The Biggest Fashion Trends of 2022 Had Something for Everyone (2024)

The biggest fashion trends of 2022 had us dressing (and feeling) like it's 2000 all over again. This year, we have been in a Y2K haze (hello, low-rise pants!), but there's no confusion as to which trends took the spotlight — from corsets to the range of “cores” and passing over cut-outs… You name it. We havebeen there, worn that,and it's all back.

As we inch closer to wrapping up the 2022 chapter in our lives,Teen Voguereflects on the most notable fashion trends of the year — way beyond Y2K. Buckle up, we're going down (sartorial) memory lane!

1. Balletcore

Assemblé.Tulle, hair bows, flats, and shades of pink. Meet the 2022 trend that is the perfect matrimony of movement and femininity – balletcore. Designers such asSimone Rocha,Molly Goddard, andMiu Miuhave been repping the balletcore aesthetic on runways season after season. In 2022, however, the balletcore resurgence moved beyond the runways and took themainstream stage.

From stage to street, trendsetterBella Hadid rocked balletcorethis summer with a vintage Chanel dress, beige leg warmers, and baby blue ballet flats. But, even beyond celebs, fashion historian Rachel Weingartenconfirmed earlier this yearthat the trend "never really left" due to its versatility. “Balletcore is coy in its own way. It can be super professional for the office or worn as a sexy or playful look depending on your intention.”

2. Barbiecore

According to Lyst'sYear in Fashionreport, this year's hot pink obsession led to a 416% increase in searches for all things pink. The barbiecore aesthetic thrived and even arguably inspiredthe 2023 Pantone Color of the Year. Blame it onValentino's monochrome pink campaignor Kylie Jenner wearing afloor-length, fuzzy hot pink Balenciaga dressto the SS23 show in Paris.

Also, we can't forget that Lil Nas X collaborated with Coach to create a bespoke,bedazzled barbiecore football uniformto wear during his first world tour. Barbiecore is officially here to stay. With the latestCasetify x Barbie collabfeaturing pretty-in-pink accessories and charms with the iconic Barbie font, you can even deck your phone out in the trend. Pink here, there, and everywhere.

3. Corsets

Of course, this year, we are bringing sexy back via corsets. Taking a spot in the top trends of 2022, we saw corsets everywhere and in all forms – satin,sparkly, and strapless. If you think back to the most iconic fashion events of the year, there was always a corset present. Billie Eilish stole the red carpet at the Met Gala in herupcycled Gucci satin corset gown,and so did Gigi Hadid in herbold, burgundy Versace corset catsuit.

Off the red carpet and onto street style, Bella Hadid, Lyst's"power dresser of the year,"caused the searches for corsets to rise by 70% this year. Adding Y2K to the corset's coveted Victorian charm, Bella worea white jean corset with pink ribbonson one occasion anda light wash denim corset with a denim micro minion another. And because we all know a trend isn't really trending unless it's viral on TikTok,#corsettokis a thing and, at the time of writing, had over 71 million views.

4. Cut-outs

It is true what they say: sometimes lessismore, and the cut-out trend is perfect proof. Cut-outs have been a mainstay in fashion for a while and, of course, have permeated into the celeb mainstream. In 2019, Kim Kardashian wore adaring 1998 Thierry Mugler couture cut-out dress, and Kendall Jenner almost broke the internet last year in herrisqué cut-out Mônot dressat her best friend's wedding.

This year, the trend was back in action, with multiple iterations making headlines. A little exposure can go a long way, whether on the side, in the back, or even around the abs — the possibilities are endless. For proof, even knitwear is getting its cut-out moment – takeOff-White™'s SS23 showfeaturing knitwear pieces with cut-outs all over to reveal the garments (or not) beneath. It doesn't stop there either: we can't forget about Maddy Perez's iconic AKNA dress on Euphoria and how queen Lizzo was even spottedmaking a case for leggings with butt cut-outsearlier this fall. Making a case for negative space!Cheeky.

5. Goth

Back to black, corsets, leather, and lace, the goth trend reemerged this year in all its glam gloom.Lyst reportedthat searches for Rick Owens grew by 200% in 2022, and he is notorious for his goth aesthetic. At the time of writing,#gothcorehas over 23 million views on TikTok. Even beyond designers and social media, one of this year's hottest Netflix seriesWednesdayis on trend with the "goth-girl" aestheticvia the main character, Wednesday Addams, played by Jenna Ortega.Wednesday's dramatic and moody ensembles typically consist of monochrome collared blouses, lacey tights, and platform loafers. Off the screen, Jenna Ortega has also been delivering goth glam at all her recent press events — namely, ablack lace Dion Lee dressforJimmy Kimmel Live!and her now-iconic,black satin Versace maxi slip gownat theWednesdaypremiere. Honorable mention, of course, goes to KRAVIS.

6. Low-rise

Of course, amid a Y2K resurgence, we took the plunge in 2022 with low-rise pants. This trend is not for the faint-hearted. Notorious for bringing back micro miniskirts,Miu Miu also brought back low-rise pantsto the runway this year. Blumarine alsoreintroduced low-rise pantsto the catwalk in its SS22 show through pinks and greens. Celebs welcomed the revival this year, too. Gigi Hadid woresuper low-rise pants with a custom swimsuit top, and Iris Law opted forlow-rise khaki pants that were ruched in the center,among many other low-rise styles. How low can we go?

