Well, with all the buzz about red-carpet coverage at the Oscars, Met Gala, and even the Westminster Kennel Club, it’s only logical that the fashion-frisson would fizz its way out here to the beach! Just because it’s summer, and potentially skimpy, it doesn’t mean we don’t want to look Fire Island fabulous at the barbecues, cocktail parties, and fundraisers, right?
We know what we like, and some of us are smart enough to ask experts what we look best in. Speaking of which, here is what some of the locals in the know have to say about trends for summer 2023.
At Kline’s in OB, Peyton holds a pastel purple in a Fire Island logo t-shirt, while Amelia shows us the mermaidcore look in the macramé pants in the color of sand with just a glimmer of gold!
1) ALL SHEER EVERYTHING: Although you can certainly grin and bare it, see-through materials that keep you cool and breezy can also leave something up to the imagination! Look for organza or mesh over an opaque underbody for that dreamy-ethereal wow-factor.
2) SHADES OF PURPLE: Well, lavender actually, and other soft shades too – lilacs, mauves, iris, and periwinkle. A pastel purple is the very on-trend color for summer 2023. And it’s shown up everywhere on the runways, light weight blazers with zhuzhed sleeves, flip-flops, beachy handbags, flowy dresses, and swimwear. One girl’s amethyst is another girl’s orchid.
3) SWIMWEAR LOOKS: Off-the-shoulder, lingerie-inspired, whimsical retro-prints from the 1940s and ’50s are just some of the styles trending beachside this summer – and the never-to-be-forgotten string bikini for the bold and the brave! If you’re going for the more conservative one-piece, cleverly placed cut-outs can amp up the look.
4) CARGO PANTS? Someone out there somewhere is thinking, ‘Oh no, not cargo pants!’ Well, what’s old is new again, and cargo pants with those big bulky pockets made their way down some of the hottest runways this year. As a matter of fact, those huge utility pockets were hanging off shirts, jackets, dresses, and even huffing and puffing on handbags.
5) DETAILS, DETAILS, DETAILS: Fringes – especially on vests, skirts, and shawls; tie-dyed prints on sweatshirts and tees; and crocheted and macramé accessories are all in right now. You also are going to see more bows on just about anything and everything – it’s fun to be a girl in 2023.
6) MERMAIDCORE: “The Little Mermaid?” Yep, Ariel is responsible for the whole that look going on right now, including fishnet stockings, embellishments on dresses and blouses, sequins that mimic fish scales sparkling their iridescent glow on evening wear, and cascading ruffles on everything from your neckline to your hem giving your ensemble a watery flow as you move to the dance floor – just like Aphrodite stepping neatly out of the waves. Talk about making a splash!
“Fashion should always be fun!” says television fashion stylist George Brescia. “The trends come and go, but you are here to stay. Utilize your assets. If you’ve got great legs, skip the maxi-dresses. Sleeveless is for you if you have fabulous arms. And of course, if you have a beautiful back, that backless dress at a dinner party is sexy and sophisticated. Just remember, you wear the clothes, the clothes don’t wear you.”
