With the Spring Equinox officially marking the end of winter and rain taking the place of snow in Iowa, it’s no surprise that new trends begin to bloom to accommodate for the warmer weather. Out goes heavy sweaters, thick sweatpants and the famous green and black striped Brandy Melville sweater and in comes the tank tops and cutoffs, miniskirts and polo shirts, pastel colors and light-wash denim. 

Of course, there’s also the spring/summer collections presented by high fashion companies for the change of seasons, trickling down from Dior, to Bella Hadid, to H&M, to videos on TikTok and eventually to you!

So what will be the new trending items? Forewarning, I’m no fashion expert trained at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, so some of these trends may be just wishful thinking on my part. However, I do love fashion and it’s one of my interests I may look into career options for in the future. Anyway, on to the trends! Here’s a Pinterest board for inspiration and reference while reading. 

‘70s-’80s Revival 

Typically trends move in cycles dubbed the “Twenty-Year Rule” where we go from loving something to hating it to feeling meh to loving it all over again. This has sped up with the use of social media and 20 years has shrunk to two-five, at most 10 year cycles instead.

A prime example of this is the boho style- the more artistic and fringe-filled sister of hippie fashion. Popularized in the 60s and 70s with the hippie movement but dating back almost 200 years, Boho featured draped silhouettes and garments that flowed in comparison to the binding corsets of the 19th century. French fashion designer, Paul Poiret, pioneered items like the harem pants, hobble skirt, and ‘lampshade tunic’. Woodstock 1969– an arts and music festival held in Bethel, New York- featured many of these types of clothes and solidified Boho as a popular style in the late 20th century. It made a brief comeback in the 2000s, then again in 2016, and it comes as no surprise that now, in 2023, we see this style making a massive comeback through the flared jean/leggings overtaking skinny jeans and loose-fitting, flowy clothes trending with the Y2K revival. 

But what exactly am I rambling on about? 

Think crochet: I’ll bet you know someone who tried their hand at crocheting during lockdown or have seen people on your social media timelines showing off their crochet creations. Celebrities like the pop singer-songwriters Harry Styles, Taylor Swift and Beabadoobee have been spotted sporting crochet and knitwear around, influencing their fans to do the same. 

“Harry Styles wore this one big chunky cardigan and all of my friends sent me pictures of that for inspiration for what they want in their cardigans.” said Amelia Douglas ‘24. 

The yarns used for crochet/knitwear also offer up a lot of variety to an outfit, mixing in a different and noticeable texture that can change depending on the kind of yarn one uses for a piece- it could be chunkier like Harry Styles’ cardigan or thinner, more flimsy yarn like Beabadoobee’s cat-hat pictured on her Instagram. The trend is vaguely reminiscent of ‘80’s sweaters in their oversized look and funky designs. 

“I think a lot of people are wearing knitwear like they did in the ‘80s…I feel like loud colors and big buttons kinda remind me of how knitwear was worn in the ‘80s.” said Parker Vick ‘23. 

Another piece that seems like it was yoinked directly from the ‘70s would be medallion belts. Big metal coins or moons attached by thin chains looped around both skirts and pants adds more texture and detail to the outfit that oftentimes ties in the rest of the jewelry of the wearer. Chunky jewelry as a whole seems to be making a major comeback, from the flower chokers tied around the neck with ribbon to the statement heart necklace on a cord. Rings too have been getting a little chunkier, especially silver rings, and are popping up in men’s fashion significantly. 

“I think the trend of bagginess and chunkiness go hand in hand, it creates kind of a cartoony look,” Vick said. 

 “I feel like silver rings are a really big thing right now over gold.” Douglas said. 

Accessorizing in general has been really big with the ongoing trend of maximalism that began a few years back. Things like belts, watches, rings, necklaces, bracelets, bags and hairpieces are all added onto an outfit that may not have really needed it for anything other than looking cool. Men’s fashion especially sees a quiet emphasis on good detailing. 

For instance, watches. 

This may just be my opinion but I love a good vintage watch. Not even just one, either- sometimes I like to wear two just to add a bit more personality to my outfit. One of my personal favorite celebrities who always knows what he’s doing with not only his accessories but his entire outfits is the artist Tyler the Creator. He’s always got a good hat, a stunning vintage watch collection that has me rooting through thrift stores for similar ones, oftentimes layered rings and necklaces that all compliment each other but aren’t overwhelming and a color palette he knows he looks good in and knows how to match up the pieces in his closet for a 10/10 look. Men, take notes from Tyler the Creator.

I’m not the only one who’s noticed his influence on fashion, either.

“I’ve been seeing more and more JNCO’s and I think that’s partly to do with the Tyler the Creator influence because Tyler the Creator pulls a lot of influence from Pharrell and like early Pharrell Williams [wore] tons of, like, baggy denim.” Vick said. 

