Flapper-tastic fringing and luxury vape pouches — here’s what’s in store for fashion in 2023

Weird Girl, Clean Girl, Dirty Girl, Coquette, Balletcore, Barbiecore, Normcore, Cottagecore, Coastal Grandmother, Twee, Rockstar Girlfriend, Christian Girl Autumn, Whimsigoth: fashion in 2022 has been obsessed with being niche. It’s been a wild ride trying to pin down WTF is going on, and the trend cycle of bleached brows and belt-size skirts are rolling around faster than the countdown to the new year. It’s almost too hard to predict what route the industry is going to head down come 2023, since Adam Sandler proved to be 22’s ‘IT girl’ and Miu Miu had us digging out our old ballet recital flats.

But, despite all the strange pigeonholes JW Anderson’s 3D pigeon clutch may have led you to, the scope for fashion in the new year is looking exciting. Could 2023 be filled with mega sleazy renditions of leather minis and as we head into our Blond Ambition era? Or could we be Bridget-Jonesing our way back to chunky cardis and big scarves on the sofa while we debate whether to flick on the heating? Here we present HUNGER’s fashion predictions of 2023, for what is looking to be a completely unpredictable year. 

Mega Sleaze

Sleaze will never die. Ever. It’s a tacky escapade to embrace the male gaze and exaggerate it for our own use. In the spirit of indie sleaze that made its comeback in ‘22, we are looking to the likes of Lily Rose-Depp in the upcoming film The Idol for new year inspiration. The ‘dirty girl’ aesthetic is set to be taken up a notch, and will likely harness influences from more of the blonde party girls we all know and love. This year was obviously proliferated with recreations of Pamela Anderson in Pam and Tommy, and this 2023 will be the ultimate year for our inner Paris Hiltons, our unapologetic Madonna in her Blond Ambition era, and the old Hollywood ‘making love to the camera’ type of sweetheart necklines and crisp roller curls. Amongst all the tramp stamps, thin brows, sheer tops and halter necks, we are predicting a marriage of sexy sleaze to this years indie return, and hope that a combination of Alexa Chung meets Lindsay Lohan meets Kate Moss will give everyone a fighting chance to adopt the sleazy so and so’s for their own taking.

Digital Lavender 

Leading trend forecaster WGSN has predicted that 2023’s major colour is Digital Lavender. What is digital lavender you may ask? Well, it’s lavender. But digital. In all seriousness, the news of lavender as this year’s colour couldn’t have come at a better time as it is set to cool us down and improve mental health and wellbeing. “Colours with a shorter wavelength, such as Digital Lavender, evoke calmness and serenity. Already embedded in digital culture, we expect this imaginative colour to converge across virtual and physical worlds,” says WGSN. So in the spirit of digital wellness, all this metaverse, Elon Musk drama is officially off our radar as we embrace Digital Lavender in 2023, whether that be some nice ‘digi lav’ knitwear or satin midi skirt: all the upcoming seasons are covered. 

Tassel-ification

The flapper-tastic look of fringing will make its return to 2023, bypassing bohemian into a more glam take on the accessory. We could finally be seeing the roaring 20s take hold this year, and the dramatic glimpse of fringing on runways may pass into a more mainstream look, but retain its glamour in metallic hues, summer dresses and tiered skirts. It could even take a heavy turn, incorporating rope and texture to make the tassel-ification of the new year all the more exciting. Pair with your favourite dancing shoes, as the depth and movement of the tassel trim make for the best look when flowing around the dancefloor. 

Frazzled English Woman

Cinema seems to be a big influence on us this coming year – are we spending too much time on the sofa? Hopefully yes, because the frazzled noughties English woman is calling for all slobs to embrace their feminine rage in the form of skinny scarves and midi skirts. Our inner Keira Knightley’s are already sleuthing their ways onto the horizon, baker boy and banoffee pie in hand. Kate Winslet, Bridget Jones, Helena Bonham-Carter, most characters in Love Actually, and to be honest any single, lonely woman in any 00s film ever are the inspo. The rules are, you must at all have your lumpy scarf, claw clip, bedhead, bobbly cardigan, trusty brown boots and a pack of cigs you were meant to quit somewhere in your oversized, slouchy bag ready at all times. If your new year’s resolution is to have some hunk waiting around the corner to love you just the way you are, frazzly bits and all, then the 00s frazzled English woman may be the perfect look for you. 

