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Outfit repeating might be something that we all feel a bit intimidated by, but never fear, repetition is here! Fashion trend forecasters are predicting ‘repetition’ as a big one for 2023. When you think of Steve Jobs, you probably picture him in a black turtleneck, right? How about when you think of Taylor Swift… did a classic ruby red lip cross your mind? We are being encouraged to pick a staple piece and have it on rotation, wearing a signature piece with a variety of our other clothes. 

Integrating your clothes into numerous outfits is a step in the right direction when it comes to pulling away from fast fashion and fleeting trends, which means this up and coming repetition trend might just be the key to reducing our textile waste. 

Having staple pieces that are instantly recognisable will shape your personal brand and become integral to your style. Over time, these signature pieces will become emblematic, like they have for Elton John, who we associate with a pair of groovy, embellished glasses, or Anna Wintour and the chic oversized sunglasses that never leave her nose.

The repetition trend gives us a way to shape our personal brand without having to constantly keep an eye out for the next ‘it’ item. It also means we will be generating less waste, as we pull away from our former friend, fast fashion, and lean into creating sustainable looks with the clothes already in our closets. This is a great way to discourage overconsumption and slow down the prevalent fast fashion crisis.

Textile waste makes up over 10% of carbon emissions worldwide each year (more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined!), which is a huge contributor to climate change. So don your favourite velour tracksuit (Paris Hilton’s signature outfit) more often and you’ll not only be partaking in the latest 2023 fashion trend, but also making a step in the right direction when it comes to cutting carbon emissions.

As we all know, fashion inspiration starts at the tent pole shows before they quickly trickle down to fast fashion companies that produce dupes at alarming speeds . Both New York and Paris Fashion weeks have been and gone, but WOMAN+ is here to discuss some of our favourite collections  that were seen on the runways.

Fendi

This year, we saw a very wearable collection with a mostly neutral, earthy toned coloured palette. Calm camel beiges, muted grey-blues, pale burnt oranges and funky pops of fluoro green were donned in free-flowing silhouettes with plenty of movement. However, the focus was without a doubt on the highlighter green we kept seeing in accessories and outfit essentials. Although we thought the era of green was done and dusted since Bottega Veneta took the world by storm in Daniel Lee’s Spring 2021 collection, it seems that fluorescent lime is the 2023’s take of the colour of lush tranquillity.

Mugler

Oh how we missed Mugler’s presence on the runway. This was their first show since lockdown and it was nothing short of striking. Full of 90’s supermodels and cultural icons, Mugler had a range of models spanning widely in age, ethnicity and size to hero the diversity. Denim, leather, and lace was a feature in this collection and asymmetry was also a big star of this show. Boundary-breaking in classic Thierry Mugler’s fashion, the designs and fabrics in this collection made for a playful yet sultry runway experience.

Ferragamo

This collection was inspired by Ferragamo’s historic connection to Hollywood to give it a strong 1950’s-esque vibe. Designer Maximilian Davis seems to have plucked out our 50’s fashion soft spots and modernised them to make this collection more wearable. Have we mentioned how big bags have subtly started to take over the mini bag trend? That’s right, move over mini, big bags are in, and this Ferragamo Fall 2023 collection absolutely aced it.

Diesel

Described as a sexually charged show, the Diesel collection was a highly anticipated one. Diesel is named the designated ‘it’ brand of the moment in online discourse, sharing the title with Miu Miu of course. In the jean world, we are still loving low-rise but they’re slowly getting skinnier – a scary thought for those of us who have latched on to our baggy mom jeans.

Miu Miu

Tights – everyone has a pair, which makes this new look accessible to everyone without spending a dime. Miu Miu have truly started something with this rather innovative exposed tights idea. The way the top part of the tights adds dimension and breaks up each outfit is a unique way to style a pair of tights.

Honourable mention to the Miu Miu ‘no pants’ or ‘micro shorts’ – this doesn’t come as much of a surprise. Micro skirts have become so popular that it only makes sense for shorts to follow suit.

