New Ways To Add Ruffles To Your Wardrobe In 2023

The weather is gradually warming up, and with the end of winter comes more opportunity to ditch your oversized puffer coat. Made to grab attention, one of the key trends for 2023 is ruffles. Seen on runways for Saint Laurent, Giambattista Valli, and Blumarine amongst others, now is the perfect time to add ruffles to your wardrobe. 

Speaking to Woman & Home, stylist Antonia Kraskowski described the ruffle trend as "a fun way to make a style statement." You may feel some trepidation about a voluminously ruffled dress, but the trend doesn't have to be overly dramatic. If you're on the fence about ruffles, Kraskowski recommends starting out with "smaller ruffle detailing items such as blouses and skirt hems." Less intimidating than completely ruffled blouses or puffy dresses, these items will be easier to pull off when you're a total ruffles beginner. 

Ruffles also come in numerous styles and in various materials like chiffon and cotton, both factors which will influence the dressiness of a ruffled look. We've gathered up some key ruffled pieces to dive into the trend with.

Airy, light, and feminine, a classic ruffled shirt is a great way to try out the ruffle trend. Blouses can be either workwear or elevated casual wear, making them a good investment. A light pink color like the one above matches perfectly with the romantic ruffle shirt design, but don't feel you have to go all-in with an over-the-top ruffled design. Small details like ruffled hems will also give your look that little something extra.

Ruffle skirts may embrace femininity, but this doesn't mean you have to go for an ultra-feminine look. @faeriegarden showed you can make ruffles fit an alternative style by opting for a mini skirt with a short ruffle hem instead of a longer skirt or dress. The dark brown color of the skirt is part of the neutrals color family — as mentioned above, neutrals will balance out a more feminine design aspect like ruffles. She also added fishnet tights and chunky Dr. Martens, which have the same balancing effect.

The ruffles trend doesn't have to be ultra-feminine, either. A short ruffle skirt in a darker color palette will give club energy instead of frolicking in a field vibes. The high slit in this skirt also helps to switch up the typical ruffle look, particularly when paired with a daring top and high heels. As with all trends, the ruffles trend can be adapted to your own personal style, and is in fact a lot more versatile than some other trends because of the many ways ruffles can be worn and styled.

The ruffle trend also ties in with another major trend — the prairie dress renaissance. Similar to the dreamy prairie dress trend, the ruffle trend is all about bold yet flowy silhouettes. If you don't want a dress that's completely covered in ruffles, opt for a style like the one above instead. The subtle side ruffle detail ties in with the trend, whereas the silhouette is flowy without being too flouncy. Plus, you can toughen up a ruffle dress with the edgy heavy boot trend set to be everywhere in 2023.

Ruffles are usually cut vertically or asymmetrically on dresses/skirts, but you don't have to show off any skin if that isn't your thing. A long-sleeved ruffle dress will look just as good, and, as demonstrated by @aina.frhana, this choice also makes for a really cute modest dress option. Plus, if you go for a white ruffle dress, you have plenty of opportunities to either play around with colors for a cute contrasting look or keep things minimalist for a Scandi chic look.

Ruffles can appear visually overwhelming, but choosing a neutral color scheme for your look will help to balance things out. Shades of sand, beige, and taupe will all bring dimension to an outfit without distracting from the main aspect of a ruffled look. Tick off two trend boxes by tying into the monochrome fashion trend and combining your neutrals together. Neutrals will never go out of style, and they will also help to curate a laidback vibe, a perfect contrast to the drama of the ruffle trend.

Much like how dopamine dressing is all about giving you happiness throughout your day, the ruffle trend doesn't take itself too seriously. When you combine the two like @killer_closet_, you get a playful yet achievable look. Wearing a ruffle blouse unbuttoned over a dress is also an excellent way to introduce ruffles to your look if you're not sure how to style them. Remember that your look doesn't have to be all pink, either — pastels, neutrals, and darker colors are all part of the trend.