The year 2022 was the year of Crocs, and coincidentally, it was the second fastest-growing brand (behind Meta) of the year. With any financial concerns left in the past, the company reported an annual revenue of £1.7 billion!
But which top trending fashion items has 2023 brought? We want to analyse search trends, article mentions, and TikTok tags to reveal the year's biggest, most loved, and most hated fashion trends.
With the revolution of TikTok shop, the app has cemented itself as the home of the latest fashion trends, style hacks, and inspiration worldwide. Celebrity collaborations and paid advertising have influenced more and more users to shop top picks directly on the app.
By combining our data, the team at Hey Discount have revealed the most popular fashion trends of 2023 and pinpointed the trends that are set to remain in 2022.
The Top Trending Fashion Items of 2023
Midi Dresses are the Biggest Statement Pieces of 2023
1. Midi Dress
Overall Score: 9.42 out of 10
Mid-length dresses are the top trending fashion pieces of 2023, scoring 9.42 out of 10 in the ranking. Acquiring a search volume of almost 1.5 million in the last year, it's clear that the public is opting for longer-length dresses in 2023, and it's no wonder, as celebrities, including the likes of Kim Kardashian and Hilary Duff, have been spotted wearing the style. Their midi dresses were seen paired with white sneakers as part of their summer uniform.
Kim K’s cult brand, Skims, offers midi-length slip dresses that provide comfort and style no matter the season, and dupes of the infamous dress have gone viral on TikTok. With 12 article mentions and 626.4 million TikTok tag views, the midi dress is here to stay.
2. Leather Jacket
Overall Score: 9.21 out of 10
The timeless leather jacket ranked in second place, scoring 9.21 out of 10. The leather jacket is a staple piece that has lived in the fashion world for decades, sported by the likes of Danny Zuko back in the 70s’ in the days of Grease through to the present day.
The new leather jacket trend pays homage to this history, as vintage-inspired styles are the new go-to. Social media influencer Molly-Mae sported the infamous biker jacket from Zara back in April 2022, and since then, it has been seen everywhere. The TikTok tag for ‘#mollymaejacket’ has 27.9 million views and counting. The jacket scored generally the highest on TikTok, collecting 404.3 million TikTok tag views, and also recorded over 4 million Instagram hashtags to its name.
3. Mini Dress
Overall Score: 9.12 out of 10
Mini dresses came in third place with a score of 9.26 out of 10. Mini dresses fell well below the midi length style for its number of searches with less than half the volume (522,000 annual searches) but scored higher for its TikTok tag views (665.1 million views); there were almost 3 million Instagram hashtagged posts. Mini dresses are a cult favourite for the summertime and can be worn both day and night. But, the midi style will likely take over by the end of the year.
4. Loafers
Overall Score: 8.54 out of 10
Loafers came fourth place, scoring 8.54 out of 10 for searches and social media popularity. The loafer is a great choice of smart casual shoes for both men and women and can be worn with blouses and suits or even t-shirts, making it an effortless and highly flexible shoe. The loafer was introduced in England in the 1920s as a casual shoe for King George VI to ‘loaf around’ in.
Loafers recorded 788,000 Google searches in the last year, with almost 440 million TikTok tag views. The trendy shoe also recorded 1.6 million Instagram mentions.
5. Sequin Dress
Overall Score: 8.14 out of 10
While sequin season traditionally falls in December to coincide with the stream of festive parties, this year declares that spring and summer is the perfect time to show off glitz and glamour. The search term “sequin dress” revealed 952,500 searches in the last 12 months, indicating that sequin dresses are likely to become a perennial favourite.
The Most Searched Fashion Trends of 2023
Crocs Are Here to Stay, with Almost 9 Million Annual Searches
1. Crocs
Annual Searches (Jul 2022 - Jun 2023): 8.9 Million
Crocs are a controversial fashion choice, dividing opinions with their grandad-esque look, which is evidently part of the business strategy for the billion-dollar company. The clogged shoe has been dubbed the most comfortable thing you can wear this summer, so it's no shock that Crocs reached an astonishing 8.9 million searches in the last 12 months.
