I Have Casual Style—These Are the Spring Trends I'm Avoiding and Embracing

As someone who lives in the South and works from home full-time, I have pretty good reason to maintain a primarily casual wardrobe. Day to day, I typically wear jeans and sneakers and things made of knit fabrics. And although I love fashion, when I review the runways each season, a lot that I come across wouldn't really mesh with my own lifestyle.

Following the ultra-casual era that the pandemic forced all of us into, designers have embraced themes and trends in fashion that are geared toward going out and returning to the office. The urge to wear something besides sweatpants now that life is basically back to normal makes perfect sense to me. But that doesn't mean I suddenly have reasons to wear head-to-toe sequins, and perhaps some of you can relate. 

Accordingly, I combed through the S/S 23 runways and found a handful of trends that definitely don't fit into my casual aesthetic (but that doesn't mean that I don't love them). There are also plenty that do fit. So scroll on to shop those and find out which fancy trends I'm passing on this season.

Avoiding: Sequins

Embracing: Elevated Basics

As a magpie, I adore the sequins trend, but I typically only wear them to holiday parties. It's February now, and I don't really see myself wearing sequins for my coffee run (or the like). Elevated basics, on the other hand, are an excellent investment, and it was great to see designers such as Matthieu Blazy putting them on the runway for spring.

Pictured: Bottega Veneta S/S 23

Shop Elevated Basics

Avoiding: Bold, Oversize Earrings

Embracing: Belts

I already own my fair share of big, fun earrings, and they don't get much wear, so I don't plan on adding any new ones to my collection. But an accessory trend I do plan on investing in this season is belts. It's an easy-to-wear trend that works with almost any outfit.

Pictured: Miu Miu S/S 23

Shop Belts

Avoiding: Sheer Pieces

Embracing: Red

I love the ethereal beauty of sheer clothing, but those delicate, skin-baring pieces don't suit my life all that well. Instead, I'm shopping for red pieces. Whether worn as accents or head-to-toe, it's an easy way to make a statement without really trying this spring.

Pictured: Valentino S/S 23

Shop Red Pieces

Avoiding: Trains

Embracing: Double Denim

A skirt or dress with a train is now acceptable to wear off of the red carpet or the wedding aisle, but that doesn't mean I'm going to. That said, the double-denim trend gets my casual stamp of approval.

Pictured: Chloé S/S 23

Shop Denim

Avoiding: Lingerie-Inspired Pieces

Embracing: Balletcore

Wearing underwear as outerwear just isn't me, but any time ballet-inspired pieces are trending, you can sign me up. I already have ballet flats, so now I just need a drop-waist dress with a full skirt to wear with them.

Pictured: Sandy Liang S/S 23

Shop Balletcore Pieces

Next up, 30 items that will be the backbone of my spring 2023 wardrobe.