2023 is set to be celebrated as a year of expression coming off the back of a challenging start to the decade. The past three years have been punctuated by gloomy news and negativity, so it’s ideal for new fashion trends to provide us with some much needed respite and to fill our lives with color.
Amidst the emerging trends for the year ahead, color appears to be at the forefront of fashion and more of us seem set to be liberated through the freedom of expression, with bold new textures, contrasts, and flowing materials favored.
For many of us, adding more color to our wardrobes can be a great way of adding an important aspect of our personality to our styles for the year. With this in mind, let’s take a closer look at six key trend opportunities for us to fully embrace our colorful side:
1. Contrasting Blends
This summer, we’ll see more contrasting colors blurred together as an eye-catching form of expression. From blends within dresses to more subtle color shifts for the year’s accessories, welcome to the age of mixing and matching your favorite tones.
“Not a tie-dye girl yet fed up to the back teeth with ditsy florals? Then a new wave of digitally manipulated, mind-bending blurry prints will provide you with some sweet patterned relief for the coming season,” notes Hannah Almassi, editor in chief at Who What Wear UK. “They’re certainly my number one choice when it comes to adding a new, unique motif into my heavily printed repertoire.”
2. Taking Fashion to Heart
While Valentine’s Day has already been and gone, love appears to still be in the air for 2023 fashion. This year will see plenty of heart motifs, with many styles being showcased across catwalks throughout late 2022.
Whether they’re adorning legs, chests, or hips, hearts are here to dominate fashion this year and they represent a great opportunity to mix colors and styles to bring out the best of your wardrobe.
3. The Rule of Three
Brace yourselves, because color blocking is back. Originating in the midst of the swinging sixties, the art of blending contrasting colors has continued to work its way through fashion cycles over the years–most recently reemerging in 2011 before fashion houses took notice of the bold styles last year.
While this approach to fashion can seem a little scary, adopting the three color rule is set to be a popular way of combining colors in an eye-catching way. By limiting your selection to three, it can be a great way to let your style do the talking without overwhelming those around you. Colors like navy, yellow, and green can be a great combination to kick this rule off, but there really are no limits to your creativity within this trend.
4. Selling Sunset
Coming as an extension of the blurred color trends mentioned earlier, sunset shades are set to dominate 2023 fashion. This is perhaps unsurprising–after all, the pandemic years have left many of us feeling a little holiday-deprived this decade.
Blending different autumnal shades of burnt orange and reds will generate a look that’s vibrant but natural. This emerging trend was first spotted on the runways of Milan, with designers Ferragamo, Etro, and GCDS championing these soft blends.
5. Grunge’s Return
While the music charts may change, grunge fashion never dies–at least not according to 2023’s trends.
Rocking flannel shirts and shabby-chic attire, the grunge approach to fashion has caused some of the world’s most prestigious fashion houses to embrace their care-free side and showcase a look that smells of 90s throwbacks.
Leading designers like Erdem, Bottega Veneta, and Max Mara have joined the likes of Balenciaga and Ralph Lauren in embracing grunge fashion of late, and many have succeeded in combining the ‘I just threw this outfit together’ look with a smart style that’s fitting for a fresh year of renewed optimism.
6. Expressive Accessories
In an age where more of us are facing up to interacting remotely with flexible working patterns, we’ve become more accustomed to expressing ourselves in more ways to showcase our personalities within more brief interaction opportunities.
This trend has seen more color flow back into our accessories, from handbags to our choice of eyewear. This summer, we’ll see our choice of sunglasses match our newfound taste for color blends with bold shades for the beach featuring colored lenses adopted by brands like Rag & Bone.
Following a difficult start to the decade, 2023 is set to be a year that’s punctuated by color, and this will bring fresh opportunities for followers of fashion to fully showcase their personalities and express themselves in a way that’s been a little limited in the preceding years.
For all of us, a life in color is better enjoyed–and there’s no better way to embrace our enjoyment of all things bright and bold than to embrace this year’s most enjoyable fashion trends.
