In a category that continues to disrupt and dictate mass market aesthetics, EDITED explores what the biggest streetwear brands are backing and six trends to keep top of mind in 2023.
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Key Takeaways
- As the cargos trend shows no sign of slowing down, retailers should top up existing best-sellers, including parachute shapes and earthy tones. For updates, use satin in womenswear as a nod to Y2K and, for menswear, opt for technical fabrics and new sportier 3/4 shapes.
- Y2K’s influence on streetwear has forced moto jackets and maxi skirts into the top investment areas for 2023. Denim emerges as a key fabric across styles, also feeding into the Grunge aesthetic.
- Thanks to the varsity bomber, collegiate graphics have seeped into ranges. Tap into the trend in 2023 by updating sweats and T-shirts with varsity lettering and numbers.
- The football jersey entered fashion assortments in 2022 amid World Cup hysteria. Oversized shapes, retro styling and logo-heavy styles have seen the biggest success this year.
Cargos
The Gorpcore and Y2K-approved trend shows no sign of slowing down going into 2023. The trend caught up on womenswear in 2022, with viral products like Motel’s chute parachute trousers, which replenished five times since their initial drop in February, and Jaded London’s tech cargo, which landed at number five on the Q2 LYST Index.
The mass market took note, seeing arrivals over the past three months alone increase by 198% in womenswear and 98% in menswear YoY. Gen Z’s penchant for all things Y2K instigated the parachute shape as a key item, accounting for 20% of first majority sell outs over the period in womenswear. Male customers bought into more classic outdoor utility styles, with 75% of sales made up of black, green, brown and grey.
On the Spring 2023 runway, silk fabrications seen at Versace and Fendi are the perfect addition to nostalgic stories. In the mass market, although only 7% of cargo intake in womenswear featured satin with little traction, the luxury space saw first majority sell-outs on three colorways of Off-White’s wide-leg style.
For male consumers, dad-style 3/4 lengths emerged, still in technical fabrications but with a sportier feel, spotted at Givenchy and Robyn Lynch. Across genders, Grunge themes will cause cargo options to spill over into denim, an area already seeing significant growth across menswear and womenswear in the mass market, with options climbing 257% and 971% YoY in Fall 2022, respectively.
Maxi Skirts
There is no denying Y2K’s influence in the streetwear space, with long-length skirts being one of the biggest new shapes in 2022. First, the Bella Hadid ACG vintage cargo style that caused a frenzy online and, more recently, Ganni’s collaboration with Levi’s, which became a front-row favorite at fashion week and saw the £245 denim skirt sell out.
Long skirts made up 29% of skirt arrivals in the mass market, with EDITED tracking cargo and parachute, denim and low-rise styles as best-sellers. In the luxury sector, Rick Owens and ACNE Studios led the top moving styles, seeing first majority sell outs of jersey, split hem and metallic iterations of the trend.
Denim is the runway-approved fabric underpinning this trend in 2023. With Grunge hysteria dominating collections, fraying and acid-washing were details from key designers, Diesel and Givenchy.
Go one step further and update denim silhouettes with cargo styling – seen at Blumarine – as a welcome addition to Y2K assortments. The return of Gorpcore next year will see an emphasis on womenswear as it plays catch up, so include techy fabrics in earthy tones to assist in building out the theme.
Moto Jackets
One of 2022’s hot-ticket items, the Bikercore subculture, has caused the moto jacket to rival the varsity bomber’s cult status. The trend has been propelled by the release of Rosalia’s Motomami album and the resurgence of noughties nostalgia citing Christina Aguilera’s Dirty period and Diesel’s comeback.
Even in the mass market, moto jacket arrivals climbed 74% YoY in Fall 2022. The newly released PALACE x Gucci leather jacket trouser that has dominated social feeds has only fortified the trend’s return next year.
Those tapping into the 2000s appeal of this trend have had proven success with sell outs on washed styles at Diesel and even biker pants, selling out in just seven days of landing at Bottega Veneta. More directional, denim versions of the style will refresh and support any noughties trend stories already spotted at Diesel and Supreme this year.
