Each new year gives people a chance to look back on the year, reminding themself of how the year went and how they can improve throughout the next 12 months. Looking back on the 2024 trends, the year was marked by brain-rotting internet jokes and insane amounts of fast-moving microtrends that, to be honest, I am glad were left in last year’s graveyard of bizarre fashion niches (rest in peace, brat summer). Following are a few trends from last year that managed to stick around until December, some of which deserve to continue into 2025 and others that should rot in the back of everyone’s closets, forever.
Blush blindness
“Blush blindness” is a phrase commonly used on social media for when people do not realize that they are applying intense amounts of pigment onto their cheeks during their makeup routine, which becomes obvious to everyone but them. Many people, including myself, fell victim to this throughout the year as a result of the heavy blush styles that dominated social media. Celebrities like Sabrina Carpenter pushed this style with their onstage looks, but it managed to sneak through the cracks onto social media, influencing others to do the same. While heavy blush has its moments, it can become way too much way too fast, especially if someone is trying to achieve a simple, everyday look. In 2025, let’s leave this look for high-fashion endeavors and stage makeup at pop concerts, not Edmond Memorial High School on a Wednesday morning.
A blast from the past with Y2K
While the rest of the 2020s seemed to gravitate towards 90s fashion with an influx of wide-legged jeans, oversized t-shirts and self-proclaimed punks that would probably make Kurt Cobain roll over in his grave, 2000s fashion was popularized during the last half of 2023 and throughout 2024. Low-waisted jeans became increasingly popular, and in favor of everybody’s collective midriffs, many people made the bold choice of pairing these jeans with high-cropped baby tees. This trend has been one of my favorites throughout the years, as it is relatively subtle and easy to achieve while still being stylish. Even though millennials might be subject to some bad nostalgia from the 2000s, Y2K is well-worth its popularity and should continue through the new year.
Diapers! Oh, wait, I mean bubble skirts.
The first time I ever saw a bubble skirt, the only thing I thought was, “Is that a diaper?” These are skirts where the hems are flipped under to create a bubble-like look, and they somehow managed to slip through the cracks of Weird Barbie’s wardrobe onto some poor souls’ Pinterest feeds. These skirts, though created in an attempt to be a stylish runway look, manage to look unflattering no matter what they are paired with. Though I am sure there is some way to style them fashionably, I often see them styled with graphic t-shirts or even blazers. Contrary to seemingly popular belief, pairing an ugly piece of clothing with something entirely mismatching does not, in fact, result in a coherent outfit. If my wishes come true, bubble skirts will be gone by the end of January.
Keeping it clean
On a more positive note, one of the most popular looks throughout last year was the “clean girl aesthetic,” which involved minimalist outfits that focused on a neutral palette with minimal embellishments. Some of the trademarks of clean girl looks were low slick-back hairstyles and simple, dewy makeup. While I personally do not enjoy this style for myself, I found this trend very fashionable because of its cohesiveness and accessibility. Even though it can, at times, scream “money” as a result of the emphasis on a neutral palette and apparent elegance, the look is relatively easy to achieve through use of simple closet staples and easy, clean hairstyles. This trend was one of the few from 2024 that deserved the favor it got from social media influencers.
Animal prints
On the opposite side of the spectrum from the clean girl aesthetic, there was an increased interest in animal-print fabric. While cow and zebra prints have trended in previous years, it appears that 2024’s print of choice was leopard. Whether on shirts, skirts or pants, this pattern somehow managed to be regarded as somewhat of a neutral to some, causing the rest of the population to find their eyes abused by it. While other patterns like camouflage, florals and wavy stripes were often used in an eye-catching and stylish way, leopard print was a loud and annoying choice that permanently burned itself into any onlooker’s retinas as a form of cruel and unusual punishment from the fashion industry. For the sake of humanity’s eyeballs this year, please stop wearing leopard print.
Thankfully, trends come and go, and hopefully some of the less than satisfactory trends will leave faster than they came. The coming year is sure to be full of brand new ideas and fashion trends, possibly adding to the 2020s’ long list of revolutionary stylistic choices and possibly adding a few new graves in the beloved microtrend cemetery that the past few years have developed.
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