2023 Predictions
Issue 17
Hi, hello!
We are back. Time is flying. And I love the freshness of a new year.
At this very moment, I’m draped across a pink velvet couch in my favorite Richmond, Va hotel. If you walked out of the hotel, took a right, walked a few blocks, took another right and then a left you’d find one of my oldestand dearest friends who is a-few-curls-and-a-sip-of-champagne into her bridal hair trial. Tonight, we crash in D.C. and tomorrow morning we catch a sunrise train to NYC for her bachelorette. I can taste the bagels aready.
The bags are packed, the outfits are chosen (various shades of black, of course), and the anticipation is high. I love a trip to the city. And it’s all the more exciting when it is celebrating someone as easy to love as M is.
But after a week off (in which I spent far more time napping than anticipated), I had to bid you a quick ‘hello’ and share something I really should not be: predictions.
Some people are wonderful at it. Those are the same sort of people who can look at a crowd and estimate the number of people present. I am not that person, so this should be interesting.
2023 Predictions:
Home design
This is the moment of maximalism. Minimal, neutral, copy/paste design is out. Color, patterns, and JOY is in. We want our spaces to be fun. Everything can be a little less fussy, a little more comfortable, and we’re moving past spaces that look great but have to be *just so* to be right. I think we will also see a rise of multi-functional spaces and encasings. Wide open floor plans are going to turn into semi-open floor plans. We want spaces with purpose, but a purpose that can be adapted. I say ‘bring it on’ and am ready to embrace more casual fun in my home decor!
Tech
Social media consumption is going to look radically different. Platforms (especially Instagram) has moved away from a place where we connect for others and are now for suggestions, shopping, and education with dose of entertainment. And frankly, they’re a lot easier to quit. We don’t feel like we miss out on the social nearly as much because, well, it isn’t happening hardly at all. After a decade of being glued to our screens like never before, we’re wondering ‘at what cost’? It isn’t as new or exciting as it once was. And we’re craving in-person connection and less of an emphasis on consumption…consumption of things…consumption of ideas…consumption of entertainment.
Also, can we have a washer and drying combination that does it all? Is it possible? (Universe, if you’re listening, this is my 2023 request)
Fashion
Interiors may be moving towards maximalism, but in the fashion world, it’s all about basics. We want loose. We want comfortable. We want layers and pieces that easily mix and match. It isn’t fully minimal, but we’re accessorising and layering with fun pieces on top of our basics. The pants and shirt are tailored and simple, but the socks are paterned, the shoes are bright, and the sweater draped over the shoulders is a fantastic shape.
As social media consumption drops, I hope people will find more individual, personal style. (I often find myself wondering “how would I dress if I didn’t have Instagram or Pinterest”), and I think this year we’ll start to see that more. As we bring in more color and individualism into our homes, I think it will also spread to our wardrobe. And second-hand and vintage is going to continue taking off like it has been. If you aren’t familiar with The Real Real yet, let me introduce you!
Books
Long live the fun read! With a growing consciousness of screen time, we’re hungry for other ways to fall into stories and fill our non-working hours. I think rom-coms, YA lit, and ‘beach reads’ are going to shine and we’re going to start seeing pandemic references sprinkled in.
I also anticipate an appreciation for more long-form ideas, so I think we’ll see people diving more into memoirs. And this is being kicked off by Prince Harry himself this week!
TV & Movies
Nostalgia has been and will continue to be the major force behind lots of what is created. After an intense couple of years, we crave comfort media and love remembering a time before the complications of pandemics, our current political landscape, and the never ending but never satisfying scroll of social media. From music to TV and movies, we want to remember the things we loved in the past or take part in a past that we romanticize and wish we got to experience (I’m looking at all of us in our 20s and low 30s that reminisce the 80s like we were there)
Beauty
Think ‘fresh'. We are more interested in skincare than makeup to cover everything up. We're embracing our natural features (hello, freckles) and a perfect, glam, contoured face is not for everyday. Like our clothes, we want soft, fresh looks. Keep it minimal (or lose the makeup completely). But don’t forget your SPF.
Cream products will continue to thrive. We already love cream blush, contour, and highlight, and if you haven’t tried cream eyeshadow yet, now is the time!
Clean beauty is here to stay and will continue to spread throughout our entire self-care routines.
Harmful fragrances are out. They’re not great for us, especially us women. It’s not a secret that they mess with hormones, but there’s even more new research that is being passed around the sphere. And we are educated and consciouteous individuals. It’s time to try clean fragrances!
Food & Bevs
This is the year for nonalcoholic bevy’s. We’re going to see zero-proof cocktails in way more restaurants. And they’re going to be FUN! No more pineapple juice with a splash of seltzer, we’re talking top-notch cocktails, without the hangover.
Veggies are big, and I don’t see that changing. But I do think we’ll get a ‘comfort’ twist to veggies - more cheese, bacon, and rich flavors with our favorite vegetables. While we are aware of what we are eating and the dangerous chemicals we’re avoiding in our makeup, skin, and hygiene routines, we’re also past the time where we skip the foods we love for the sake of a dress size. Eat to fuel, but also eat to enjoy. It’s all about balance and that’s going to be the move for this year!
Lifestyle
We’re all Middle Age. The ‘cozy culture’ is here to stay, and it’s never been so cool to not be cool. Stay in, read a book, drink tea, play board games, whatever you like. What was once boring and anti-social is now cozy and beloved. Want to go out for a drink at 7pm on the weekend and make it home for your full 30-minute nighttime routine? Go for it. Ready for a mid-life crisis and career change? Sure, why not. Does your left knee start getting a little achy when you’re extra tired? Of course it does.Annoyed by loud cars but love Taylor Swift? You’re in great company. Clubbing is out, game nights are in. And if you haven’t tried a night routine, now is the time to give it a whirl.
Best Links of the Week:
The shape of this basic tee is anything but basic.
I’m very loyal to Target sheets, and this pattern is excellent.
It turns out Harry does indeed fact check The Crown.
How fun are these sleeves!