For female consumers, the runway was a treasure trove of inspiration, noting biker details such as padding, color-blocking and zips at Dion Lee and Dior, while menswear designers, including RHUDE, opted for a stripped-back, cleaner look.
Varsity
While the varsity jacket remains a key ingredient to the Preppy aesthetic, the trend has transpired beyond the classic bomber, with collegiate graphics migrating across to sweats, accessories and knitwear. Streetwear labels have done well to shrug off the elitist Ivy League sentiment tied to the trend and, now more inclusive, the Prep Boy encompasses a new kind of self-expression.
Aimé Leon Dore and Kith have the aesthetic built into their DNA and bring a new smarter aesthetic to streetwear, mixing much-loved classics like chinos and Oxford shirts with New Balance 550s, beanies and chains or fleeces and shearling jackets. The news of Kith founder Ronnie Fieg becoming Creative Director of the New York Knicks will only propel the trend even further into 2023.
Kenzo’s Class of 2023 on the Spring 2023 runway hailed a new era for the brand and added a playful side to Preppy. Landing online in September, its Varsity collection has seen knitwear outperform other categories with best-sellers, including V-neck, striped and numbered graphic jumpers in bright hues.
Elsewhere on the runway, neon pink hoodies at MSGM and slouchy striped jumpers at Paul Smith breathed new life into the trend, mixing sweats with tailoring and adding a younger feel to the classic trend. Don’t just take cues from the runway, PALACE, Kith and Supreme have all tapped into the style with updated collegiate logos on sweatshirts and tees, offering a simple update to core offerings.
Fuzzy Fleece
Outdoor brands and streetwear labels have had a long-standing relationship and their continued influence has brought Gorpcore to the masses. A bi-product of this has been the fleece jacket, noting Patagonia’s Better Sweater fleece in the LYST Index for Q3 as one of the year’s most coveted items.
Continued partnerships with The North Face have seen collaborations with Supreme, KAWS and Gucci this year, all of which have continued to champion the fleece. In the mass market, while arrivals are steady, standout trends have seen neutral colorways climb 11pp in menswear and, in womenswear, browns have increased by 9pp in the assortment mix.
Technical detailing remains at the heart of this trend. Case in point, Aimé Leon Dore’s reversible style has seen the majority of SKUs sell out in both colorways. Color-blocking used in The North Face x Gucci collab and main range can be an easy update to achieve a technical look.
A sprinkling of fleece was spotted on the Spring 2023 runway, as we anticipate updates from the Fall 2023 runway. Dior’s contrast taped styles and 1/2 zips, also spotted at Kiko Kostadinov, were a welcome update to shape for next year. For womenswear, the SKIMS effect is likely to have an influence, with the brand having recently released its fleece loungewear that includes corseted tops and bottoms for luxe lounge looks.
Football Jerseys
The Blokecore subculture reared its head this year, paving the way for an endless stream of football jersey releases. Amid World Cup hysteria this month, streetwear labels feel like the trailblazers in the space. Partnerships with sportswear brands have been a regular occurrence, recently noting ARIES’ partnership with New Balance and the PALACE collab with Umbro.
Not to mention the luxury market taking a piece of the action, spotting jerseys in some of the biggest collaborations to drop this year: PALACE x Gucci and Balenciaga x adidas. Interestingly, Balenciaga’s red soccer T-shirt has seen better SKU movement in bigger sizes after the campaign featured Bella Hadid sporting an oversized jersey.
With a Martine Rose seal of approval on the Spring 2023 runway, this trend has legs heading into the new year. While the mass and luxury markets have only dipped a toe in for Fall 2022, sales have proven consumer appetite has grown. Sell outs in the market include streetwear interpretations like ARIES x New Balance x AS Roma to mass market boohooMAN’s Homme jersey.
Remember, this is a logo-heavy trend, so sought-after brands have a particular accolade when selling shirts. For success, look to Balenciaga’s adidas soccer jersey for inspiration, boasting unisex appeal, retro sports themes and an oversized trend-driven block.
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