Dressing for recession is now the fashion

Trend forecasters on TikTok predict that maximalism is out, and we’re all going to start dressing for the recession.

From left: Olivia Rodrigo, Margot Robbie, Katie Holmes, and a Christian Dior design. Collage: Emilia Tortorella

Y2k maximalism, jewellery, high-maintenance hair, gone-in-a-flash microtrends, logomania, and dopamine dressing – it’s all out. TikTokers are predicting that we’re moving away from luxury and embracing dressing for a ­recession.

“Recession-core” has entered the lexicon after being coined by TikTok trend forecasters during the awards season when they ­saw that celebrities en masse were ditching jewellery.

On the red carpet, Margot Robbie, Daisy Edgar Jones and Ana De Armas all opted for ­exposed decollateges where statement necklaces ought to be. The dresses got more austere, and the beauty was pared-down. ­Opulence gave way to a sombre correctness.

Daisy Edgar Jones, Margot Robbie, Ana De Armas. Photo: Getty

Ainsley Cootes, a 20-year-old brand manager from Melbourne and an amateur TikTok trend forecaster at @melbgirlambassador, says “recession dressing is a response to having less money circulating”.

It’s not that the A-listers are feeling the pinch, she says, rather, they’re reading the room.

“People who have more money don’t want to flex as hard,” Cootes says.

We’ve seen it happen before. In the early-noughties blinged-out, bedazzled and logo-tastic style reigned supreme. Then the Great Recession hit (the global ­financial crisis), and while the wealthier shoppers still bought luxury, they moved away from obvious logos and status-signalling pieces and on to under-the-radar design.

Take The Evelyn Bag from French luxury house Hermes, which features a canvas strap and subtle perforated “H” logo. The understated piece was originally designed to hold horse-grooming equipment and was carried ­exclusively in the brand’s riding department until its popularity surged during the recession, and that demand moved it to the main floor. “The aesthetics of consumer products are linked to the economy they were created during,” says Cootes. “They are designed to speak to people’s relationship with money.”

Simply put, when the economy is in the gutter, it’s naff to flaunt wealth.

@melbgirlambassador

Keen to see more and more celebs dress like they’re poor (and yes this style has already become popular in the second half of 22 thanks to brands like Paloma Wool but I expect it to keep trending upward) #fashiontrends2023#recessioncore#90sminimalism#palomawool

♬ Picanya 2400 - KETTAMA

Hermés Evelyn Bag. Courtesy of Hermés.

Delaney Bryant, another TikTok trend forecaster, predicts that celebrities adopting this low-key style will trickle down to consumers. “Everything in fashion is connected to everything,” she says, citing the famous cerulean blue ­explainer scene from The Devil Wears Prada.

The autumn 2023 menswear shows in Paris and Milan were ­remarkably minimalist. Full of spare, understated looks, “reductionist” tailoring, utilitarian bags, and muted colours like black, grey, nude and oatmeal. Gucci, with Alessandro Michele no longer at the helm, presented its quietest collection in years.

Vtmnts offered “a collection that reflects the current times”, with clean-cut statement pieces, both genderless and trendless. The press release for the collection, hash-tagged #FightTheInflation, promised “sustainability” and “fair prices”.

@ufodelaney

#greenscreen Thoughts? #recessioncore#celebstyle#fashionhistory#trendpredictions#quietluxury

♬ Chopin Nocturne No. 2 Piano Mono - moshimo sound design

#FightTheInflation VTMNTS Fall 2023/2024 Menswear. Courtesy of VTMNTS.

Cootes suggests people will adopt simpler, more functional clothing. “If you fill your wardrobe with really plain clothes, you can just wear them a lot more.”

Ashleigh Vallis, director and ­designer of Yamba-based label Summi Summi, says there’s growing demand for monochromatic, simple pieces. “With the cost of living on the rise, people are looking for pieces with longevity that bring more versatility to their wardrobe,” she says.

With the Great Recession, ­“recession roots” and the embrace of ombre hair replaced the hemline theory as a harbinger of our economic woes.

This time, Edwards and Co founder and colourist Jaye ­Edwards says that with the cost of living on the rise, more clients are opting for low maintenance, ­future-proof colours and cuts.

“Clients are after something that will stand the test of time, ­increase the longevity of each colour service, ” he says.