New York Fashion Week Dropped an awful lot on our plate this past Fall 2022 – From an onslaught of items that can definitely not be worn to work (ie sheer dresses, super low-rise dress pants, and strategically placed cutouts on everything) to mildly disturbing sexy school girl looks (high socks and baby doll dresses couple with pigtails and overtly adorable hair pins)…
Resellers were left saying “what the heck do I thrift for exactly?
As a 25-year veteran of trends translating to resale rewards, I will tell you, trends DO matter. They will settle into a groove around mid-February as people grow tired of the cold and prepare to step out in something new for Spring.
All things being equal, here’s my gut reaction based on New York Fashion Week, Target, and Zara’s reaction to those potential trends and a few insights from my inventory replenishment needs.
The Top Ten TRENDS You Should Have In Your Closet in 2023:
1. Colorful Leather or vegan leather jackets and skirts – No matter the length of the skirt – super short or maxi, there should be some color in that leather or vegan leather. Whether it’s a totally electric peach jacket or just has a pop of neon lime, color is key to the leather trends this season.
2. Peek-a-Boo Dresses – Go sheer or go home is apparently going to be on the agenda this Spring – sheer or sheer look dresses and tops as well as cutouts strategically placed to show off some skin. It all just makes me think I better get my flabby belly to the gym asap!
3. Speaking of sheer, body con is also not going anywhere soon for those that can pull it off! And for those that can’t, you better stock up on all things shapewear – current trends remain SKIMS, Spanx, Yitty by Lizzo, and Wacoal with Yummie Tummie rounding out the group of trending shapewear.
4. LOW RISE pants are baccccccccck so besides doing baccccck exercises to accommodate said low-rise, be on the lookout for low-rise dressy pants with a slouch to them. Miu Miu made headlines with their low-rise look – belted slouchy low-rise khakis, pointy toe stilettos, and a tucked-in sweater. All gorgeous in the trending creams and blacks that swept over Fashion Week – with just adorable hints of color – Zara and Target brands immediately followed suit with the low-rise look, ensuring it will sweep the nation this Spring.
5. The School Girl – yes 90’s Brittney is back with short plaid skirts, baby doll lace, knee-high socks, cutie pie hair pins, pig-tails and just a hint of 90s grunge with platform boots to bring together the whole look – grab a little bit of everything because ’90s is BACK BABY for 2023!
6. The bigger the shoes get and the higher the heels, the smaller the purses seem to be trending on the flip side! Adorable patent leathers and small impractical HANDBAG styles of the 40s and 50s are all the rage. If it's not patent leather, it should be distressed leather. Good news for resellers who can get behind some distressed backpacks and messenger bags for some extremely profitable flips this season
7. Activewear trends are staying with us so don’t give up on ALO, Lululemon, and the like – some new looks for 2023 in athleisure land are sure to make you smile including athletic dresses, skorts, and skirted leggings as well as my favorite trend that left the building – flared yoga pants! I still have my faded and forever faves from 1998 and I am SO GLAD I held onto them. They are Nikes and still make my butt go HEY THERE! I knew they would come back eventually! Now I need to hit Poshmark to find a few more pairs!
8. Another trend I am so thrilled to welcome back: DIP DYES – mostly DIP DYE Dresses! I love dip dying for fun and for-profit and 2023 is promising to be a crafty year for yours truly! New York Fashion Week was chock full of Dip Dye beauties – short and maxi, no matter! Just so long as the dip dying was fierce! I loved the gray and black dip dye looks they rocked at JOSEPH SEIBEL
9. We can’t talk Spring trends without talking jeans – and the jeans this Spring might cost a bit more just due to the high fabric count! Look at all that extra denim! You’ve got puddle jeans, flare, and barrel jeans competing for the top spot, and all of them equal = MORE OF EVERYTHING! More length, more width, and more rise! Yes, despite the low-rise revival in the dressy and khaki world, it seems hi-rise has NOT left the building on the denim front. No wonder platform shoes are so popular! The length of these puddle and flare jeans are enough to toss your clumsy butt down a flight of stairs! So stock up on MORE of everything and watch your STEP!
10. Hair trends are killing it this year and it makes resellers say YAH! I am in love with the vintage hair pins emerging on the scene post-Fashion Week – a must for your closets this Spring. Long luxurious hair, slick side parts, and 70’s bangs are all back and every single trend demands pinbacks! And if you don’t have luxurious locks to sport, no worries because hair extensions are making a major comeback! As well as extension braids and fancy hair updos! Fun!
P.S. Don’t forget the look-at-me jewelry! Brutalist double drop earrings, sparkles and huge post earrings, bold cuffs, and chunky necklaces will be all the rage – all colors and sizes! So don’t skimp when you are thrifting! Faux is fine and the bigger the better so stock up on 90s and Y2K pieces and make some cash!
The good news about the emerging trends this Spring is that Resellers can compete in a big way! 90’s styles, plaids, flare, low-rise, hair clips, and dip dying? We got this guys! Let’s hit the bins with a vengeance and make 2023 a prosperous year of saving some textiles from landfills, shall we? Let’s go!
Megan Morris, co-founder of The Posh Pro Project Inc, Closet Consultant at Poshfest 2022, Digital Marketing expert with 30 years' experience in media marketing and 25 years' experience in resale.