The term, “it girl,” refers to an always allusive, fashionable and socialite “cool girl” taking the world by storm. 

The term may remind some of celebrities such as ‘90s “it girl,” Kate Moss, “Squid Games” star HoYeon Jung, actress and model Zendaya, the iconic Jane Birkin or the Hadid sisters. 

With social media making celebrities much more accessible than before, the term “it girl” could apply to so many influential people, but some starlets shined a little more than others this year. 

Here are the top picks for the fashion “it girls” of 2023. 

Taylor Russell 

Taylor Russell, a 29-year-old Canadian actress, best known for starring next to Timothee Chalamet in their cannibalism love story, “Bones and All,” and playing Alexa Demi in A24’s “Waves,” is also known for having one of the most memorable fashion moments of 2023. 

During this year’s Paris Fashion Week, Russell caught the eye of none other than Vogue Editor, Anna Wintour. In a viral video with over 17 million views, Russell was seen at Fashion Week in a large metal coat which even received a smile from usually stoic Wintour. 

This moment solidified Russell’s “it girl” status as well as her invitation to next year’s Met Gala. Russell’s brave fashion, impressive acting and sweet personality have made her someone to look out for in the future. 

Olivia Rodrigo 

It is no surprise that popstar and actress, Olivia Rodrigo would have secured her spot as an “it girl” of 2023. 

At only 20 years old, Rodrigo has already won three Grammys and has been propelled into the public eye due to her honest and raw lyricism and catchy tracks. 

Not only has she released two very successful albums, “Sour” and “Guts,” but Rodrigo has also helped spread awareness around vaccination at the White House alongside President Joe Biden. 

While taking the world by storm, Rodrigo can always be seen in funky and fun pieces marking herself as a fashion icon. She is known to mix Gen Z fashion with pieces from the late ‘90s and iconic Y2K staples making a perfect pop-punk mashup. 

With so much success so early in her career, fans can’t wait to see what comes next for Rodrigo.

Sofia Richie 

The bride of the year, Sofia Richie has grown in popularity drastically in 2023. 

She has stunning high fashion moments and is already connected to fame through her famous family, Lionel and Nicole Richie. 

Richie has been modeling since she was 14 years old but now, at the age of 22, she is quickly becoming a household name. 

Richie is known for her quiet luxury aesthetic and her classy style. Her marriage to Elliot Grainge has propelled her even more into the public eye after photos of Richie in her Chanel wedding dresses caught the attention of many. Her wedding look featured a “clean girl” slicked-back bun, perfect for an exclusive wedding with only guests of the highest social status. 

Richie recently launched a line with Djerf Avenue, continuing her influence on fashion and effortless quiet luxury style. 

These three celebrities had a huge impact on the fashion world in 2023. From Russell’s Paris Fashion Week moment to Rodrigo’s influence on Gen Z style and Richie’s impact on the quiet luxury aesthetic, all three of these women embody the evolving intersection of entertainment, style, and social influence leaving audiences excited to witness their continued evolution and impact on the world of fashion. 

Red has been declared the hottest trend of Autumn 2023 according to an article from Vogue Magazine’s Kristina Rutkowski. The color is featured on the cover of many great fashion magazines including Glamour UK and Harper’s Bazaar. After the wave of “tomato girl” summer, it’s no wonder that this crimson rush continues. With searches for “red style outfit” trending with over 188.1 million views on TikTok, it appears many fashionistas are searching for a way to subtly add red to their looks. Here is a guide on cute and unique ways to add a pop of red to any look. 

Red Tights 

As the crisp air cools the autumnal streets, layering pieces becomes crucial to staying warm, and what better way to make your outfit eye-catching than with red tights? Red tights will add a pop of color while also keeping you warm this Fall. It also is quite a unique way to style this trendy color and can make any black dress stand out. Red tights can be found almost anywhere from Target and Urban Outfitters to Sheetex.

Red Mary Janes 

Mary Janes, originally known by the name Buster Browns, are a classic piece of footwear that have been a huge trend this fall. The shoes are a staple in many feminine wardrobes and encapsulate the girlish aesthetic. There’s nothing quite like a statement pair of red Mary Janes. The red adds a bit of fire to this classic look and a bit of mystery to this common shoe. These shoes are a perfect way to add red to a boring outfit and instantly create a unique look.

Red Lipstick

A sophisticated and classic staple to any girl’s fall lookbook, red lipstick offers an easy way to join in on this Fall trend. Red lipstick has been a signature of femininity for a very long time, first becoming popular in the 1920s, allowing women to embrace their sensuality and become liberated. It can be paired with almost anything and immediately upgrade a casual look to something a bit more sophisticated. Red lipstick can be found almost anywhere and with a quick touch to the lips adds a sense of excellence and seduction.