Switching over a bit but keeping on the 70s-80s revival trends and pairing with chunky jewelry is the chunky shoe trend. Platforms have been big for a while, with Demonias in particular being very popular in 2020-2021. 

“I definitely think chunky boots and shoes and sandals are really big right now.” Douglas said. 

Relatively easy to thrift, I don’t think the platform shoe trend will die out any time soon, at least not in heel/boot form. Chunky sandals are only just making a comeback along with wedges cropping up in pop culture again with the release of the trailer for Greta Gerwig’s new Barbie movie showing Barbie (Margot Robbie) in a pair of wedge sandals. I myself just thrifted a pair of Converse star sandals that have about an inch or two of height to them and are super funky that I can’t wait to wear all summer long. I’m not entirely sure how I feel about wedge sandals coming back, but I think they can be styled in a very coastal grandmother way– think Mama Mia. 

Another part of the sort of Boho revival I’ve been seeing are the sheer lace skirts and dresses that have been gaining popularity recently. They’re fun, flirty and feminine in an almost beachy kind of way that I really like. They remind me a lot of hippies in the ‘60s with the flowing sleeves and lace detailing. It’s easy to throw on and at first I was apprehensive about how versatile a sheer lace piece could really be but I’ve come to realize that there’s actually a whole lot of different ways to style them– with cowgirl boots (another ongoing trend that I adore), a tight top, a slip dress, under a different dress, with a graphic tee and Adidas or even in a softer way with ribbons braided into my hair and a loose cardigan over a tank top. Although a pretty and very feminine trend, I don’t think sheer lace will withstand the test of time (at least not as a mainstream trend) but for right now, especially with a ton of people wearing lace pieces to Coachella, I’ll be wearing my own lace midi skirt this summer when it’s sweltering hot and I don’t want to wear anything that really covers my legs. 

Microtrends 

Continuing our trip down memory lane but not quite as far back as when your parents were kids, how many of you have heard of “H2O: Just Add Water”, the Australian mermaid TV show that aired from 2006-2010? A cheesy, feel-good children’s show, “H2O: Just Add Water” was about three girls turned into mermaids after accidentally stalling out off the coast of Australia. 

One of the better things that came out of the show was the incredibly obvious early 2000s styling. The girls were sporting layered tank tops, low waisted everything and matching lockets in a cute, casual way that can be easily replicated. The reason I’m going on about this is because of the birth of mermaidcore. A spin on the sheer lace trend, mermaidcore features a lot of aquatic colors and elements in its mermaid-inspired looks. Asymmetrical hems with flowy detailing, glitter, hair clips that resemble water drops and shell jewelry are all things dragged into the present from the 2000’s and are part of the larger Y2K revival. 

While I don’t think the more full-on mermaid aspects of the trend will be super popular, I do think we’ll see a lot of blues, shell jewelry (much like the pooka shell necklaces all the VSCO girls wore years ago) and the general “H2O: Just Add Water” aesthetic pop up a lot in stores like Target, Hot Topic, Brandy Melville and H&M for a while. 

Adidas are another microtrend that will come and, while not disappear, not be as prominent anymore after a year or two. As someone who wore Adidas in middle school and immediately switched to a pair of red Nike Air Max 90s as my sneaker of choice, I was surprised by Adidas popping up as a trend. Seen on Bella Hadid and Rihanna, the Adidas Samba sneaker is briefly replacing Nike Air Force Ones as a more unique but still basic shoe. Adidas track pants are also making their way into the trend pool, specifically the blue straight-leg adidas track pants. They kind of remind me of Jane Lynch when she played Sue Sylvester in Glee but they’re still very cute in a sporty, I-play-soccer kind of way. 

Going off that more sporty look I think racer jackets will be a bigger microtrend through 2023, either tapering off after New Year’s or staying for a couple years. We saw varsity jackets being made cool under the influence of Princess Diana and teen highschool dramas like (unfortunately) Riverdale, but that’s fallen off as racer jackets come into style. They’re a cool way to spice up an outfit and make a basic pair of jeans and a white shirt look a whole lot more put together and unique. 

“I have my dads vintage flying jacket…I love that jacket with all my heart.” Douglas said. 

Denim on denim is the final microtrend I think will be making a brief and terrifying comeback this year as people wear more flare jeans and the jean jacket section at Goodwill shrinks suspiciously. I doubt denim on denim will last for very long and personally I think it’s honestly a little ugly. Sure, denim overalls are cute but with a denim jacket on top? Just stop. 

“I think [denim on denim] looks very tacky.” said Jay Sainsbury ‘25. 

Flare jeans have been trending with particularly gen-z for a while now following the mom jean trend in the late 2010s as skinny jeans started falling out of style and being packaged in with millennials. 

“Tight ripped jeans were really cool in 2011 and now we’ve slowly made the switch to the opposite end.” said Vick. 

