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When your social media is dominated by all facets of fashion, every month or so you’ll hear about a supposed TikTok trend with a name that stops your scroll. Last year there was the frazzled Englishwoman, 2020 had cottagecore, and, reaching into the very distant past (2019), there were VSCO girls. These names are silly, by design; fun to talk about; and imply a visually cohesive world that goes beyond individual trendy items. You may run out of things to say about a camel-hair coat, but the old-money aesthetic provides endless commentary.
It’s easy to dismiss it all as noise because these trends often just repackage existing aesthetics and looks: It’s not minimalism, it’s stealth wealth. It’s not sporty, it’s blokette. The -cores, aesthetics, and microtrends of 2023 are most fun to remember as a group—the class of 2023, if you will. And together they show certain themes.
Class anxiety, clearly, made its way into our wardrobes this year, with stealth wealth, quiet luxury, and old-money aesthetic all becoming recognizable buzzwords that actually affected sales numbers. Girlhood became a broader cultural trend, exemplified by girl math (internal calculations like “if I pay for something with cash, it’s free”) and girl dinner (a thrown-together snack plate in lieu of a proper meal). Fashion matched this youthful, femme-forward energy with vanilla girl, tomato-girl summer, bimbocore, and Barbiecore. Escapism is also inherent in the year’s trends. Two—Europecore and tomato-girl summer—tried to capture the spirit of a luxurious vacation. A headscarf to wear à la Grace Kelly is cheaper than a flight to Cannes, after all.
Many of these follow a similar life cycle: A term pops off on TikTok, fashion commentators and journalists write about it, it becomes the buzzword of the moment, and then, invariably, mentioning the term in earnest becomes kind of cringe. And so, below, explore and (re)discover the online fashion trends that defined 2023.
Stealth Wealth, a.k.a. Quiet Luxury
Definition: Logo-less, quality, expensive clothing that’s imagined as a kind of camouflage for the rich. The prime example is Succession protagonist Kendall Roy’s $525 Loro Piana baseball cap—you wouldn’t know how expensive it is just by looking at the plain black hat, but it’s a status symbol regardless. The two terms are used interchangeably, but quiet luxury is more frequently searched. A stealth-wealth wardrobe is filled with neutral, business-casual clothing. Think slacks, cashmere sweaters, and demure necklines and hemlines. Despite the name, one of the appeals of quiet luxury is that it’s an achievable look at many different price points. Your black blazer could be $3,190 from The Row or $60 from Zara. If you know, you know—but most people don’t know. This trend really took off this spring with the trifecta of Gwyneth Paltrow’s ski trial, the final season of Succession, and Sofia Richie’s wedding to Elliot Grainge, which each put a different kind of luxury in the zeitgeist. However, people started to point out that this was not exactly how the ultrarich really dressed, or at least not all of them. Obvious classism aside, it’s also been accused of being boring.
Patron saint: Gwyneth Paltrow in court, which set off the first round of articles around stealth wealth. Kendall Roy’s $525 Loro Piana baseball cap. Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, a true minimalist dragged into this mess.
Peak: May–June 2023, around the time of the Succession series finale
How real was it?: It was covered in The Atlantic, The Washington Post, and The New York Times, as well as pretty much every fashion publication. Brands also saw a real boost: Zegna returned to profitability, and Business of Fashion went as far to say that it was “reshaping the fashion market.”
Old-Money Aesthetic
Definition: A more obvious version of stealth wealth, the old-money aesthetic is a fantastical imagination of what rich people wear in private: white wool, custom Chanel and Ralph Lauren, silly little hats and vests. It’s as if you’re meeting Tom and Daisy Buchanan’s great-grandchildren. Old-money aesthetic is not complete without the requisite world-building: the yacht, the Dom Pérignon, the Lake Como backdrop. But the clothes themselves are, again, simple: white and beige separates, collars, loafers, blazers. It’s also a mindset of investing in your wardrobe, with quality pieces. Sofia Richie has single-handedly led the trend without ever mentioning it by name. Searches for the term peaked following her April nuptials. The bride wore three custom Chanel outfits throughout the wedding weekend, held at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in the South of France. It was obviously opulent, but everything was tasteful, which is why it’s more old money than stealth wealth.
Peak: April–May 2023, following Sofia Richie’s wedding on April 22
Patron saint: Sofia Richie, Princess Diana, old Ralph Lauren ads and shows
How real is it?: It’s hard to separate its impact from that of stealth wealth and quiet luxury, but it is pretty real. Old-money aesthetic is nothing new to 2023 and can be seen as a version of what would have been called preppy in previous decades. Still, Mrs. Richie Grainge’s fashion and impact have reinvigorated it in 2023.
