If you’ve been reading here over the last year, this post will hold no surprises for you; but I like to look back at my outfits, pick my favourites in retrospective — hindsight gives a different perspective on things — and observe the themes that emerged over the year. I didn’t break any new ground, sartorially speaking, in 2023; rather, I think it was a year of consolidation. I explored the sources of inspiration that have become most meaningful to me, and became more settled (grounded?) in my current avatars. I experienced a lot of joy from my clothes and my outfits in 2023, which is as it should always be, ideally. I also feel that I have reached a stage where, though I remain open to and excited by new possibilities, I am very content with my closet and FOMO-free.
While I would never say that this is the forever iteration of my personal style and closet — because we always grow and change, no matter how old we are or how much we like our current selves — I do feel very comfortable in this version of it. Looking forward into 2024, I see more of the same.
As always, I tried to organize this post around the themes that emerged from my retrospective, and there is no better way to start it than what I call “Ralph Lauren things”.
The thing I love about Ralph Lauren is that he’s as much a storyteller as a designer. That really appeals to me, because I think clothes should always tell a story. His designs don’t actually change that much over the years; there have been iterations of the East Coast prep/British country/American Southwest aesthetics going back to the 80s, but the quality and attention to details is where he shines. It feels authentic rather than trendy, which I appreciate.
Then, there was the 90s revival:
During the late summer and early fall, I had a great time revisiting the outfits I had most coveted as a teenager and never had the chance to wear the first time around. Did I get it all out of my system? I’m not sure. We’ll find out come spring whether I am ready to say goodbye to the 90s, again, or not.
Skirts were another major trend last year, but when are they not:
There were a lot fewer rainbow moments in 2023, but that’s not to say that I fully abandoned that particular aesthetic — colour always lifts my mood:
While brown was the colour of Fall 2023, blue remained a constant all year round:
Wide leg jeans had a big moment this year, and I still can’t get enough:
I committed to cowboy boots this summer, and prairie boho looks in general made a big comeback:
“Creative layers with a side of pattern mixing” remains one of my fave trends for spring and fall:
And after all that is said and done, there was still a miscellany of cool outfits that mixed and matched various trends:
And all of this still doesn’t account for the last few weeks of the year, when outfits were still going strong. Oh well, there is always next year to talk about more!
Welcome to 2024!