Our Favorite Vintage Trends That Made a Comeback in 2023

People say to look ahead to the future, but this year looked to the past instead. From crafts to hobbies to vintage fashion trends, 2023 was chock-full of incredible blasts from the past. These are our top ten favorite vintage trends from 2023 that made a comeback, and we bet some of them are your favorites, too! 

The 1970s were in full force this year. From fashion to interior design, people were desperate for a little bit of that warm denim dream. Brands like Skims (one of haul influencers’ favorite shops) dominated the industry last year with fun co-ordinating outfits in a rainbow of color and styles.

Yet, we threw out our stretch spandex on January 1^st and opted for deliciously worn-in denim. We took inspo from 70s southern rock icons with their 'the more denim, the better’ attitude. Jackets, buttons-downs, bell bottoms, and bustiers, this year had it all.

Despite hairdressers' best efforts, people haven’t stopped taking scissors to their locks armed with only a resume of experience covering slashed up Barbie doll ‘dos. The viral moment that drove many people’s hair envy this year was the curtain bang.

A majorly popular chin-length feathered bang that defined mid to late-70s culture could be taken as a Farrah Fawcett replica or as modern as you like. There was a run on massive rollers, and TikTok’s fyp was flooded with intense brush-outs that led to bountiful feathered curls. We’re just happy to see these easy-to-grow-out bangs push back the baby bang resurgence that’s on the horizon for a little while longer.

While the inside of most clothing stores look like my dream childhood closet right now, hairstyles in the latter half of 2023 are rooted firmly in the 90s. Termed the butterfly cut, this heavily layered mid-shoulder style gives you the perfect supermodel swoop.

We’re partial to this cut because it’s a bit of a softer version of the 70s feathering from the first half of the year and looks great in almost any context. It’s dressy enough to go out with but professional enough that you don’t have to throw it up. But really, we’re just happy to see that we’ve got a few years before flat irons and stick straight, crispy, crunchy hair is back in fashion.

When I first saw someone reviewing Clinique’s Almost Lipstick in Black Honey, I had the strongest sense of déjà vu. I knew that color and that tube from somewhere. Oh yeah, it was my mom’s go-to lip color in the 90s and early 2000s.

In a year of ‘no makeup’ makeup trends, this tint was the answer to many prayers. And if the cute color wasn’t enough for you, let me spin you a quick yarn.

Before Black Honey’s comeback, the Clinique aisle in my local Ulta was one row from being at the very back of the store. The first time I visited post-Black Honey, they’d moved it right up front. There was nothing as cool as watching Gen Z pool their power to impact a corporate floor plan in only a few weeks.

People may have honed their sourdough starter making skills in 2020, but crochet was the ‘it’ hobby of 2023. Shows like Daisy Jones & the Six gave all of us craft envy, and because of it the fiber arts are on the rise. From latch rugs to granny square jackets, people really dived deep into crafting in a way we haven’t seen since the 1970s.

And the runways proved that the handmade textile was just as popular in high fashion as it was in low fashion. As a relatively low-cost hobby with a ton of freedom for what you create, this is a 2023 trend win in our eyes.

As a veteran of the Uggs generation, I have to be honest. I really thought these shoes had slipped quietly into the night never to be seen again. Not only was I wrong, but I’m not actually mad about them being resurrected. 

From the ankle house shoe to the classic mid-calf boot, Uggs are back and better than ever. Unfortunately, they’re not any easier to put on than they were a decade ago, and they stain just as badly. But, like Crocs — the shoe everyone loves to hate — they’re one of the only shoes that give our tired millennial dogs any relief.

Without a doubt, Greta Gerwig’s Barbie defined summer 2023. No fashion list predicting trends for 2023 came up with anything close to the bright pink, extremely bold, and retro-inspired styles that came from Barbie’s influence.

The more direct the reference — the better. Everyone wanted a pair of 91 Rollerblade Barbie’s bright yellow and pink inline skates and her beautiful western getup. Barbenheimer gave us a reason to play like kids again, and for that reason, it has to make our list.

As a mid-century enthusiast, one of the vintage trends from 2023 that made me most excited was the sunken sofas. I’ve been pitching that we bring back 70s conversation pits for years, and the time has finally come.

Granted, so few of us can afford to get houses — let alone ones big enough to drop the floor and put in a sunken sofa. But, if we pool our resources Golden Girls style, we all just might be able to eke out with the hidey hole of our tired adult dreams.

When I dreamed about the toys from my childhood that I wished would make a comeback, I can say with certainty that the creepiest toy in existence — Furby — wasn’t on my list. Yet, with 2023 being its 25^th anniversary, Hasbro answered literally no one’s prayers with a new commemorative Furby line.

We’ll give Hasbro points for turning every 90s kid’s Gizmo into the cuddliest little puffball. But the trouble with these tribbles is that there’s always a catch. But I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was a little excited to see if Furby’s upgrade turns out more Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde.

For a few years now, roller skating and skateboarding/longboarding have been on the rise. As a true 90s baby, the only sports that interested me were ones designated for the X Games. Growing up on Rocket Power, An Extremely Goofy Movie, and the masterful Tony Hawk Pro Skater video game, skate culture captivated me.

Now nearing my 30s, it’s back around. People are breaking out roller skates for the first time since they hobbled around the rink to Gwen Stefani’s “Hollaback Girl,” and friends are longboarding like their grandparents in the ‘70s. Sure, nostalgia podcasts might be on the rise, but there’ll be nothing like the freedom of just you, the pavement, and the wind on your face.

Looking back on 2023, we can’t help but notice that we’ve collectively turned back to the past as a balm for our uncertain futures. Thankfully, there are decades and decades of awesome trends we can use to transform 2024 into whatever we want. The future is a choose your own adventure, and we hope yours is as fun as ours.