Last Wishes

Separate from the trends I’ve observed in the media and have already started coming in, I have my own trends I want to see gaining more popularity. For starters, bangles. They’re such cool pieces of jewelry that are so much fun to wear since they clack together and can be pushed up my arm like a band or worn loose around my wrists. They’re also easily layered and you can never have too many bangles on your arm. Speaking of bracelets, I really wish charm bracelets would be made trendy again since I think they’re a really great way to add personality to an outfit. You can add or take away charms whenever you want and they’re both fun in a childish way but able to be dressed up in a chic, Breakfast at Tiffany’s way. 

Also in a sort of childish way I hope colored and patterned tights make a big splash this year. I loved this one solid red tights with a black miniskirt look I saw once on Pinterest ages ago and haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since. This trend would be very ’60s, mixing in with the ’70s and ’80s trends I talked about earlier. They’re a statement while still being relatively easy to style and you can honestly wear tights during any season, making them a more versatile piece to have in your closet.

Florals are always going to come back during the spring but I hope we get more fun prints like polka dots, fruit, big flowers but not in a tacky way in a more fun and expressive way.

I also wish mens fashion mattered more since I’m honestly tired of boring grey sweater over grey sweatpants after boring grey sweater over grey sweatpants. This incredible mundanity can also be easily remedied– graphic tees, cargos, painted nails and jackets exist for a reason! Throw on a jacket that’s got patches on it, doesn’t matter if it’s Mickey Mouse or Deftones patches and your outfit is already a lot more interesting and eye-catching. Don’t be afraid to paint your nails and actually put a little effort into an outfit! It’s a green flag to care about what you wear. 

Going out of Style

Finally we have everything that’s being kicked out of the current trend cycles.

Please let us leave the blazer trend behind. I really hated the blazer over biker shorts trend that a lot of models off duty were wearing in fall of 2022 and I’m begging for them not to come back. It doesn’t look business casual, it looks weird and awkward and there’s no way I’m ever going to be pulling up to a Starbucks looking like I’m a CEO of some oil company on top and an avid RAGBRAI (Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa) fan on the bottom. 

 “I remember in 2020 I bought a blazer and I wore it like, once.” Douglas said. 

With denim on denim coming in let’s at the very least avoid the cropped jean jacket that every person on Tumblr had circa 2014. 

I don’t know if anyone else feels this way but I’ve never been the biggest fan of Crocs. I know they’re easy to slip on shoes that are less scandalizing than sandals to wear with socks and you can punch fun little charms through the holes, but they just never really did anything for me. They remind me of Disney adults in a way– weird and off-putting but normalized by society. Kind of like pugs. Like. What’s the deal with them?

Places to Buy 

Now that I’ve given a run down on all the emerging trends of this year you’re probably wondering well, where can I buy them?

To begin, thrifting. Goodwill, Salvation Army, Stuff Etc., The Second Act, Crowded Closet and Upscale Resale are the local thrift stores I hit up whenever I’m in the mood to expand my closet. If you’re ever wondering where a dress I’m wearing is from, chances are I got it at Salvation Army or The Second Act, both of which have killer dress sections. The Second Act is amazing if you’re willing to pay a bit more for good quality vintage pieces and is stocked from floor to ceiling with bins and racks to sort through. Crowded Closet and Goodwill are both good for bags, shoes and I’ve found more than one formal dress from Crowded Closet for under $10. Upscale Resale is a bit out of the ways but is super cheap and oftentimes has hidden gems you wouldn’t normally find in a thrift store. Stuff Etc. is also a bit pricier but has some good pieces here or there, I got a more conservative dress there last summer to wear to dinner with extended family but ended up really liking it and I wear it often now. Thrifting is also highly sustainable and I firmly believe everyone should thrift as a way to save money, reduce fast fashion and help save the planet. Plus, the best items are always being sold for the cheapest prices as they’re recycled through thrift stores.

“I feel like [thrifting] is growing a lot more, as a kid I would always go shopping, I didn’t thrift a lot, and now I’m finding a lot of really cool pieces from the ’70s and early ‘2000s.” Douglas said. 

The White Rabbit, located in downtown Iowa City on Linn Street, is another good place to buy if you’re keeping up with trends. They also have a good vintage section that I’ve picked through on occasion and they always have a cute shoe selection.

Another option for hand-made jewelry is Amelia Douglas at West High. She has an Instagram where she sells her own earrings that are super cute and affordable!

One final place I’m obsessively checking for new drops is bysweatypigeon on Instagram. They mostly make necklaces but also have a variety of rings, bracelets, and earrings available. Their necklaces are all unique and great quality, however they are on the pricier side being a small business with high quality materials. I think it’s worth it though, and if you happen to see me at prom this year with a funky pearl necklace, chances are it’ll probably be from Sweaty Pigeon.

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