Well, the great news is that we survived the roller coaster of micro-aesthetics from 2023! From pantless evening attire to foregoing flashy logos on über-expensive accessories (yes, we’re absolutely referring to quiet luxury, here), to bows literally adorning everything from faces to food. And hot pink everything.
Now it’s time to look forward to the new year. So let’s dive into the fashion tarot deck to see what comes up for the next 12 months. Happy New Year to you all, and see you on the other side!
Sequins and Shine for Everyday
If you think sequins are just for New Year’s Eve, leave that idea behind the door as you dress up for that last party of the year. Here’s a premonition: Sparkle will persist.
In 2024, everything that shines will become almost commonplace for every day. It’s been a few seasons in the making, but we can finally see this idea take off for real when it comes to dressing for the office, the gym, casual outings and, of course, cocktail hour. Just look at what happened at loungewear with the flashy collab between Skims and Swarovski.
Obviously, it’s not about being completely coated in glitter.
But a sequin oversized jacket worn over jeans, or a diamanté purse with a black sporty tracksuit will propel you with élan into a more playful and fun fashion mood. Because accessories are the one area where you can pack in the shine. Some ideas: crystal-embellished ballet flats, crystal-strewn mesh sock boots, and crystallized crochet dresses. Yes, that’s a thing. And it will look splendid in the sand, come July.
Indie Sleaze
Another fashion moment taking us back to be the beginning of this century, Indie Sleaze is the evolution of the Y2K mania that was the first to bring us those forgotten fads last year, from Juicy Couture track suits to low-waisted jeans.
This darker mood in beauty and fashion took off with the revival of grunge makeup and the comeback of the mullet, last summer. But next is clothing. So expect to see a revival of sheer dresses and bias-cut gowns mixed in with delicate mohair cardigans and little knits. And hosiery. And Mary-Janes, too.
Fur? You might think it was dead in this vegan-everything era, but a quick look at thrift shops and secondhand emporiums shows eager shoppers snatching up mink and fox vintage grandma coats to use as is, oversize and a bit dishevelled. To go with the chipped nail polish and smudged eyeliner. Who’s in?
Ultra-Femininity
Hot on the heels of Barbiecore, the coquette aesthetic, balletcore, and even cottagecore (this style is becoming somewhat of a classic in terms of niche cores, still having stamina after three plus years) we’re seeing emerge a new kind of ultra-feminine fashion.
This is in strong reaction to the #girlboss mindset of the 2010s, where, at the very end of the pendulum is the coveted role of stay-at-home girlfriend or the ultra-traditional mother-wife who, in some incarnations, becomes the role model for lobotomycore. We’ll get back to this…
Let’s say it like it is: the pandemic shifted many things, and everything that’s coming up now in fashion, beauty and lifestyle has little or nothing to do with the world as we previously knew it.
Enter lace, fluffy fabrics and floral prints, organza, taffeta, heart shapes, and dusty pastels. And lots of them piled on together. It’s the spirit of anime with the aesthetics of Marie Antoinette according to Sofia Coppola. It’s cute, soft, and meant to evoke an idea of retro-femininity that clashes with the AI times we’re living in.
Surrealist Moments
Surrealist art, literally the rejection of a grim reality, was born from the ashes of World War I one hundred years ago as an artistic response to conflict, chaos, and pain in society. Liberating the unconscious mind and entering the world of dreams, while pushing logic out the window, brought a form of humorous joy in painting, sculpture, and literature.
In the 1940s, Italian aristocrat turned designer Elsa Schiaparelli adopted elements of surrealism into her clothing.
Well, guess what? That spirit is palpable in fashion at the moment, too, given our world is in the grips of more uncertain days than ever. And no, we’re not going to explain that.
Suffice to say fashion offers the much-needed respite from a dark reality and this is where surrealist touches are a welcome relief. Oh, and no surprise that the Schiaparelli label is back in a huge way, in the very competent hands of American designer Daniel Roseberry.
We expect to see many surrealist and ironic moments in fashion, in the coming months. The time to play has really arrived in fashion!
