The Only TikTok Fashion Trends You Need to Know—According to an Expert

As we increasingly turn to social media for fashion inspiration, one app is undeniably shaping trends and launching industry careers in a way that we couldn't have predicted. According to Insider Intelligence, TikTok had roughly 750 million subscribers in 2022, and its range of influence is far greater than dance routines and cat videos. It's where we go for fashion hacks, exclusive behind-the-scenes content and to discover new viral pieces before they land on Instagram. But with thousands of videos uploaded to the app each day—and items or fads moving "in" and "out" faster than you can finish that flat white—it can be difficult to figure out which trends are actually worth investing in or taking note of. Well, who better to ask than an expert in the field? Agus Panzoni, aka @thealgorythm, a former WGSN fashion forecaster and TikTok expert with over 259K followers and two million likes, was kind enough to share her predictions for the year ahead.

After turning her expertise to content creation, Panzoni now shares her insights on trends, references, the new brands to follow and the future of fashion in the technological age. So we asked her everything we need to know about how TikTokers are dressing now to stay one step ahead of the crowd. And in conjunction with Klarna, she dug deep into the world's current shopping habits to come up with the answer. 

"Klarna manages transactions from over 150 million users and 450,000 merchants globally and so has great insight in shopping and consumer behaviour. To compile this knowledge for an end-of-year moment, they created the Checkout Trend Report where they summarise the year through our online purchases, and they reached out to me to get a complementary perspective on the trends from a bigger cultural and societal perspective." In short, this means that just by tracking the way users shop (and how they scroll through socials), you can potentially predict the next big thing ahead of time. And the results are in.

"My initial takeaway is that the overall key theme we have identified is nostalgia," Panzoni explains. "When looking at what people have put in their shopping carts over the last year, nostalgic items, ranging from the 18th century to the early '00s have come out on top—ranging from items inspired by the Victorian era like pearl earrings (those increased in sales by +50% globally compared to 2021) to Y2K fashion like velour tracksuits, which are up +134%.

"Twenty twenty-one had a strong focus on dopamine dressing, a theme that emphasised bright and bold colours and prints as mood boosters. This led to the rise of trends such as 'avant basic' and the growth of brands such as Paloma Wool and House of Sunny, which were very popular in 2020 and 2021… but 2022 was not been about dressing up or down (because we were doing both); it was about dressing in a way that remind us of happier and more carefree times against the backdrop of the uncertain times we currently live in."

With that in mind, keep scrolling for Panzoni's pick of the 10 biggest trends on TikTok right now. It just might change the way you think about getting ready tomorrow morning. 

1. #VintageTech

"Digital overload and privacy fears have people moving backwards towards past tech products that appear to be less intrusive and more reliable, and that encourages true human connection. And the hype is real." But what is vintage tech, I hear you ask? Gramophones? The wireless? No, according to Gen Z, "vintage tech" includes anything in the last 15 years, including the iPod, which alone has over 641 millions views with TikTokers even repurposing iPod shuffles as hair clips. "Throughout the year, vintage tech like wired headphones has been given an It factor and been spotted on celebrities like Bella Hadid and Lily-Rose Depp." Don't believe us? There's even an Instagram account dedicated to It girls in headphones. Time to trade in those Airpods. Fashion is catching the millennium bug. 

2. #Regencycore

Thanks to the overwhelming success of shows like Netflix's Bridgerton, period fashion is having a renaissance, but nowhere more so than on TikTok. "The Regencycore trend entails styles inspired by the Victorian and Regency periods and represents a grand escape from our current humdrum reality and gaining traction among people keen to escape the daily grind, reclaiming some elegance and whimsy that was lost during lockdown. This trend has also been seen in popular culture, one key example being the Bridgerton series on Netflix, but over the last two years, Regencycore fashion has popped up on the runways at designers like Simone Rocha, Markarian and Fendi, who showcased some amazing opera gloves in their A/W 22 collection." Wondering how to bring the look up to date? According to TikTok, it's empire lines and babydoll dresses, and don't forget a pair of sheer opera gloves. 