Barbiecore
Definition: Pink, girly, plastic-fantastic clothes, accessories, and interiors. The trend was established last summer, thanks to photos of Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling on the set of Barbie and Pierpaolo Piccioli’s hot pink Valentino collection. However, it only got bigger and brighter this summer, when Greta Gerwig’s movie about the doll was set to be released. Robbie embarked on a press tour for the ages, with stylist Andrew Mukamal outfitting her in ensembles mimicking famous Barbie dolls.
Peak: July 2023, around the July 21 premiere of Barbie
Patron saint: Margot Robbie, Paris Hilton, Barbara Millicent Roberts herself.
How real is it?: Barbiecore has lasted a surprisingly long time. Mattel launched more than 100 partnerships in the lead-up to the movie, and worldwide search interest in Barbiecore increased more than 300% year over year in July (per Google Trends). We drowned in collaborations from Forever 21, Balmain, Vans, Gap, Crocs, and so many more. And that’s just the official Barbie™core. So while it was inescapable because of many companies working in tandem, it was still inescapable.
Mermaidcore
Definition: All things pearlescent, beachy, shimmery. It’s not quite nautical—you won’t find Breton stripes or sailor pants here. This is more ethereal, geared toward a siren. Nobody did it better than Halle Bailey at the world premiere of The Little Mermaid, in which she played Ariel. Her shiny blue Valdrin Sahiti gown with a ruffled, seashell-like bust personified the trend. Dua Lipa, who made her film debut as Mermaid Barbie, also embodied the look on- and offscreen. At the LA Barbie premiere of the movie, Lipa wore a sparkly fishnet custom Bottega Veneta tank dress that captured the spirit of the trend. Because mermaidcore is not really relaxed: It’s glamorous, extra. Mermaidcore is about putting blue eyeshadow and pearls on your face, wearing your most fish-scale-like sequins.
Peak: Halle Bailey’s The Little Mermaid press tour in May 2023
Patron saint: Bailey, Versace spring 1992 and spring 2021, Dua Lipa as Mermaid Barbie
How real is it?: It’s surprisingly real. The celebrity examples are all from red carpets, but many brands designed into the trend, from Givenchy to Loewe to Versace. The look was further endorsed at New York Fashion Week, where it was a beauty trend.
Balletcore
Definition: A way to look like you stepped out of The Nutcracker. Ballet-inspired fashion is nothing new, but it hit a fever pitch this year. The New York City Ballet collaborated with Reformation and J.Crew within the span of two months. The balletcore look is characterized by soft colors, tulle, bows, and pointe shoes. No doubt the ballet-flat resurgence helped this trend.
Peak: Fall 2023, coinciding with the release of the NYCB x Reformation and NYCB x J.Crew collaborations.
Patron saint: NYCB x Reformation collection, Sandy Liang resort 2024, ballerinas real and imagined
How real is it?: Sandy Liang’s been championing the look for a long time, but brands like Miu Miu, Christian Siriano, and Maison Margiela have also brought in ballet influences in recent collections. According to the Instagram account @databutmakeitfashion, positive mentions of balletcore have increased 55% this year.
Tomato-Girl Summer
Definition: One of the more ridiculous names on this list, tomato-girl summer is about dressing like a woman who eats copious amounts of fresh tomatoes (and pasta, red wine, Aperol, and olives) without getting a single speck of red on her white linen ensemble, rather than someone who dresses like a tomato. It’s an irreverent, youthful rebranding of la dolce vita—a bit more fun, a bit more relaxed. It’s a headscarf, a fitted dress, a slip skirt, bold prints, and, yes, the color red.
Peak: Late June and early July 2023, when everyone and their mother (except you) jetted off to Italy
Patron saint: Hailey Bieber, this specific Lisa Says Gah dress, Sophia Loren
How real is it?: A summer fling in every regard, it did not last or make a considerable impact. But it was still fun.
Europecore
Definition: What Americans wanted to wear to fit in on their European vacations, real or imagined. Generally marked by feminine dresses, linen, bikinis, and full skirts, but anything vaguely European will do. Like tomato-girl summer, one did not have to actually be in Europe to participate in the trend: Instead, it’s a way to bring a carefree, yacht-lounging, pizza-eating attitude to your everyday life via your wardrobe.
Peak: August 2023, when everyone was on or dreaming of far-flung vacations
Patron saint: Grace Kelly on a yacht
How real is it?: With 3.3 million views under the hashtag on TikTok and a Target edit on the trend, it was a major aesthetic of the summer but not of the year. Peaked quickly and sharply on Google Trends and never recovered.
Succubus Chic
Definition: A ghoulish, sexed-up Morticia Addams look. It’s as much about beauty as fashion: hollow cheeks, dark eyes, pale skin, all-black wardrobe, and thin or invisible eyebrows.
Peak: January 2023
Patron saint: Angelina Jolie in the 1990s, Gabbriette Bechtel, Arca, Bella Hadid
How real is it?: This is a trend that has bounced around TikTok all of 2023. The hashtag of the same name has 847.3K views—respectable but not viral. But it never really caught on in mainstream media, possibly because it has been accused of glamorizing illness and extreme thinness.