Red Heart Necklaces 

After the release of Olivia Rodrigo’s hit single, “Bad Idea, Right?,” hit the top streaming charts with over five million streams on Spotify, many people adored the red heart necklace she flaunted in the song’s music video. The glass red heart pendant caught many eyes and caused an uproar of videos on social media. Not only is this necklace perfect for fans of Rodrigo, but it fits perfectly with the theme of red this autumn. Many dupes of the necklace can be found on Etsy. 

From sweaters to pants and nails to turtle necks, the range of red is endless. Whether you wish to style red in a more subtle way or to show off your confidence with a monochromatic look, red has unlimited potential. This versatility makes this trend accessible to everyone and allows people to be creative with their styling choices. 

Mary Janes, we all know them, maybe we’ve worn them. Though often appearing in different colors there are a few things they all have in common; a strap across the middle and a close-toed tip. You may remember them from your days in elementary school or from your parents forcing you to wear them to formal events, but they are no longer just for children. Mary Janes are making a huge comeback and are on track to be the shoe to have this fall.

Though these shoes may be attributed to the experience of girlhood they were actually originally meant to be boy’s shoes called Buster Browns. This name originated from a comic strip in the early 1900s that featured a character named Buster Brown, who happened to wear the shoes. Buster was accompanied by another character, Mary Jane and over time the name of the shoe, as it took its feminine form became the Mary Jane. 

These shoes can also be seen worn by men in historical portraits, most famously in a photograph of John F. Kennedy from the New York Times archive.

It wasn’t until the 1920s that the Mary Jane became more popular amongst women and was often seen worn by flappers. These shoes were also popularized by child star, Shirley Temple and other celebrities who are adults including model, Twiggy and fashion icon, Jane Birkin. 

These iconic shoes have made appearances in many movies and television shows. They were famously referenced in “Sex and the City” when Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) exhibits excitement over Manolo Blahnik, Mary Janes and in Clueless, worn by Alicia Silverstone who plays the iconic character, Cher Horowitz. 

Mary Janes have been popular for over a century and are now coming back stronger than ever, being worn by many celebrities. 

The iconic shoe has been completely redesigned by modern designers and many TikTok users create videos styling them and recommending specific footwear brands under the #maryjanes, which has over 181.3 million views.

With the current popularization of all things girlhood labeled with phrases such as “girl dinner,” “hot girl walks,”and “girling” accompanied with a rise in bows, frills and all things coquette; it’s no surprise that Mary Janes are making a come back. Celebrities from British fashionista, Alexa Chung who has always stayed loyal to Mary Janes and singer and actress, Olivia Rodrigo have been rocking Mary Janes this season. 

Mary Janes can now not only be found in black but a range of colors and can have heels from very chunky to flats. 

Some notable brands when looking for Mary Janes include, Doctor Marten’s, gorgeous (and expensive) Gucci’s, daring and red Waydern’s Mary Janes, and Aeyde leather Mary Janes. Mary Janes can be found almost anywhere and they are an excellent investment because they haven’t and won’t ever go out of style.

This autumn, try out this classic style and embrace your inner girlhood. These shoes can be found anywhere from Mui Mui to Zara which makes them very attainable, and still fashionable. They are a perfect staple for your closet and will be very popular this season. 

In the age of social media, now more than ever, people are being influenced by other people, not just in their social circle or in person, but everywhere. This has caused many creative online communities to come up with different fashion aesthetics also known as “cores.” Some examples of this are normcore coined by K-hole (a trend forecasting site) that refers to the deliberate choice to wear unremarkable, casual clothing and cottagecore, a style that emphasizes simple living. These ideas not only apply to fashion but to a specific lifestyle, these cores can be seen all over TikTok, Instagram and Pinterest and allows people to find different, unique ways of dressing themselves. 

Unlike other time periods, the 80s new wave and 90s grunge styles, which had major overarching aesthetics, 2023 is a year of microtrends and smaller communities with drastically different styles. This summer there have been a few trends that have stood out and become a staple to many people’s summer wardrobes. From mermaidcore to catholic core this summer has many exciting and eclectic styles. 

Mermaidcore 

Mermaidcore, one of the fastest growing trends, had searches for “mermaid” and “seashell” rising to 51%, according to fashion engine, Lyst. Possibly due to Disney’s remake of “The Little Mermaid ” or due to a certain beachyness this season brings, this aesthetic has become quite popular. 

Characterized by crochet and accents of seashells with pearls, mermaid core brings a childlike state to summer. It includes soft and flowy fabrics to embody an oceanic feeling. To achieve this style it is important to layer sheer and shimmery materials and to wear starfish accessories. Wearing colors like seafoam green and pastels also allow this whimsical style to shine through. It takes inspiration from Y2K aesthetics by incorporating fashion from films from that time period like “Aquamarine” and “H20.”