Paris and New York fashion week woke the innovators of fashion and invited countless styling ideas. There truly is nothing like a bit of inspiration to prepare us for the upcoming change of season and liven up our wardrobes. These past fashion weeks have only made us even more electrified waiting for the next few. Look out for London fashion week, scheduled for early June 2023.

What does gender have to do with clothes? Not as much as we think.

Gender is a construct. We are all taught to perform the gender assigned to us at birth. Girls learn that they should like the colour pink, flowers, dresses, and makeup. They are taught to sit pretty, stay thin, be soft and sensitive. Boys grow up playing with toy cars and trucks, and building things. They are expected to be strong, unafraid, and are for some reason, assigned the colour colour blue. Of course, none of these things actually make you a man or woman. Gender is learned, which means gender can be unlearned.

Clothing is a big part of gender, or so we are told, when in actual fact, clothes are simply pieces of fabric. Why did we give clothing a gender?  How did we turn something so simple into a complex binary? Who knows. Androgyny can be defined as a way of dressing that doesn’t focus on the binary of ‘masculine’ or ‘feminine’, it’s somewhere in between, or neither masc or fem. 

In recent years there’s been a gender-fluid flourish in fashion. We’ve seen men wearing skirts, nail polish, eyeliner, and taking a step toward androgyny. You can be soft and sensitive whilst also being masculine, and vice versa, you can be tough, powerful, and angry whilst also being feminine. 

It’s important to note that a lot of people have paved the way for androgynous dressing in today’s world. Celebrities like Harry Styles and Miley Cyrus are generally embraced and accepted for what they wear which wouldn’t be the case if it wasn’t for a lot of mostly queer, black and brown people.

These androgynous icons nail the gender-fluid look.

Prince 

Prince wore makeup, donned a typically feminine silhouette, and rocked heavily styled hair. A true trailblazer in androgynous dressing.

Ruby Rose

Ruby Rose goes for more masculine presenting clothing, but is still regarded as an androgynous icon, after all, how could we forget this video from 2015.

Lil Uzi Vert 

Lil Uzi Vert loves wearing skirts and dresses as well as painting their nails. It’s also a very camp fashion statement to get a pink diamond installed in your forehead. 

Annie Lennox

One half of 80’s pop duo “Eurythmics,” who created the smash hit “Sweet Dreams,” Annie Lennox is truly an androgynous legend.

Billy Porter

Perhaps the King of, “F**k gender roles”, Billy Porter often serves us a classy androgynous look on the red carpet. A true LGBT trailblazer.

Emily and her eclectic closet are back with better, bolder, fashion choices.

Self proclaimed fashionista Emily Cooper, played by Lily Collins, moved from the Big Apple to Paris in season one of Emily In Paris to pursue her career in marketing. Season two follows the dramatic ups and downs of her career mishaps and successes, messy love life, and ever-evolving friendships, along with some fashion fun on the side. Emily, who is always wearing something completely shocking, has admittedly controversial style – she’s got that love it or hate it type of fashion sense. 

Emily is often found in a loud, eclectic, and sometimes clashy outfit. Costume designer Patricia Fields, is well known for her work on both Sex and The City and The Devil Wears Prada, so it’s no surprise Emily looks confident in her daring style. But of course, Emily’s wardrobe is supposed to be exactly that, as it is a reflection of her character – flamboyant and loud. No one can deny this new season is a visual feast for the eyes.

Many fans of the show find themselves conflicted, often having mixed emotions about Emily’s style.

Here are some of Emily’s best ensembles from season two.

Gloriously green

A pattern mixing outfit that is carried out flawlessly. I love how the whole look is centred around green, and the pink from the top matches the shoes, it’s the details that count! Although there are a few different shades of green throughout this look, the dark forest green of the belt and bag really pull it all together.

Lush Lavender Frills

A super fun and, super flamboyant look in true Emily fashion, this strapless Lavender dress with giant ruffles and a floral yellow print is a memorable ensemble that was in theme with the event for the McLaren Artura.

