LTK has released its 2023 Summer Style Trends Report, unveiling the top fashion trends for the summer season and how consumers are finding their style inspiration. According to the new report, Gen Z women seek style inspiration and guidance from TikTok and creators. The number one summer style trend set to dominate among Gen Z and Millennials is the Clean Girl Aesthetic, with Florals as a close second.
With 75 percent of Gen Z purchasing products from creator recommendations, there is no doubt that this year’s summer style trends are being driven by creators across the U.S. Below are key findings from the report.
Gen Z: Fashionable & Happy
Style matters when it comes to happiness. 81 percent of Gen Z women express that style plays an important role in their happiness (compared to 53 percent for the total population). Gen Z also believe they are the most fashionable generation and are twice as likely to say their style is fashionable and trendy (41 percent) compared to the general population (20 percent).
The Source of Inspiration
Apart from their friends, Gen Z women say they rely on TikTok and creators for style inspiration. They also rank creators as their main source for beauty inspiration. And, when it comes to which social platforms are preferred, 41 percent of Gen Z shoppers prefer TikTok for fashion inspiration while 29 percent of Millennials are partial towards Instagram.
The Hottest Summer Trends
From neutrals to bright patterns, there is a trend for every style this summer. According to the LTK report, the Clean Girl Aesthetic takes the crown as the top style trend for summer 2023. The effortless, minimalist and casually elegant look is the number-one style for Gen Z and Millennials across the U.S. Florals are the second most popular look Gen Z and Millennials plan to wear this summer. And, when choosing between other popular trends, Gen Z style gravitates more toward goth and grunge over the Barbiecore aesthetic that’s remained popular over the last year.
In general, women across generations are looking to experiment more and embrace bolder styles. Unsurprisingly, Gen Z leads in experimenting with their style, with 72 percent saying they love trying and buying clothes for new trends, compared to Millennials at 66 percent and Gen X at 58 percent.
Summer Staples
This year’s list of summer staples may have you digging through your closet to find items that are making a comeback. According to Gen Z and Millennials, the skinny jean is still out. In fact, wide-leg jeans are the most popular item for summer.
Denim skirts are also making a strong comeback across all generations with nearly half of Gen Z planning to incorporate into their style this summer. Searches for denim skirts are up an overwhelming 72 percent from shoppers on the LTK platform.
Despite debates around Crocs as a fashion item, 40 percent of Gen Z women say they plan to rock Crocs this summer. In the past month alone, shopper searches for Crocs on LTK are up more than 50 percent.
Sticking to true summer fashion, light and airy sundresses and maxi dresses are the top dress style for the summer. And, breaking from traditional summer colors, Gen Z is loving neutrals with 70 percent saying their go-to colors to wear are white and beige this season.
Style Across the U.S.
While there are differences in style per region across the U.S., shoppers are universally eager to embrace the hottest trends this summer. Women in the Northeast and South place higher importance on their style, while women in the Midwest display a more laid-back, easygoing attitude toward their style.
Following the top Clean Girl Aesthetic trend, every region loves neutrals — saying black and gray are their most preferred colors to wear. Only in the South does Barbiecore rank as a top style trend for the summer (in the top 6).
The majority of shoppers in every region plan to spend between $100 - $250 on their new summer wardrobes.
The LTK Summer Style Trends Report 2023 survey was conducted in May 2023 among 1,044 participants, reflective of the U.S. female population with 97 percent confidence.