

Style Forecast: 6 Forthcoming Spring Trends That Are Fresh Off The Runway
New York Fashion Week has come and gone, but the fashion moments will remain forever. After getting an up close and personal look at a few of my favorite collections, I spotted an array of exciting spring trends coming down the runway. From emerging designers such as No Sesso to CFDA winner Theophilio and Luar, these were just a few that set the tone for what is soon to come.
Subtle statements, from lightweight sheer fabrics to bold embellished styles and oversized jewelry, were just a few of the top takeaways for the season ahead. Although we’re gearing up for fall, it's safe to say we are highly anticipating what’s to come in 2023. With a balance of both minimal and maximalism at play, we’ve created a list of the top trends to keep an eye out for in case you’d like to get a head start on your spring/summer wardrobe.
1. Sheer
When I think of statement looks, sheer clothing wouldn’t be at the top of my mind. However, this upcoming spring/summer, see-through fabrics are making the biggest statement of all. Gracing the runways, the transparent trend was the common factor of them all. The not-so-subtle sexy chic lingerie look may only be here for a good time not a long time so get ready and enjoy while it lasts.
Shannon Finney/Getty Images for NYFW: The Shows
2. Embellished
The early 2000s had this past year in a chokehold and from the looks of this past fashion week, that will remain throughout 2023. Designers such as Theophilio lit up the runway with an embellished rendition of the white tank top. Playing on the infamous “I love NY” logo, the CDFA winner played on the heavily influenced millennium New York fashion we’ve grown to know and love.
Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for NYFW: The Shows
3. Statement Jewelry
Gone are the days of understated jewelry. The latest looks include bold, in-your-face accessories that may very well turn heads from at least a block away. After a long pandemic-era minimal trend, we’ve returned to a fashion renaissance of sorts which includes metal arm decor by designers such as Kim Shui.
Fernanda Calfat/Getty Images for NYFW: The Shows
4. Hair Art
Along with clothing and accessory trends, most notable were the intricately styled hair moments elevating these runway looks. Designers such as Sammy B, Kim Shui, and No Sesso showed how hair art is definitely forecasting for next spring, and I’m already gathering my warm-weather hair inspo. Experimenting with ponytails, braids, and classic '90s-inspired hair flips and side bangs, these stunning looks will be an exciting moment in 2023 history.
Fernanda Calfat/Getty Images for NYFW: The Shows
5. Chunky Soles
Chunky soles are currently having quite the moment and will continue to dominate throughout early next year. In addition to the thick soles, there's also a sleek futuristic element, from sneakers to clogs and even the summer sandal. As maximalism slowly takes over, adding chunky footwear is a great way to add a pop of trend for those that love a classic yet chic look.
Taylor Hill/WireImage
6. Maxi Skirts (Long Hems)
Maxi skirts are a closet staple that will never go out of style. While they'll never fade from absolute obscurity, it's how they're worn and designed that shapes the trending style. From denim, sheer fabrics, and highlow designs, to pinstripe patterns, the looks are limitless. Dress this style up or down for a fashionably forward moment.
Albert Urso/Getty Images for NYFW: The Shows
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Release Stress & Restore Harmony In Your Body With Shaking Meditation
When we reflect on our own path as women in light of the women who came before us, it’s easy to see that the loads we’ve carried haven’t always been the lightest. From everyday stresses to generational trauma with roots that are difficult to trace, one must ask where all that weight goes if we never release it.
The body holds the score for all the anxieties, worries, and unease that we’ve endured over time. Family and society often tell us to quiet our emotions, maintain a brave face, and keep our emotions bottled up within. But as we know, anything with too much pressure will eventually burst.
And while we are steadily discovering self-care methods like meditation to shed this emotional baggage, it may take a little more than sitting still in the quiet of our mind to let go of our deep-rooted tension. Fortunately, mindful movement could be an unexpected way for you to let go of worry and anxiety while building emotional resiliency, and such is the case with shaking meditation.
What Is Shaking Meditation?
Shaking meditation is a form of tension and trauma-releasing exercises or TRE that “assists the body in releasing deep muscular patterns of stress, tension, and trauma.” This series of exercises of muscular shaking and vibrating activates a natural reflex mechanism that releases muscular tension, thus calming down the nervous system and encouraging your body to return back to a state of balance.
“Shaking meditation can be powerful because it moves your body — and in Eastern medicine, we say that moves your chi,” says Jenelle Kim, DACM, L.Ac, a ninth-generation doctor of acupuncture and Chinese medicine and author of Myung Sung: The Korean Art of Living Meditation.
According to Dr. Kim, understanding chi helps us understand our bodies and how we're feeling mentally, physically, and spiritually. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), chi is known to represent your life force; it is the energy that flows through you and everything, and in many cultures, plays an essential role in our health.
“We have chi that moves in our blood and throughout our entire body; connecting our organ systems, muscles, and joints,” she tells xoNecole. “It allows everything to function and to be nourished. We know blood travels throughout our body through our circulatory system, but chi also travels through our body — much in the same way — through the meridian system. If you picture chi as vital energy, it moves the blood.”
It’s important for our body’s chi to stay in flow. When we go about our daily life with stress, trauma, or even mental injuries, our energy becomes stagnant. But various movement practices like Qigong or shaking meditation encourage your chi to circulate through your body which activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which “is in charge of telling our brain and body to calm down, relax, ultimately, let go,” Dr. Kim says.
As Black women, there are times in life when it feels like we bear the weight of the world on our shoulders, with few spaces to go when we need to lighten the load. But as Dr. Kim explains, because women are “naturally yin beings,” we take on more because we can handle more. “According to the energies of nature that have been passed down for thousands of years, women are more complex. And what that almost always means is that we can think a lot more.” And while that speaks to the resiliency of our being, it can have a negative effect on our bodies when we store more than we release.
“If we don't have ways of releasing this, it will ultimately affect our lives physically, mentally, and spiritually. Then it passes on to our children, and that's where we get generational trauma,” she says.
Although shaking meditation may be a new and unfamiliar practice, it’s one that could prove to be beneficial to those who have experienced trauma on an individual and communal level. The movements are simple to follow and accessible, and in a matter of minutes, you’ll feel more calm and relaxed, while relieving any anxiety, frustration, and tension inside of you.
So if you’re ready to restore harmony within your body, here are the steps to perform shaking meditation on your own.
How To Incorporate Shaking Meditation Into Your Daily Routine:
Step 1: “Stand with your feet hip-width apart. You can do this while sitting or standing — depending on your comfort level. Make sure all of your joints are soft, so nothing's locked.
Step 2: “Begin raising onto your tiptoes and falling back onto your heels. Not so hard to where you're shocking your spine, but enough to just kind of wake up your body. Repeat three to five times, dropping down onto your heels.”
Step 3: “Next, start with your hands first and shake them. There’s no right or wrong way to do this. Shake them and go up to your arms, to your elbows, and then up to your shoulders. Now your whole arms should be moving.”
Step 4: “Then you can start your legs, repeating the same shaking movement. You then move your feet moving, go up through your core, and then shake everything out through your head.”
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