Suave in St Tropez 

A fan favourite, everyone is dying over this look online. The soft, subtle blue tones of the dress and shoes match flawlessly with this more arty, abstract coat. The headscarf and ridiculously giant white framed sunglasses give this outfit a classic 40’s era silhouette – divine.

Birthday Bows

What to wear to your birthday other than a little black dress? Although this look is from season one, we couldn’t not include it. Emily nails this LBD with a rather camp pink bow across the bust, designed by Denmark label Rotate. It’s so elegant, chic, yet still flamboyant and fun. Emily wears a green, silky looking kimono over the top which helps break up the dress.

Perfect In Pink Feathers

It seems Emily has ditched the stilettos in season two! The juxtaposition of wearing something hyper feminine like this pink feather cape and the big chunky kick-ass heels is perfect for a modern spin on this retro-like feather duster.

Where to find Emily in Paris Pieces:

Net-A-Porter

Emily loves an off-the-shoulder cut, so this pretty pink tulip-like dress screams Emily.

This silky sleek feather dress delves into the more luxury side of Emily’s style. Classy and chic yet still has that playful edge to it that Emily does so well.

Revolve

Such a sweet little two piece. Introduce some pattern mixing and a hat, and you’ll have a very Emily outfit for the summer days.

Jeffrey Campbell

Our girl wears some pretty funky metallic boots in this season, here’s our take.

Rotate

By the same designer as Emily’s little black bow dress, This one has a large bow at the back, which is a major trend in bridal wear at the moment!

We saw some pretty daring looks on the runways in 2022, which means we can expect double the fashion fun for 2023. Here are some of the main fashion trends we are anticipating in this coming year.

Repetition

Outfit repeating is in. I repeat, outfit repeating is in. Wearing the same outfit more than a few times might be something we are all a little bit hesitant to do, especially with how fleeting trends are these days. But never fear, repetition is here! In 2023 we are being encouraged to don a staple piece that is worn so often, it starts becoming a recognisable item from your wardrobe. This is a great way to discourage overconsumption and slow down the prevalent fast fashion crisis. 

Mary-Kate Olsen and her beat-up Hermès bag are the perfect example of this repetition trend. During the mid 2000’s, Mary-Kate was hardly ever seen without her handy-dandy vintage Hermès bag, everywhere she went, the Hermes went too. The classic black bag became Mary-Kate’s signature, a fan favourite, and was integral to her personal style.

Juxtaposition

We’ve seen this style in previous years but it’s in 2023 that we can expect it to get serious. The main way we say the juxtaposition trend styled throughout the 2020’s is a frilly feminine skirt and black, chunky combat boots. This classic combo is taking a utilitarian turn. Mixing soft feminine silhouettes with clunky more structured pieces is the key to nailing this trend, a twist of edginess is the perfect amount of contrast to make a statement.

Utilitarian Style

Buckles, double belts, teeny tiny pockets, giant pockets, adjustable clothing, anything to make our lives easier is a trend we are welcoming with open arms. Utilitarian style was already gaining traction in 2022, and in 2023 we expect to see it even bigger and better than before. The Utilitarian trend will have a special focus on clothes and accessories made for heightened comfort and functionality.

Gold, Silver and Bronze

As we enter the recession, it is very likely that we’ll be seeing the fashion industry start to mimic money in many different ways. Shiny gold, silver, and bronze fabrics will be very popular in 2023, mimicking coins. This happened during the 2008 recession and it looks like it’s going to happen again.

Kim Kardashian’s shapewear brand, SKIMS, recently released a swimwear range that featured gold, silver, and bronze colourways.

Futurism

Another reason we may be seeing more gold, silver, and bronze colouring in clothes is the futurism trend. Futurism has been around for a long time in the fashion realm, but we will start to see more wacky, out-there designs on runways this year, as designers push the boundaries further than they ever have before.

Take Bella Hadid at the Coperni show in October of 2022 for example. Bella stood in her undergarments as a liquid fabric made of polymers, additives and fibres were sprayed directly onto her body and shaped into a dress whilst on her body. This art-installation-esque display was a perfect illustration of what the futurism trend is to bring in 2023.