2. Midi Dress
Annual Searches (Jul 2022 - Jun 2023): 1.5 Million
The midi dress made it to our top three once again, this time for reaching almost 1.5 million searches in the last year, but still milestones behind the infamous Crocs.
3. Trench Coat
Annual Searches (Jul 2022 - Jun 2023): 1.2 Million
Trench coats are trans-seasonal and timeless, making them essential to any wardrobe. The piece remains a popular staple piece for many, totalling 1.2 million searches over the last year. At Paris Fashion Week 2023, the trend of practicality was evident as visitors opted for trench coats instead of faux furs and puffer jackets.
4. Shirt Dress
Annual Searches (Jul 2022 - Jun 2023): 1.1 Million
Collecting an impressive result of over 1.1 million searches, shirt dresses are back this spring and summer season and will likely stick around. Utility-style shirt dresses were popular a few years ago, usually complimented with a waist belt to show off your silhouette. Now, oversized, floaty style shirt dresses are in style and are perfect for hot summer days, and many pleated styles have gone viral on TikTok. The shirt dress recorded over 1.1 million searches in the last 12 months, placing fourth in the ranking.
5. Leather Jacket
Annual Searches (Jul 2022 - Jun 2023): 1.0 Million
The leather jacket placed fifth in our ranking with 1.05 million searches. There are plenty of leather jacket styles around at the moment, from oversized blazer fits to slim-fitting biker jackets. The Zara leather jacket went viral in February when influencer Molly-Mae wore it.
1. Shoulder Padded Jacket
Annual Searches (Jul 2022 - Jun 2023): 2,650
As a popular trend in 2021 through 2022, the shoulder-padded jacket is a classic fit that has never really gone out of style, but like anything else, its popularity wanes and waxes. As seen on models and on the red carpet, the style is an ambitious choice for fashion-forward individuals. However, jackets with shoulder pads declined in popularity in the last year, collecting just 2,650 searches.
Shoulder Padded Jackets Set to be Left in 2022 with Just 2,650 Annual Searches
2. Straight Trousers
Annual Searches (Jul 2022 - Jun 2023): 8,860
Straight trousers recorded the second-lowest search volume, with just 8,860 searches in the last 12 months. Straight trousers can be worn from day to night and are a popular choice as office wear. However, 2023 has been the year of cargo trousers, with the search term collecting 817,000 searches last year.
3. Plaid Jacket
Annual Searches (Jul 2022 - Jun 2023): 15,950
The plaid jacket was popular in 2022, bringing back wool-blended outerwear as a warmer alternative to leather jackets. Sadly though, the checked jacket’s rendition has died out in the last year, collecting just 15,950 searches annually.
4. Lime Dress
Annual Searches (Jul 2022 - Jun 2023): 20,470
Lime-coloured dresses were a popular choice in the summer 2022 season and are a bold choice for many. At the 2023 Paris Couture Fashion Week, Cardi B was seen wearing a lime green column dress and a matching hood shawl. Still, it seems that even celebrity influence hasn’t encouraged consumer demand, as the lime-coloured dress recorded 20,470 searches, placing fourth in the ranking.
5. Rhinestone Bag
Annual Searches (Jul 2022 - Jun 2023): 24,400
Rhinestone bags placed fifth in the ranking for the least searched fashion trends. In 2022, the rhinestone bag gained popularity, and dupes of the Prada bag with crystals were everywhere. However, it seems that the glitzy bags have seen less interest in the last year, recording just 24,400 searches worldwide.
Methodology
To find the top fashion trends and brands of 2022 and 2023, a seed list was taken using articles like Glamour, Refinery, and Vogue.
Each fashion trend’s annual global search volume was taken from Google Keyword Planner for the last 12 months. This data is accurate as of 01/08/2023.
Each trend was also analysed on their social media data, using TikTok and Instagram to find the number of tag views and hashtag mentions. This data is accurate as of 01/07/2023.
Each fashion trend was ranked based on its score for social media factors and search volume and was normalised against each other to receive a score out of 10.
