US Edition
How 2023 is your wardrobe?
From metallics to Mary Jane shoes, meet this year's hottest styles – some of which you may already own
A new year calls for a new season calls for a new wardrobe – or so the ghost of fashion diktats past would claim. But if recent events have taught us anything, it’s that, while it’s lovely to buy new things, it’s equally lovely – and less expensive – to rediscover and repurpose old ones.
Most women are wiser than to capitulate to glossy ads featuring airbrushed influencers clutching handbags that cost more than a monthly mortgage payment, and too sustainably minded to jettison existing wardrobe favourites for new ones. Nobody does that anymore.
Instead, a far smarter move is to identify which items to carry through to 2023 – of which there may be more than you think. Whisper it, but designers have done less of a volte-face than usual, preferring to tweak tried and tested formulas rather than replace them.
Which means that while ubiquitous 2022 trends such as balloon sleeves, bright pink, baseball caps, clogs and velvet might be due for retiral, some of next year’s biggest trends may well be lurking in your wardrobe from last time around. It’s almost as though they heard the cries of anguish when your card was declined last time you bought a round of coffees. To help you plan and budget, here’s an appraisal of what’s coming.
The elevated combat
If you have a teenager, you may already have seen them skulking around in balloon-like trousers festooned with pockets and strings, like some moody GI Jane. That’s because combat pants are back, as part of a general trend for Y2K fashion.
Don’t be put off: the catwalk versions are far more flattering, as seen at Dior, Versace, Fendi, Vuitton and Coperni. For less pricey takes, try Dickies, Stradivarius or Urban Outfitters. What’s not to love about trousers with pockets? Nothing, unless you forget to empty them before putting them in the wash.
The bias cut skirt
Another item that is hard to dislike, a bias cut skirt being such a versatile garment. After seasons of bulkier skirts, its hip-skimming qualities provide a welcome respite from added girth, with most women finding it a forgiving, flattering shape.
Choose a silk or satin fabric for maximum fluidity, either falling to the knee or ankle. Those who prefer to camouflage their hips can wear theirs with a chunky knit, whose texture will provide a nice counterpoint (and warmth) until spring sets in. If you’re of a certain age, you may even harbour an old Topshop one from the early 2000s – in which case, dig it out.
The boudoir
Fashion wouldn’t be fashion without a tricky trend or ten, and “boudoir” is one. The sheer trend that peaked over Christmas party season is not destined to retreat – thank you, Nensi Dojaka – and for 2023, it’s been amplified via a preponderance of lace, lingerie and corsetry.
Take style notes from Chanel, Versace, JW Anderson and Emilia Wickstead – then add some camouflaging layers of your own. Worn with a poloneck underneath, a slip dress becomes a plausible evening look – as opposed to one that might get you arrested for indecent exposure.
The white shirt
Rare is the woman who wouldn’t feel cheered by the news that white shirts are back – if they ever went away. Katharine Hepburn, Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn are but three women who have made compelling arguments for the classic white shirt over the years, and for 2023 they’re joined by Amber Valetta, whose turn in the Stella McCartney show was a masterclass in how to wear it: oversized, and tucked insouciantly into jeans.
The bold print
Don’t be put off by the word “bold” – it’s simply used here to differentiate from the teeny-tiny florals, often called “ditzy”, which have recently predominated. For 2023, prints are more prominent and pronounced: think rainbow stripes at Christopher John Rogers, deckchair stripes at Moschino and overblown cabbage roses at Richard Quinn.
Note to White Lotus fans: if you secretly envied Tanya’s Taormina wardrobe, next season is your chance to indulge, thanks to a slew of vivid palm and floral prints in glorious shades of yellow, orange, fuchsia and Tanya’s favourite, salmon. Better still? You probably already own some.
The magenta-verse
If last season saw a surfeit of bright, almost fluorescent pink (driven by Valentino, and worn by everyone from Anne Hathaway to Zendaya to Florence Pugh), this season the hue has been dialled down a notch. It’s pink, Jim, but not as pink as we know it. For 2023, it has darkened to magenta, or the colour of raspberry jam – a shade which Pantone, which has anointed it as the colour of the new year, describes as “rooted in nature”. Or beetroot juice.