Barbiecore

Another style that is really popular this summer is Barbiecore. In anticipation of Greta Gerwig’s upcoming “Barbie” film, many people are dressing like the iconic characters. Barbie core can be achieved through funky prints, hot pink, chunky accessories and glittery accents. 

Margot Robbie, who stars as Barbie in the highly anticipated film, has been personifying this style on her press tour. With outfits from Valentino, Chanel, Bottega and Vegloeger, styled by Andrew Mukamal, she has been recreating many iconic Barbie looks from the original Barbie all the way to Barbie dolls from 2005. These incredible looks just go further to excite people and encourage viewers to dress up for the upcoming film.

Catholic Core

On the complete other end of the spectrum, comes the Catholic core. Inspired by the aesthetics of Roman Catholicism and Mexican Catholicism, which has risen in popularity due to musical artists such as Lana Del Rey and Ethel Cain. The Catholic core is defined with accessories like signature crosses and choker necklaces but can also be seen with unexpected lace detailing. 

Many  videos on TikTok have shown young women reclaiming this style after experiencing religious trauma. With online creators such as Raya Carmona, Orion Carloto and Daniela Garza spearheading this movement from social media they demonstrate the aesthetics of Catholicism without actually practicing the religion. Raya Carmona, an online creator born and raised in Miami, Florida around the catholic faith has a deep appreciation for the jewelry and reworks it to apply to her specific style.

A TikTok influencer who goes by justjezebell said “I love religion. The feeling, the art, the rituals. I also love to appreciate the beauty without believing in the faith.”

Of course, this is a touchy subject but this style is meant to pay homage to the gorgeous traits of Catholicism without practicing. Staple pieces for this style include rosaries, white flowy clothing and christian jewelry pieces. This can also be seen in the Mirror Palais Summer 2023 fashion show. If you’d like to participate, incorporate lots of lace, silks and gold jewelry.

Blokette

Another style that has been blowing up right now is sporty core also known as blokette. This style typically incorporates aspects of soccer tees, zip up tops and baggy sport shorts but paired with common accessories like ribbons, skirts and feminine jewelry. It’s perfect for people who want to be less feminine but also trendy. It’s also very common to intertwine jerseys and masculine silhouettes and feminine accessories like bows in braided hair and shorter skirts. 

It’s a fun and interesting combination of masculine and feminine. It’s a fusion of coquette and bloke core which has easily been embodied by celebrities like Bella Hadidi and Ruby Lyn. Adidas Sambas are crucial. It’s important to have both elements to steer away from the Adam Sandler style (unless that’s what you’re going for of course). 

This summer, remember to experiment with different aesthetics. Fashion is meant to be enjoyable and trends this summer have been nothing but playful. Whether you want to completely embody a specific core or just play around the summer of 2023 is the perfect time to try out new styles and these are only a few of them. 

SHOOT LEAD Katherine Gallaugher / MODELS Katherine Gallaugher, Samantha Harden, Annelise Edvardsen, Natalie Laughman, Casey Harden 

Spring has sprung, and with it comes bright and colorful fashion. Put your sweatpants back in the closet, wipe your tears away, and grab your shorts.

With the cold winter weather and gray skies, moods are low and it can feel like time is dragging on. 

According to an article from Boston University, over 10 million Americans have seasonal depression. So it’s no surprise that during winter, people revert to wearing sweatpants, hoodies, boots and coats. This reflects how people’s moods and emotions shift in the cooler months, leaving people feeling more comfortable in darker, cozy outfits. 

In the time between winter and spring, when one day it is 30 degrees and the next it is 70 degrees, it can be confusing to know how to handle your emotions and how to dress to meet the needs of the weather and the needs of your mental health.

In an article from the American Psychology Association, Caitlyn Mair, Ph.D. spoke on how self expression impacts mental health. 

“Giving people autonomy at work or in their lives in whichever aspect is possible, is a really positive element of people’s life,” Mair said. 

This idea of self expression can be easily applied to everyday life through fashion. Using style as a form of self expression is scientifically proven to raise people’s mood, allowing for more creativity and joy within this trying season.

Everyone wears clothes, so why not have fun with it? There’s no better time than the present to start experimenting and start to feel more comfortable in your own skin. 

Mood depends a lot on comfort, so when choosing pieces it is important to pick one’s that feel like you. Choose colors and patterns that make you feel happy and comfortable.

Found in a study done at the University of Florida, color can also be an important tool to improve mood. Winter tends to be associated with dull colors like brown and gray but spring is known for its often bright color palette; Pastel pinks, blues, purples and yellows. 

With all of spring’s bright colors, trying out new styles and seeing what makes you feel the most confident has never felt better. This spring, take charge of your mental health by experimenting with bright colors and bold outfits.