Coastal Cowgirl
Definition: Ever wanted to ride your horse on the beach? Or at least look like you could ride a horse on the beach? Coastal cowgirl—a bohemian approach to westernwear—is the answer to that. It’s cowboy boots, a bikini, a flirty little dress, a straw hat, fringe. It’s also one of the aesthetics that lends itself to world-building: You can complete the look with coastal-cowgirl interiors or bachelorette parties. It’s related to coastal grandmother, which was a trend in summer 2022, but replaces linen pants with jean cutoffs, Birkenstocks with cowboy boots, and sweaters with bikini tops. Still, it has a carefree attitude that you only really find in people who spend considerable time in nature. Barn sold separately.
Peak: April 2023
Patron saint: Anyone in a bikini and cowboy boots
How real is it?: 213.5M views on TikTok, with derivations like coastal cowgirl fashion (9M views), coastalcowgirlcore (4M), and coastalcowgirl decor (773.9K views). It was a genuine TikTok trend that fit into the yearslong affinity for Americana.
Vanilla Girl
Definition: A controversial fashion, beauty, and interiors trend that boils down to cozy beige-ness. It’s a sister of 2022’s clean girl but with a stricter color palette. The vanilla girl wears white chunky sweaters, always has freshly shampooed (and most likely blonde) hair, and mini Ugg boots. She is rigorous about her hair and skin care routine, always looks dewy, and wears her hair slicked back. She also is most likely white, as the name implies.
Peak: January 2023
Patron saint: Influencer Matilda Djerf, random stock photos of blonde women wrapped in sweaters
How real is it?: It went well and truly viral, with the hashtag amassing two billion views on TikTok alongside other popular hashtags like vanilla girl nails, makeup, and perfume. Almost every mainstream article about it, though, is negative and brings up the trend’s blatant whiteness.
Bimbocore
Definition: Bubblegum pink, Y2K-inspired girlish fashion. As the name suggests, it’s a way to reclaim the derogatory term. Channel your inner Paris Hilton (or, for a more modern bent, Ice Spice) with Juicy Couture velour sweatsuits, miniskirts, lip gloss, and pink. It entered the public consciousness in the early 2020s, gaining popularity in early 2022. The artist Scene Queen released an album of the same name in 2022. Scene Queen, whose real name is Hannah Collins, described the album as “hyperfeminine and over-the-top because women have spent far too long making themselves small for other people’s comfort.” Bimbocore is a self-conscious way to reclaim the vapid stereotype of hot girls past.
Peak: May–June 2023
Patron saint: Musician Chrissy Chlapecka, Ice Spice
How real is it?: Though quite similar to Y2K McBling aesthetics, Bimbocore was never as widespread as some of the others on this list, but it has its devotees and 146 million views on TikTok.
Coquette
Definition: Coquette is the French word for flirtatious, and the coquette aesthetic lives up to the name. Think miniskirts, bows, pink puff sleeves, delicate white broderie anglaise tops. Yes, it sounds a lot like balletcore, cottagecore, angelcore, and the Japanese Lolita aesthetic that’s been around since the 1990s. There is no shortage of trends that repackage hyperfemininity. Though it is heavily inspired by Victorian and Rococo fashion, a true coquette look is entirely modern. The lace, bows, pearls, and corsets are tempered by short hemlines, sneakers, and Ultraviolence vinyls. However, in early December 2023, the aesthetic got its very own ironic TikTok trend. Scored to Lana del Rey, users put thin pink bows on ice cubes, macaroni and cheese, vapes—anything really—to make it as dainty and sweet as a coquette. Of course, the trend includes a Lana del Rey song playing in the background.
Peak: December 2023
Patron saint: Kate Moss in John Galliano spring 1992, early Lana del Rey
How real is it?: Coquette has been trending since 2021 but became progressively more popular in 2023. Nylon reported in February 2022 that the term “coquette aesthetic” had 780 million views on TikTok; as of late November 2023, it had 3.1 billion views. Since the look is a rebranding of past, existing trends, it’s pretty established. It doesn’t hurt that it’s now been memed too; it solidifies its place in the public consciousness.
Blokette
Definition: Blokette = bloke + coquette. Blokecore took off in 2022, inspired by British lads and soccer fans. Blokecore uses soccer (erm, sorry, football) jerseys and Sambas to create a laid-back, tomboy look. No doubt the World Cup that year helped elevate the trend. Blokette femmes it up a bit, pairing the team apparel with ribbons, skirts, and exposed limbs. It’s a bit of a mishmash that works well with Gen Z aesthetics and has a thrifted, thrown-together effect, even if it’s all designer.
Peak: July 2023
Patron saint: Julia Fox, Wales Bonner, Bella Hadid eating pizza on the street
How real is it?: It feels pretty contained to TikTok, where the hashtag has 60 million views. But the Olympics are on the horizon, so maybe there will be a resurgence.