Depop debuts first-ever Trends Report

By Depop
5 Dec 2023
  • Top searches for 2023 include ballet flats (+428%), gazelles (+306%) and COS (+245%)

  • Austin, Texas and Glasgow, UK are the biggest new destinations for buying pre-loved - sales on Depop increased 70% and 140% respectively

  • 2024 will be the year for Sleaze Academia, Lazy Luxe, Post Romance and Sports Quest

2023 was the year of Barbiecore, Gorpcore, and Quiet Luxury, according to Depop's new Trends Report.

The inaugural report that aggregates data from Depop’s 30M+ community provides confirmation of the trends we saw take over our feeds:

  • Y2K was the most-loved decade for shoppers this year with 8 million listings.

  • Nike was Depop’s top-selling brand of 2023, with ‘sports mania’ seeing 6 million listings across the year. 

  • Festival and concert-goers brought out their best and brightest #Mermaidcore.

  • Summer blockbusters dominated pop culture with phenomenons like #Barbenheimer - ‘Barbiecore’ searches soared 135% in the first half of 2023.

  • Beyonce, Harry Styles and Taylor Swift redefined what it meant to “go on tour” and Rihanna shut down the Superbowl. 

Depop’s global community expressed their point of view on the cultural climate, prioritizing mental wellbeing and joy while taking ownership of their unique style and keeping it circular by shopping secondhand over new.

As we head into 2024, Depop tapped its recently announced Trend Specialist, Agus Panzoni, to mine data and forecast the next pre-loved trends. “In 2024, realism is back in vogue, but in a way we’ve never experienced before. Shoppers are balancing chaos and order by blending comfort and familiarity with individuality and unique style. With ‘Dual Reality’ set to take hold in 2024, people will be playing with pre-loved to redefine established style narratives that fuse collective comfort with individual expression.”

Through searches, listings, purchases, offers, and more, Depop’s community of buyers, sellers, and explorers continue to hint at what will be the next “big thing” - far ahead of the masses. For 2024, Depop is predicting Sleaze Academia, Lazy Luxe, Post Romance and Sports Quest will be the most popular trend categories on Depop - and around the world.

Sleaze Academia

Coming as a response to thematic dressing, Sleaze Academia makes a statement by subverting academic uniforms. This trend streamlines its look with minimalist pieces, subverted with pins, cutouts and awkward layering. The focus is on inner substance, outwardly expressed with books as accessories and ironic slogan tees.

Lazy Luxe

Less is more, laziness is refined. In 2024, we draw inspiration from classic formulas and muted colour palettes, infusing playfulness with proportion and deconstruction. We’re shifting away from the fantastical, turning workwear essentials into a canvas for reinvention, challenging established systemic narratives

Post Romance

While 2023’s girlhood trend offered an escape into the simpler joys of our youth,  2024 is ushering in a wave of realism. Girlhood’s playful, whimsical spirit is spilling over into the real world, rewriting the narratives that once defined us. Ribbons are now adorning the mundane, florals are taking on practical roles, and in this mature aesthetic, red is the new pink.

Sports Quest

The influence of sport remains a strong force in streetwear staples for 2024. As athletics continue to shape fashion trends and gaming’s cultural impact grows, we’re witnessing the emergence of anti-utilitarian sportswear. Sports Quest blends the practicality of performance with purely stylistic fashion elements. This aesthetic, which includes some cyber Y2K nods, echoes the growing presence of digital spaces in real life.

Download the Trend Report in full here.