The loose jeans
“I can’t believe it’s not denim!” chorused attendees after a Bottega Veneta show in which Kate Moss wore some very compelling slouchy jeans. In fact they were made of leather, and served as a succinct way to signal BV’s world-class skill, heritage and innovation.
What relevance does a four-figure pair of leather jeans have to your life, you may ask? Leather or no, the influential BV has decreed spring’s most persuasive jean shape: slouchy, barrel-shaped and worn slightly too big. If you don’t own this style already, it’s worth investing in: try Whistles or Arket for a more affordable take.
The sheath dress
Spring 2023 might be a season of trousers, but we’ve all learned to rely too much on the easiness of dresses to discard them entirely. The bad news: spring’s key shape is the opposite of the long, voluminous dresses you’ve probably been wearing in recent months – nay, years. The good news: you may have a sheath dress from ye olden days.
Prada did them most convincingly, but you could also look to Hobbs, Winser London or The Fold. Sure, tent-like dresses are comfortable, but maybe it’s time to channel your inner Anna Wintour – the ultimate sheath dress fan, with the ultimate tennis arms to do them justice.
The fail-safe shoe
Goodbye to ugly footwear that predominated in 2022, and hello to prettier, daintier shoes – specifically, Mary Janes, that failsafe style that never falls off and comes in a pleasing range of heel heights. At Gucci, Alessandro Michele’s were among the most desirable of the season, along with Prada, The Row and Chanel. More reasonably priced options come courtesy of Ganni and Pretty Ballerinas. Wear them with everything.
The camp collar shirt
Whether on printed Cuban shirts or self-coloured bowling shirts in muted shades of blue and green, the camp collar is proving popular for spring. It’s long been a summer menswear staple, and with good reason: it’s both forgiving (thanks to its boxy shape) and an elevated basic that treads a neat line between smart and casual. Wear it loose with barrel-legged cropped trousers or tuck it into jeans. If you can’t stretch to the Raf Simons version, try Toast for a mid-priced take.
The spring metallic
If you bought something metallic for Christmas party season, the good news is that you can roll it over to 2023. While it might seem counterintuitive – or even downright weird – to wear gold in March, a glance at the Valentino, Michael Kors, Tory Burch and Christopher Kane shows may well persuade you otherwise. Rather than sequins, think burnished leather, fluid lame and fabrics with subtle sheens.
Monochrome
Fashion in 2023 is nothing if not a broad church, and if the thought of silver or gold anything is likely to make you feel like a displaced Christmas bauble, the better news is that black is a key spring trend, despite tending to be more of an autumn/winter one. In tough economic times, designers need to sell – and black sells.
Key black items to dig out or buy new: loose, tailored trousers, an oversized blazer, a strapless dress and anything else that makes you feel like Carolyn Bessette Kennedy.
The new necklaces
It might be time to retire that chunky gold chain necklace, though if you have a silver one, you have a pass to wear it. You also have a pass to dig out your old pearls – or any other beaded necklaces – particularly if they’re bold and eye-catching. The habit, acquired in lockdown, of using a statement necklace to jazz up a plain jumper or T-shirt has stuck: see Missoni for a masterclass and interpret it whichever ways you can afford.
Shop the looks
Clockwise left to right: Maesa cargo pants £186.86, The Frankie Shop at net-a-porter.com; Cydney bralette £16, doralarson.com; Belgrave cross-body bag £456, mulberry.com
Draped satin wrap top £550 Roksanda at net-a-porter.com; Bias cut skirt £71.40, thewhitecompany.com
Clockwise left-right: Samantha dress £450, Anine Bing at flannels.com; Glory blouse £180, stinegoya.com; Wide waist belt £45, stories.com
Clockwise left to right: boxy shirt £22, cos.com; amethyst and enamel necklace £535, Fry Powers at matchesfashion.com; Elise flats £124.50, prettyballerinas.com
Which of 2023's hottest new styles is your favourite? Will you be including any into your wardrobe? Join the conversation in the comments section below
View the latest Net-A-Porter deals