While 2025 was the year of “Stockholm Style” — quarter-zips and moon boots — we are all getting the opportunity for a fresh start in 2026 to rethink our past fashion choices. Will we keep up with the trend of putting polka dots on every clutch, shirt and skirt, or have they already become overused like the great bow epidemic in 2024? At what point does maximalist jewelry just become clunky? I myself have already begun rethinking my past shopping choices because, really, who needs six different butter yellow tops? So now, with New Year’s resolutions already in execution, New York Winter Fashion Week (NYFW) coming up and a giant closet cleanout on the way, it is time to think about how to elevate one’s wardrobe to better fit the new year.
Marking a decade since the year of chokers, full-glam make-up looks, grunge skater style and the Kylie Jenner lip kit, many people have begun to revert back to this harrowing era of fashion. Past fashion trends have always made comebacks in later years, but 2016 might have to be one to leave in the past… at least for now. Instead, it is time to move onto bigger and better styles that better fit this new era.
According to Pinterest Predicts (arguably the best fashion app out there), one accessory that will be getting its chance to shine this year is the brooch. And yes, I mean the large sparkly pins in the bottom of your grandmother’s jewelry case. It is a more elevated version of the ever-popular charm necklace, only for your clothes. With so many different styles of brooches, and the versatility of where they can be worn, they can match any style or aesthetic. Brooches are a way to take a simple jacket and turn it into a shiny, colorful art piece.
Another common look we will be seeing this year is dimension. Layering, of course, is always in style and, with the winter New York is facing this year, quite necessary. This 3D look goes beyond just stacking on multiple shirts, as lace, feathers, fringe and ruffles are all taking their places in the fashion magazines. Anything that adds movement and texture will instantly elevate an outfit making it 2026-ready. In Vogue’s list of fashion predictions, shopping marketing editor Andrea Zendejas highlighted brands like Loulou de Saison, Chloé and Diotīma as brands to look at for inspiration for movement.
Staying warm has never looked so fashionable as with the rise of fur coats this year. It is time to trade in the standard black puffer jacket and invest in a fluffy (preferably hooded) fur jacket. It can turn any simple outfit into something eye-catching and shockingly elegant. Short, cropped, floor length — any style of fur coats is in for 2026.
Even though people are calling for a 2016 comeback, it seems fashion is leaning more towards the early 2010s or, more specifically, their wedges. Though the high-end brand Isabel Marant started trending for their ultra-cool wedge sneakers back in 2025, many other brands have also caught onto this style making it something to look out for in the new year. This also raises the question of if wedge heels as casual wear will also be making a comeback or if comfort has finally overtaken style.
Unfortunately for the fans of Labubus and other such bag charms, it seems that they will have to be left as a 2025 trend that we will look back on and wonder: why? Already the craze has dwindled down and we are seeing less and less of The Monsters hanging off purses. Instead, they have been replaced with more simplistic and less flashy charms — monochrome and metals in exchange for fur and excessive color. We may even see brooches make their way over to bags as an alternative to pins and dangling charms.
The year 2026 will be for mixing the old with the new, redefining past styles. With all of the activity on social media, trends spread quickly and take over before we even know it. There will certainly be many many short-lived microtrends filling our feeds each month, but these styles are ones that are predicted to stand out against the others and be a defining aspect of the year. Nearing the end of the first month of the year, these trends have already begun to pop up and will continue to grow as the year progresses.
