By Mikayla Silcox
Elm Staff Writer
Two weeks ago, at the Sydney premiere for “Babylon,” Margot Robbie’s periwinkle Versace ensemble lacked one feature: a necklace. According to Refinery29, Robbie’s bare neck sent the internet into an analytic frenzy over the state of celebrity fashion.
As of the last few months, many celebrities traded in their typically elaborate jewelry in exchange for minimal accessories, which some suspect to represent the oncoming recession.
Many celebrities can afford to splurge on jewelry and designer dresses. However, in an era where the behavior of celebrities is held to a higher standard, as evidenced by the online push for public figures to take accountability for their actions, celebrities might want to avoid flaunting their wealth in an economic crisis lest they face backlash.
According to fashion journalist Natalie Michie, the trend of celebrities moving towards simpler clothing is dubbed “recession core,” and it is trickling down into the wardrobes of everyday people.
In a TikTok posted by @melbgirlambassador, the tenets of the trend are described as follows.
“Bigger bags, fewer accessories, muted color, androgyny, functionality, outfit repeating,” @melbgirlambassador said.
Influencers like Jen Andrews-Cater and Sylvie Mus showcase how the 2023 recessioncore on the red carpet made its way into the closets of everyday people.
With their chic, simplistic styles, influencers are the perfect examples of the popular “clean girl aesthetic,” which values closet staples like muted colors, trousers, blouses, and wired headphones. Additionally, those who adopt this look usually opt for minimal makeup, using few products except sunscreen, mascara, and eyebrow gel.
Additionally, theories like the Hemline Index and the Nail Polish Index are further indicators of how changing economic times influence fashion trends. According to Masterworks, increased hemline length is typically correlated with negative changes in the market and increases sales in nail polish indicate that consumers want a cheap way to add flair to their outfits during a recession.
However, for many working people recessioncore is not entirely focused on products.
“For me, recession-core is selling my less-worn pieces for extra money, getting my damaged items fixed instead of discarding them, and slowly curating a closet full of high-quality items that I know will serve me for years,” fashion influencer Delaney Bryant, who predicted the recession fashion trend on TikTok, said to Buzzfeed.
While consumers are resorting to minimalism to save money, fashion designers as prominent of figures.
According to Business of Fashion, celebrities are still repping “quiet luxury,” with subtle wealth seeping through their outfits in the form of well-tailored pieces made from high-quality fabric.
However, this phenomenon is not new or controversial. During the 2008 Great Recession, bold and sequined Juicy Couture tracksuits transitioned to a minimalistic era of staples, with celebrities like Cate Blanchett leading a “new” fashion trend, according to Fashion Magazine.
The desire to not flaunt wealth during an economic downturn created large-scale trends of minimalism. According to Vox, while many wealthy people still bought luxury goods during the recession in 2008, it was rumored that many were reluctant to wear clothing with visible designer labels.
“It doesn’t even matter whether it was true or not,” former fashion journalist Christine Binkley said. “The mere fact of those rumors reflected people’s response: that it was suddenly so uncool to look rich.”
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Photo caption: Actress Cate Blanchett was a pioneer of “recession-core” during the 2008 recession, donning simple, androgynous pieces for both everyday and formal wear. To this day, Blanchett still holds true to her sustainable beliefs; according to Harpers Bazaar, she frequently re-wears outfits to red carpet events.