Dresses over pants

Stop your eye rolls. Hold your tongue before you start saying “got some blue going on for the teen vogue party’ circa Selena 07. Because in all its hardships, all its nauseating Depop girly nonsense, y2k is proving itself to be a sturdy force in the fashion world, whatever form that adaptation may take. This year, the meaning of fancy pants will be completely reconfigured, and we will see a return of the dress over trousers all over again. It’s comfy, it’s chilled and it can be paired with some kitten heels and a sparkly headband for the ultimate Ashley Tisdale slay. In all honesty, the inspo comes from Katie Holmes, who harked back to her Dawson Creek days at the Jingle Ball last week. She has been known to be quite ahead of her time with her stylist’s help (oatmeal cashmere cardi and matching bralette anyone?). Her blue mini dress over jeans for a red carpet was giving… a certain… je ne sais quoi? Paired with some New Balance and a glowing smile, the outfit was moodboard-ready for the new year, and hailed that ahead of her time Holmesness that we have all giggled at before, until we start wearing the exact same a few months later. So bring out the summer dress with a pair of jeans and clashing shoe choice, because 2023 is the year of dresses over pants all over again.

‘23 Swag 

The undergrounds of fashion are already singing swag-happy songs of drum ‘n’ bass laced with ‘Only fools and horses take ketamine’ t-shirts and Boy London caps. It’s been adopted by rave culture already and will soon hit mainstream as fashion goers realise there are only so many throwbacks that can be crammed into a year without taking inspo from recent times in 2013. But, if you have been pining over your shutter shades sitting in the box in the attic, it may be time to take them out, as swag is actually coming back. Maybe not as cringe as last time, the aesthetic could join Gamer girl and Sci-fi futurism for a metallic and sleeker take on swag. The whole aesthetic is turning into an ironic ode to consumer culture, and with all the other underground aesthetics, will more than likely take hold of the mainstream in 2023. This is the year of no regrets, including the moustaches that were tattooed onto a bunch of forefingers that we know are still out there… somewhere. 

Teeny tiny mini stuff 

We are talking all things tiny for 2023, including micro fringes, mini nails and short, short hair lengths. The micro fringe is perfect for 2023, and hails references of retrofuturism in all its glory. But exposing our foreheads worldwide makes us think… are teeny eyebrows in as well? It may be time for the return of the thin brows after we bleached them all off this year, but ultimately what we are all looking forward to is the return of short nails, including the micro french tip in a small stripe of white. Long extensions have had their say, and the clean cut of the french tip that was originally penned in the ‘70s could make its return. Clean girl meets a certain edginess, as beauty is saying less is definitely more. So get chopping, and embrace tiny beauty as we head into 2023.

Pouches

We aren’t here to relay the return of the ultra mini-bag (been there, done that), we are talking about tiny tiny bags for the sole reason of one item. Etsy sellers and small businesses are already doing it their own way, crocheting and knitting minis especially for their vapes. And if you want to discard the effect that the humble vape has had on fashion, then we turn to Florence Pugh draped in her sheer Valentino for the premier of Don’t Worry Darling as she sips a cocktail with vape in hand. The Fashion Weeks were swirling with the likes and it’s surprising that there is no high fashion pouch to accompany the luxury fits already in circulation. Maybe the rise in ankle bags like the luxury Chanel foot wallet will take a turn for a handy vape pouch? ‘23 may have the answer. 

Hoods

Rainy days won’t be looking as bleak come-Jan ‘23, as we predict hoods are going to be fashion’s new favourite thing. But it may not be as practical as we think, as hoods are going to be more of an old Hollywood type of vibe, where grips will be your new best friend to avoid a satin slip-up. The hood will be an Alaïa take, looking to icons like Grace Jones who graced the brand’s summer ‘86 show in the likes. It has been seen before on the red carpet and every designer has their version, but we predict the timeless classic will trickle down into the mainstream, perhaps onto silhouettes following seductive maxis and floor length dresses, or attached to tops. The draping of the hood onto the shoulders is essential to getting the look spot on, and calls for satins and sheers in its ode to glamour. As the hood is often seen resting on the head, but never quite falling off, it will take some serious Grace-Jones inspired magic and a pair of huge sunnies to get the look right.