3. #Coquette

Like the younger, cooler sister of Regencycore, the #coquette is probably best described as English rose meets '90s Americana. "Though it's a part of the bigger Regencycore trend and to some extent hyperfemininity, coquette is a separate trend and community on TikTok," explains Panzoni. "The word itself refers to a 'flirtatious woman,' and the trend could be linked to the aesthetics of Lana Del Rey’s debut album, Born to Die and Sofia Coppola’s film Marie Antoinette. Coquette is characterised by soft pastel, frills, lace and rose-print fabrics, and adopters of the look are all about expensive luxury perfumes, designer fashion, and Mary Jane shoes with white socks."

4. #CounterCulture

Every generation looks for a way to rebel, and for those born in the 2000s, rediscovering the alternative music scenes of the last 30 years has had a profound influence on the way they dress. "Counterculture is rooted in '80s, '90s and '00s youth movements and musical genres like goth, grunge and pop-punk," says Panzino. "This trend is mainly led by Gen Z, who are looking for forms of music and aesthetics that revolt against cultural norms to define their multifaceted and bold personality. Although they’re too young to have experienced these influences before, they are a generation that characterise themselves as changemakers rather than adherents to the status quo. Counterculture has also been visible among the fashion brands, Dior Men’s fall 2022 campaign for example." Just when we thought we'd seen the last of baggy jeans, band tees and vintage trainers, the A/W 22 runways convinced us otherwise, adding a touch of polish to the edgy, underground revival happening over on TikTok. 

5. #Barbiecore

Calling all Barbie girls—2022 belonged to you. From the runways to the high street, our feeds has been awash with fuchsia, and if you thought Instagram was pink obsessed, just wait until you see TikTok. "Barbiecore is a subtrend to hyperfemininity with aesthetics characterized by hot pink, glitter, platform heels and minidresses inspired by the recognised character. Part nostalgia, part empowering reclamation of 'girlie' interests, Barbiecore is a movement to embrace and feel empowered by feminine looks—and have fun," says Pazoni. And high-profile cultural references might have helped contribute to the 176 million+ views that the hashtag has already racked up. "Greta Gerwig’s upcoming Barbie movie certainly plays a role in the Barbiecore trend with the on-set photos that have been gracing TikTok during the year. The trend has also been prominent on the runways this year, ranging from Valentino’s all pink A/W 22 collection to the famous Balenciaga look worn by Kim K on SNL." Looks like there's no sign of hot pink cooling off anytime soon.

6. #Y2K

In the year that gave us the Bennifer wedding, a new Lindsay Lohan film and a free Britney, it would only be right for fashion to echo the cultural shift. "It's impossible to have missed the Y2K renaissance—the collective term for fashion and beauty aesthetics from the early '00s. The trend is the ultimate expression of how our purchases have been driven by nostalgia this year and embodies everything good about the 2000s for those who experienced it firsthand, and serves as a modern symbol of happier times for younger generations," reflects Panzino. So if you still own a Juicy Couture tracksuit or Diesel jeans, you're in luck. "The Y2K trend was prevalent in the S/S 22 collections of the big fashion houses like Miu Miu, Fendi and, of course, Versace’s slinky, diamanté looks, but none more so than Blumarine, who showed exposed midriffs, cargo pants and distressed denim for S/S 23 too." Think Paris Hilton's chainmail dresses (see Paco Rabanne), Nicole Richie's Beverly Hills boho (see Chloé), and Xtina's risqué cut-outs (that'll be David Koma, then). 

7. #EmoGirl

What happens when you mix an Addams Family reboot with a trending song and add a gothic makeup tutorial? The #EmoGirl of course. And once again, this now-viral trend taps into our fascination with re-exploring throwbacks. "The emo girl is part of the Y2K nostalgic movement and flirts with the emo subculture from the early 2000s. Among videos of people embracing the emo aesthetics (ironically and not) are those who sing and dance to Machine Gun Kelly’s song with the same name. This particular trend was fuelled by a video of Kim K and North West, who took on the challenge earlier this year and posted a video that set the internet on fire." It's creepy, and it's kooky, mysterious and spooky, and according to Dior, whose S/S 23 show comprised no less than 36 all-black and Victoriana looks (complete with pigtails), next summer will be less pastels and florals and something altogether darker. 

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