Style Shocks: Unveiling the 10 Most Absurd Fashion Trends of the Year
If we ask you what were the weirdest trends of this year, what comes to your mind first? It seems that this year we have shown a tendency towards the absurd, the foreign, the remarkable. So much so that as the year 2023 came to an end, bizarre styles that created almost controversy both on the catwalk and in real life became fashionable.
1. Huge Shoes
Cartoon-heavy footwear has been one of the year's most notable trends, with the craze kicking off in February with the launch of US brand MSCHF's 'big red boots'. The attention-grabbing boots went viral and became the talk of the town with celebrities such as Lil Nas X and Iggy Azalea wearing them.
2. Ribbon low-cut
This season, the stripe detail, which we mostly saw under black blouses, was very popular. Clothing designed to showcase the skin underneath with strategically cut sections first appeared in the 1930s, but it was designers like Thierry Mugler and Tom Ford who fully popularised this trend. Although we didn't see them in daily life this year, they were very popular on the catwalk.
3. Bleached Eyebrows
Another trend this year was dyeing eyebrows a lighter colour than hair. According to researcher Rachael Gibson, the modern version of the 'eyebrowless' aesthetic, which dates back to the Elizabethan era when a large forehead was considered beautiful, gained popularity in the 1990s.
4. The style of 'not wearing' the dress at fashion shows and galas
Two of the most memorable fashion shows of 2023 were the spring/summer shows. Themed 'a parade of dreamy, romantic tulle ball gowns', these dresses started to come off the models' bodies as the show progressed. Some slid sideways, while others turned completely inside out. This was a criticism of capitalism.
5. Combining denim with denim
If you thought the double denim combo trend peaked in the 2000s when Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake came out in matching shades of blue, think again. The trend is back with a vengeance in 2023 with unexpectedly high results. Brands like Marine Serre, Versace, DSquared2, Stella McCartney and many more featured all-denim outfits in their various collections, showing that this look can be both cool and sophisticated when executed well.
6. "Alien elegance" trend
Ever since Doja Cat arrived at the Schiaparelli Haute Couture autumn/winter 2023 show in January looking like she had been beamed in from a spaceship, people have been frantically replicating the look. Covering yourself with stones and suffering in the bath at the end of the day trying to remove them was in fashion this year.
But Doja's face, head and torso were not covered with ordinary stones, but with 30,000 red Swarovski crystals.
7. Wearing underwear on the outside
In a reversal of tradition, in 2023 briefs were officially recognised as fashionable 'outerwear'. Kendall Jenner was one of the earliest pioneers of the trend, causing a media frenzy late last year when she appeared in a tights-over-underwear look from Bottega Veneta's spring/summer 2023 collection.
8. Huge accessories
This year, dramatic shapes proved to be another key look, repeating the ongoing craze for maximalism. Whether it was the hoop skirts in Dior's spring/summer 2023 collection or Gucci's fashion shows, it felt like we were poolside.
9. Cowboy boot crocs
When no one was expecting it, Crocs made a big impact at the end of last month by offering their own version of cowboy boots. What do you think of the boot adaptation of the brand's familiar slippers?
10. Transparent dresses
Transparent clothes were one of the most widespread style choices this year. From the slightly sheer to the completely transparent, sheer dresses, tops and skirts dominated the catwalk and red carpet, appearing at Alaïa, Acne, Bottega Veneta and beyond, and seen on everyone from Dua Lipa, Kate Moss, Florence Pugh and Rihanna.
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