll fall behind in retail productions soon.
Despite the longstanding standard of everyday fashion being defined by the luxury runways that few college students can afford, the concepts these looks represent are easy to replicate on your own. Androgyny, asymmetry and minimalism can be achieved with little-to-no credit card swipes, and as long as you have the runway staple pieces like a maxi skirt, a trench coat or ’90s anything, you’re already on the right track.
