In an era where trends emerge as quickly as they can go viral on TikTok, it can be hard to keep up with what’s in and what’s out. And frankly, it’s exhausting. What’s worth the effort to try, and what’s a flash in the pan? We took a look at search data and chatted with experts and editors alike to uncover the top beauty, home, fashion, food and wellness trends that are on their way out in 2023—and what’s worth your while instead.
8 Trends We’re Ready to Say Goodbye to in 2023 (And What to Try Instead)
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Published Jan 10, 2023
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1. The TikTok Fashion-Core Machine
It seems like every eight minutes there’s a new “-core” aesthetic trending on TikTok, be it balletcore, Barbiecore, cabincore or, most recently, Rom-Com core. While we enjoy being in the know about these looks just as much as the next person, we’re officially giving ourselves permission not to jump on every single one (no matter how much we admire the fitted blazers and chunky knits Meg Ryan rocked in When Harry Met Sally). Our budgets—and closets—just can’t take it.
Instead, try: Following trends for styling your fave pieces—like ballet flats—so they feel fresh (even if you’ve had them for years)
Netflix, 2022
2. Shows and Podcasts Glamorizing Murder
At first, you want to be informed. You want to understand how terrible things happen. Or, how a person could do something so horrifying. But as true crime podcasts and shows became more ubiquitous, the lines started to blur: At what point are some of these series exploiting victims or fetishizing murder? Or making you unnecessarily anxious and paranoid about the world around you? And how many takes on Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer does the world need, anyway?
Instead, try: Kaleidoscope, a choose-your-own-adventure-esque heist show that provides an adrenaline rush and gives you a sense of control (since you choose the episode order), two key things associated with our love of true crime
Catherine Falls Commercial/Getty Images
3. Self-Care as Self-Absorption
Listen, we’re all about putting your oxygen mask on first, but lately, it seems like people have forgotten the other half of that Oprah-ism: …so you can save others. This year, we’ll continue to take care of ourselves; we’re just shifting the focus so it isn’t, well, all about us.
Instead, try: civic care (volunteering has been shown to lower depression and increase overall life satisfaction, after all)
Erchog/Getty Images
4. The Drink of the Year
First it was rosé, then frozé, then Aperol spritzes and espresso martinis and now, a negroni sbagliato (“with prosecco”). When did a cocktail turn us all into figurative Gollums, with one drink to rule them all? With so much emphasis on the one of-the-moment drink, it’s made people suddenly embarrassed to order a formerly trendy cocktail (remember the early 2010s, when ordering a Cosmo signaled you couldn’t get over Sex and the City?). And, in some cases, equally embarrassed if their go-to drink becomes the “it” libation (“I downed picklebacks before they were cool!”).
Instead, try: Ordering based on the alcohol, not the specific cocktail. Not sure where to start? Try mezcal. That smoky flavor is seriously underrated, whether you sip it straight up, in a mule or as a twist on an Aperol spritz.
Sydney Meister
5. Bouclé
It’s modern! Yet cozy! And it’s a total pain in the you-know-what to maintain. Bouclé was heralded as a way to embrace the streamlined look of an all-white sofa without feeling sterile (thanks to that looped yarn texture), but like shiplap and chevron before it, it soon hit a saturation point. Not to mention that it’s expensive and high maintenance—our home editor admitted to spending four hours scrubbing her couch after her dark-wash jeans stained it blue—which is why we’re ready to phase it out of our homes.
Instead, try: warm brown accents to maintain the cozy factor without the intensive upkeep
6. Jellyfish Haircuts
Let’s just call this cut what it really is: a bob with an extra-wide rattail. It’s as if you want a bob yet you’re scared to take the plunge, so you leave a long section behind, and if you have thick hair, the end result looks like an arrow pointing toward the heavens. If your hair is fine, it can appear stringy, like your stylist got distracted mid-chop and forgot to finish the job.
Instead, try: a bob. It’s timeless, and that’s what you were really after, wasn’t it?
Tatiana Zaets/Getty Images
7. Gaslighting Mania
We’ve covered this term a lot at PureWow, and frankly, it’s reaching the point of semantic satiation—overuse to the point of losing its meaning. As the phrase has risen in popularity, we’ve seen people call out someone for gaslighting as a way to make them question their take on past events, effectively using an “I’m not gaslighting, you are!” defense to, uh, gaslight. And dismiss someone as “gaslighting” when they hear something they don’t like.
Instead, try: radical candor, discussing an issue honestly and compassionately
Sveta Zarzamora/Getty Images
8. Everything-Can-Be-Charcuterie Boards
Butter boards and dulce de leche boards and buttercream boards look cool, but as soon as you dig in, you realize they’re a total mess. Halfway through the party, you’re dashing out for extra napkins as your guests deal with greasy, sticky fingers (which your tweenage guests are surreptitiously wiping all over your bouclé sofa).
Instead, try: Any one of these 32 charcuterie board ideas, which are just as easy to share as they are to assemble