7. Neon Green

To no one's surprise,neon green has become a trending color this year.Partially responsible for the barbiecore trend, Valentino also incorporated neon green inboth 2022 couture shows.If that isn't convincing enough, Beyoncéwore a neon green David Koma dressduring her epic Oscars performance earlier this year. To back her, she even had an entire neon-clad orchestra and dancers. Glow and flow! To name just two other bright green style celeb sightings: Dua Lipa opened her world tour in Miami in aneon green Balenciaga catsuit,and BLACKPINK member Rosé wore afaux fur neon green Balenciaga coatin the "Shut Down" music video. And, of course, we can't forget about thee representatives of the color: NCT. Eat your greens and wear them, too!

8. Oversized Suits

This trend has been around for decades but made a big (literally) comeback in 2022. Some brands that featured oversized suits throughout their collections this year include the classic andsophisticated Burberryand the smart casual andcosmopolitan Boss. The trend also got prime airtime when Justin Bieber showed up at the Grammy Awards in anextra-large Balenciaga gray two-piece suit. Similarly, Kid Cudi proved he's too cool for school at the Vanity Fair Oscar's after-party inan oversized, slouchy brown Louis Vuitton suit.Later in the year, Dua Lipa embraced the trend with a number from The Attico atVariety'sHitmakers Brunch in L.A., where she picked up the Hitmakers of the Year award. This trend is suitable for all events and boasts major main character energy.

9. Skirt-over-pants

This trend has a complicated past, and there is much controversy among fashion critics about its popularity in the yesteryears. Despite all that, theskirt-over-pants trend officially came backin 2022.Euphoriastyle icon Alexa Demie put her own spin on the nostalgic trend at the Balenciaga FW22 show earlier this year when she paired her oversized,off-the-shoulder black shirt with a leather skirt over cargo pants. (A not-so-beloved take on the trend came fromKatie Holmes at the 2022 iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Awards— can't please them all!).

10. Sheer (and lace!)

Some say the sheer trend is this year's most risqué trend, but we think it is sheer bliss. Previously only serving as cover-ups to summertime swimwear, the barely-there sheer trend not only draped the runways this year but also became a staple way to add a little drama to any look. Perhaps most notably,theFlorence Pugh wore two of the year's hottest trends (barbiecore and sheer) simultaneously via herunforgettable, sheer hot pink Valentino dressin Rome this summer. Speaking of sheer and Valentino, brand ambassador Zendayawore a head-to-toe sheer Valentino bodysuitfeaturing the V logo to the brand's Paris show this fall. The sheer trend often overlapped with lace, with celebs like Bella Hadid and Olivia Rodrigo embracing the best of both worlds.

11. Shiny

All that glitters is not gold. This shiny trend includes sequins, glitter, and metallic. The 2022 catwalks were lit with shine —David Koma,Prada,No. 21, and more. All the stars shined brighter too this year — Megan Fox in hershiny pink co-ord, Rihanna in hermetallic halter top and silver low-rise maxi skirt, and Harry Styles in hissequin-embellished bodysuit.Pop princess Olivia Rodrigo gave us shine-meets-Y2K on the red carpet at the Met Gala through herviolet floor-length Versace glam gown.Why limit the glitz and glam to just the festive season when we can dress to party year-round?

12. Unbuttoned Pants

Unbuttoned and unbothered seems like a fitting combo for the year. To the serial offenders that unbutton their pants when the food coma settles in, this one's for you. With the rise of low-rise pants, Gen-Z took it a step further with the unbuttoned pants trend. Millie Bobby Brown wore anunbuttoned pair of classic blue jeansearlier this year. And, arguably, there is even a variation of the unbuttoned pants trend: the waist-folded-down. This went viral on TikTok withDickies 874 pants— with a bit of help from BLACKPINK's Jennie, who styled her own pair in this fashion on thedance practice video for “Pink Venom.”

13. Vintage

History Fashion repeats itself. Because most trends find a way to remerge, everything vintage never actually goes out of style. Given the sociopolitical climate, as well as the industry's push to become more sustainable, vintage shopping has increasingly become a norm. TheRealReal'sLuxury Consignment Reportconfirmed the rise in vintage resale this year, highlighting the most sought-after luxury brands according to Gen-Z. Spoiler alert: among themost coveted luxury vintage brandsare Gucci, Chanel, Vivienne Westwood, and more.

Stylists and celebs also visited fashion archives this year to reawaken vintage pieces that deserve to be re-worn and reborn. No doubt that Law Roach and Zendaya are the dynamic duo of red-carpet moments in this realm. Just this year, they blessed us with three iconic vintage looks. First, Zendaya looked timeless ina black and white Valentino from SS1992for theEuphoriaseason two premiere, followed by old Hollywood glam in her1956 Balmain Couture gownat the NAACP Image Awards. Last but certainly not least, Zendaya wore avintage black and green Bob Mackie gown from FW1998toTime's100 Gala. Addison Rae is also another celeb that favored vintage looks during 2022.

With 2022's biggest fashion trends going back to the Y2K route, anything can happen in 2023. Maybe we'll gravitate towards pop-punk or maybe even "indie sleaze"? The indie years roughly fell between 2004 and 2012, aka. next in line after the currently re-trending Y2K feats, so it would make sense. Indie sleaze not only celebrates the unfinished look but is the epitome of effortless and undone: skinny leather pants, graphic tees, loafers, and even skinny ties. While the trend has been brewing for a comeback for some time andwas set to come back this year, 2023 could be its year. Buckle up, folks.

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