trends in our midst

a little vibe forecast for the ghouls

2024 has arrived, which means it’s time to reset our aesthetic (black out in anthropologie).

if you’re like me, you’re desperate to be five steps ahead of everyone else so by the time things become popular you can be an insufferable contrarian. “stanley cups are so fugly” i texted my friend today, as five earth-toned 40 ouncers continue to collect dust in my cabinet.

to start the new year off as bratty as possible, i put together a little list of upcoming trend predictions that i can (hopefully) snub by the time people are talking about them. from beauty to bondage, here’s what i think is looming on our horizon…

wraithcore

i’m declaring it now: it’s wraith girl winter. i watched lord of the rings for the first time over the holidays and the nazgûl (aka ringwraiths, aka the horse girls of middle earth) were the chicest creatures in the trilogy. and according to cnn.com (my tiktok for you page) i’m just one of many ghouls eager to make oversized, void-toned textiles an everyday essential.

between viral cries to bring cloaks back and the goth style icons of instagram reminding us they never left, the desire to shroud ourselves in darkness has never been more alive. i’m confident that come mid-february, we’ll all be dressing like we’re hunting down a trio of short kings who live for drama. here are some easy ways to get the look:

plain old cloak if you’re going for the trad wraith look, etsy is your spot. the one i’m linking here is just a pitch-black hooded robe with what seems to be inclusive sizing—what’s more body positive than lacking a corporeal form entirely? just make sure to give it some DIY distressing for that tattered, hell-bound vibe.

elevated cloak if you’re willing to drop several paychecks on a cloak, this one by rick owens is worth it. the cowl neck and open-front make it a unique, ~corporatecore~ take on the emerging trend. this wraith owns a laptop, this wraith is sending emails, this wraith is looming in the corner of the zoom meeting, ready to let out a bone-chilling hiss the moment someone says “circle back”.

flute sleeve maxi dress as mentioned above, layering is a wraithcore staple. not only does it further tuck your human form away into the abyss, it also gives you the ominously oversized sleeves that make the nazgûl’s wardrobe so iconic. this maxi dress from disturbia is definitely on my wishlist.

one-of-a-kind jewels

credit: oubliette.com

regardless of your take on the “mob wife aesthetic”, admist all the discouse, one thing is clear: everyone is sick of short-lived trends and desperate for originality™. which is why i suspect bespoke trinkets will pop off in 2024. but this time it won’t just be about ethical consumption virtue-signaling (which is something i do any chance i get…why else would i pay $80 for a hand-crocheted phone case?) buying one-of-a-kind pieces will also be a way to show your subjectivity in a world where the most common approach to curating a personal style is by hitting copy + paste. oubliette makes beautiful one-of-one pieces, based out of nyc. i’ll be adding all of them to my wishlist!

cozy bdsm

forget chains and leather, i want a strega nona lookalike to tie me to a hand-crafted, oak dining table while preparing a heatry beef stew i will reluctantly eat later. floggers are officially out. ladles, wooden spoons, and embroidered dish towels are in. if you’re not swatting my ass with something that is ordinarily associated with cooking soup in the countryside, count me out! and if you’re wondering why i am predicting this as a trend for 2024…it’s called manifesting.

sheer black lip gloss

a glossy vinyl lip will always be the moment. but lately i’ve been seeing more and more brands release sheer black lip products, which i'm taking as an omen that 2024 will finally be the year of the gloom pout. here are three sheer black glosses that i think will be in every hot ghoul’s makeup bag:

rituel del fille thorn bite lip oil in black thorn: i’ve talked about these lip oils before in my fall favorites, but this shade specifically is perfect for a dewy-looking black lip. the coverage is pretty buildable so you can wear it on it’s own or layer it over other lip products for maximum hot ghoul glam.

MOB hydrating shine lip balm in M138: the queen of cool tones, Jessica Haze has outdone herself with her latest MOB Beauty collab. admist her Vintage Goth collection is a black lip balm that is perfect for when you want to add a little corpe-like touch to your no-makeup days. because every day is ultimately halloween.

isamaya liplacq in black veil: ok so while i have not tried this one, the packaging alone is a reason to buy it. plus, i have heard only good things about the formula from people i trust (any goth girl on the internet). this one even has a glittery finish that will have you saying “these are the lips of a killer, bella”.

paul giamatti thirst

ever since our curmudgeonly icon, mr. paul hunham graced the silver screen, my feed has been flooded with gifs, fam cams, and thirst tweets celebrating the one and only paul giamatti. we now live in a post-holdovers society and a new dawn in upon us. the age of the dad bod is over…2024 is the year of the matti body.

what makes the matti body distinct (and lustworthy) is that there’s a wisdom to its witheredness. it’s seen some shit, it has character. each thinning hair has a history, every throat clear tells a story. while the allure of the dad bod was all about sitting on someone’s lap while they knock back a few miller high lifes (the campagne of beers), the matti body’s magnitism is couched in the fact that he who inhabits it won’t even let you sit on his lap! if anything, he’ll open up a theseaurus and quiz you on synonyms while keeping appropriate physical distance.

with over-consumption at an all time high, i predict that the the gruff, disinterested grump is going to be our newest it-girl. get your rumpled peacoats and jim beam ready.

savory candles

the Tomato Ambiance Set from Flamingo Estate

last year seemed to be the year we all collectively agreed to let luxury candle brands findom us into bankruptsy. and now that we’re skimping on groceries to afford byredo’s latest drop, it only makes sense that the next trend in olfactory fashion will be one that provides the essence of a three course meal. so retire your neroli and jasmine scents, and get ready to light up a $94 soy wax, pot roast 3-wick.

i know this prediction may sound particularly absurd, but savory candles have already been on this rise. last summer boy smells realeased their “farm to candle” collection which featured scents like snap—a coconut and beeswax candle with green bell pepper top notes. it’s only a matter of time before boston market releases their rotiserie votive discovery set.

letterboxd > twitter

my gorgeous top four

i’m calling it now, letterboxd will be the new social media app for hot takes and eventual shitposting. twitter is decidedly out for 2024 (and maybe forever). this leaves a gaping hole to fill for over-confident, under-qualified people to be firing off their worst opinions—and where better to do that than a platform that welcomes unsolicited critiques of timeless films?

i really do enjoy rating movies on there though, and seeing what my friends with superior taste are watching. and while it’s certaintly not as easy to grow a following on letterboxd like it was twitter, i’ve devised a foolproof plan that will have my five star reviews of home alone 2: lost in new york popping off in no time: use hinge as a passive stream of followers. people are addicted to bonding over movies as a way to manufacture chemistry. so by listing my username in one of those dumb little prompts, people will immediately roll in for opening line inspo. i have turned all my potential suitors into prospective followers! something, something, sheryl sandberg…

wellmaxxing

by now i think anyone with a brain is sick of the stanley cup. being well-hydrated was fun for a minute, but after the stanley cup stampede at target (january 6th for girls), i think everyone is ready to embrace the old ways of water consumption even if it means being a little parched. i predict that 2024 will be all about trips to the well! and if you encounter anything (or anyone) strange down there, have no fear—you’ll fit right in with your wraithcore ensemble.

thanks for reading ghouls,

-Rachel E