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Q&A: UK expert predicts fashion trends in 2023

Each new year rings in updated trends of health, technology, climate, the economy, politics, fashion and so much more. UKNow is exploring 2023 by asking University of Kentucky experts to predict and discuss upcoming trends in their areas.

Scarlett Wesley, Ph.D., director of graduate studies and associate professor in the Department of Retailing and Tourism Management in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, shares her predictions for 2023 fashion trends.

UKNow: What influences fashion trends each year?

Wesley: Right now, social media is having the largest influence on fashion trends. Literally overnight someone on social media can gain a large following, and brands are taking advantage of working with these influencers to reach audiences. We will however see a slight decrease in spending as inflation grows. This will result in the popularity of thrifting clothing and encouraging people to restyle their closets. 

UKNow: What are you fashion predictions for 2023? 

Wesley: The color brown will continue to trend as a neutral. We will see shades of pink be dominate from soft baby pinks to strong burgundy and maroon shades. Wide leg pants will continue to trend as we carry a more oversized silhouette into 2023. I believe 2023 will be a year of using fashion to express your own personal style more than ever. Individuals are picking what works for them and incorporating those fashion choices despite what may seem trendy.

UKNow: What fashion trends do you think will stay in 2023, and which do you think are kind of dying out? 

Wesley: Wide leg pants and oversized clothing is here for at least the next year. Also the concept of cozy dressing as we still find ourselves staying in more and going out less. What is dying out are the more constrictive fashions. People more than ever before want to feel comfortable. We will continue to see a more muted color palette with calm colors being dominate in all areas of fashion. 

UKNow: What decade do you feel 2022 fashion trends were most influenced by? 

Wesley: Definitely the 1990s and early 2000s. Elements of these decades have been reinterpreted to appeal to today’s media savvy consumer. 

UKNow: What trends have you seen come back this year from previous years/decades? 

Wesley: We are seeing fashions from both the 1990s and early 2000s recently, including the popularity of flannel shirts, low rise jeans and mini skirts, as well as tailored pieces such as vests. 

The University of Kentucky is increasingly the first choice for students, faculty and staff to pursue their passions and their professional goals. In the last two years, Forbes has named UK among the best employers for diversity, and INSIGHT into Diversity recognized us as a Diversity Champion four years running. UK is ranked among the top 30 campuses in the nation for LGBTQ* inclusion and safety. UK has been judged a “Great College to Work for" three years in a row, and UK is among only 22 universities in the country on Forbes' list of "America's Best Employers."  We are ranked among the top 10 percent of public institutions for research expenditures — a tangible symbol of our breadth and depth as a university focused on discovery that changes lives and communities. And our patients know and appreciate the fact that UK HealthCare has been named the state’s top hospital for five straight years. Accolades and honors are great. But they are more important for what they represent: the idea that creating a community of belonging and commitment to excellence is how we honor our mission to be not simply the University of Kentucky, but the University for Kentucky.

Original source can be found here.