2023 Was the Year of All-Out Event Dressing

Every year has its own big fashion trends and pop culture moments, but in 2023, the two came together in an all-consuming way. Many of the year's most-anticipated events—from the Renaissance and Eras tours by Beyoncé and Taylor Swift to the Barbie movie—achieved a widespread level of hype we hadn't seen in quite a while. In addition to selling out shows faster than you can say "Ticketmaster," fans spent months planning elaborate looks for every event on their agenda, also taking to social media in droves to show off their one-of-a-kind outfits.

You can definitely say 2023 was the year of all-out event dressing, and we all would do well to reflect on why everyone was turning pop culture moments into costume parties. Ahead, we spoke to celebrity stylist Ashley Afriyie and Depop trend specialist Agus Panzoni to discuss the explosive trend and if it will continue into 2024.

The Events We Dressed Up For

In 2023, a mainstream pop culture trifecta emerged: Not only did two of the world's biggest music artists go on tour, but the highly anticipated Barbie movie premiered. Almost instantly, it seemed like everyone was planning a look for their big event of choice (or all of the above), with silver fashion, friendship bracelet beads, and all things pink flying off the shelves like never before—but it didn't come out of nowhere. In fact, this was a continuation of a trend we'd seen during Harry Styles' Love On Tour in 2022 when fans developed a distinctive concert aesthetic and turned arenas across the country into graveyards of feather boas and glitter.

When it comes to how dressing up for events was the thing to do this year, Panzoni says the excitement was two-pronged. "The fans took it upon themselves to wear themed clothing, and the organizers [encouraged the trend]—Beyoncé, for example, personally requested show attendees wear silver outfits for specific concerts, which likely impacted Depop searches for 'sequin' increasing 27%, and 'mirror' increasing 65%, since the start of the year," she explains. As for Taylor Swift, fans embraced an album-specific "era" for their look, which ranged from fringe gold dresses to snakeskin bodysuits. At the same time as these two tours, Greta Gerwig's Barbie movie came out, and fans were inspired to wear their favorite "Barbiecore" look to the film's opening weekend (and all summer long).

Pre-Pandemic Nostalgia or Social Media Culture?

So why is everyone suddenly going above and beyond with outfits for events? Partly—and obviously—it has to do with the fact that we've been experiencing the biggest event culture in years, following years of pandemic precautions. "People are more eager to wear themed outfits when they're not working from home, and with social media, we're often even more inspired to participate," Panzoni explains. Now more than ever, we're looking for reasons to dress up and go all-out after the months we spent in sweats.

Both Panzoni and Afriyie agree, though, that modern social media culture truly brought the trend to life. "Today, you can't escape anything without it being posted," Afriyie emphasizes. "We're all always looking for the next big viral moment." Also, crafting outfits to post on social media is motivation to flex a creative muscle. Many TikTokers, like Hannah Michelle (above), have gone viral for showing the time-consuming journey of making intricate concert ensembles.

Panzoni makes a point by saying that the influences of post-pandemic life and social media are far from mutually exclusive. "Macro-cultural moments like these create a sense of unity that we've been missing since the pandemic," she explains. Posting your outfit on social media can feel oddly comforting, especially when thousands of others are doing the same.

The Red Carpet of It All

Fans aren't the only driving factor behind the all-out event dressing trend, as celebrities and stylists have embraced dressing to theme throughout press tours, from premieres to other events. While this concept isn't new, it reached a new level just before the SAG strike began—and it just might come back now that promotion is starting up again. The most notable moments revolved around the Barbie movie, especially with Margot Robbie, who paid tribute to several classic dolls in collaboration with stylist Andrew Mukamal (who can forget the Schiaparelli "Solo in the Spotlight" moment from the world premiere?).

But we saw plenty of actors cosplaying their characters in some way across the board: Halle Bailey walked multiple The Little Mermaid red carpets in mermaid-inspired gowns, and at The Super Mario Bros. Movie premiere, Anya Taylor-Joy wore a custom pink Dior jumpsuit in tribute to Princess Peach, and Jack Black wore a Bowser-inspired suit featuring spiky shell detailing on the back.

Afriyie adds that stars reconnect with their characters through their red carpet looks. "We've had clients that love to revisit the character because it's been a while since filming has wrapped, so they want to get in the same mindset when they begin the press tour," she explains. Perhaps as a result, fans become more invested in the movie and more interested in dressing up to see it.

Is This Sustainable?

Putting together even the most specific outfit for a concert, movie, or other event is more accessible than ever, but it's partly because fast-fashion brands are pushing low-cost items that you might only wear once. Luckily, there are more sustainable ways to take part in the trend. "Repeat outfit-wearing and shopping on secondhand resale markets like Depop [allow you] to participate in trends in a sustainable and circular way," Panzoni says. "@extremelybeautiful and @dutchfonzie [on Depop] are so good at this—one look at their pages, and you'll get inspired on how to wear a micro-trend in a completely different way, which leads to more than one-time wears."

Panzoni adds that Depop has also newly introduced its "repop" feature, which allows you to easily resell pieces that you may have bought for a specific occasion. "By repopping an item, Depop users are able to see the lifespan of a specific item, which is awesome," she says.

So...What's Next?

With 2023 almost in the rearview mirror, we're left wondering whether this trend will continue into 2024. As of now, while next year has some exciting concerts on the agenda, they don't look set to dominate the culture the way Swift and Beyoncé's tours did: Personally, I'll be putting together my best grunge look for when Olivia Rodrigo comes to town, but chatter on TikTok has subtly died down. Similarly, the musical rendition of Mean Girls is coming to theaters in January—we can imagine that moviegoers will embrace the original film's iconic fashion moments, but it's yet to be proven.

Panzoni also believes the event dressing trend isn't going anywhere—and for good reason. "Pop culture has evolved into a tapestry of connection, crafting a collective identity and forging a sense of belonging that transcends the barriers of our everyday lives," she says. "These new uniforms of fandom—and the traditions and rituals they bring—they're not merely about showing support; they're about building bridges. In a world increasingly marked by isolation, these opportunities to meet and share in real life are an invaluable reminder that, regardless of our backgrounds, we're all part of this collective experience."