Nostalgia is a heavy hitter for almost everyone I know, so it’s not crazy that all of a sudden there’s a yearning for 2016. In hindsight, the bright colors and fun music were such a joy to experience, and it almost felt like a dream. So, what fun aspects from 2016 should we bring into 2026, and what do I think we should leave behind?
Bring it Back!
- EDM
A staple of the time was no doubt the music. There are certain songs that you can listen to, and it brings you right back to the moment you first heard them on the radio. EDM was the heavy-hitting genre of the time, and it seems like it’s making a comeback. One of the bigger artists of the time who was really leading the genre was Calvin Harris. A big success for him in 2016 was his song with Rihanna, “This is What You Came For” (https://youtu.be/kOkQ4T5WO9E?si=6pTz2bcQOu9LNZFU ). We see his success carry on even 10 years later, right in our own neighborhood! Just last month, on January 17th, both Calvin Harris and John Summit headlined a free EDM concert right on South Beach. The beach was packed with over 50,000 attendees (https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/college-football-playoff-national-championship-at-t-playlist-live-miami-beach-concert/ ). The vibes from this genre are definitely making a comeback just a decade later.
- Justin BieberÂ
Continuing with music, not to say Justin ever left, however, 2016 was a phenomenal year for the artist in terms of success. The year prior, Justin released his album “Purpose,” and what an album it was! You could not go anywhere without hearing a song from the album, some of the bigger ones being: “What Do You Mean?”, “Sorry”, “Love Yourself”, “Company” (my personal favorite off the album), and “Where Are U Now” (https://genius.com/albums/Justin-bieber/Purpose ). Jumping off of that success that bled into 2016, he then released the single “Cold Water”, featuring Major Lazer, pushing him even further to being one of the most associated artists with that year. Justin, of course, was talked about heavily in the recent 2026 Grammys, where not only was he nominated for 4 different categories, he performed a literal “stripped down” version of his song “Yukon” (https://www.instagram.com/reels/DUPZ-ZLimtm/ ). In all honesty, as well, I am totally biased because I don’t think Bieber fever gets shaken off easily anyways.
- Choker Necklaces
I had quite a few of these when these were originally trending, especially the black “tattoo” style choker (that was my favorite and a staple in my everyday outfit) (https://www.pinterest.com/pin/319755642271166764/ ). I think we should bring these back because they were so easy to style. There were so many variations of the look in terms of pattern, color, texture, etc. This style of necklace was originally popularized in the 90’s, and as we know, trend cycles recycle fashion from old eras all the time, so why not bring it back again! I can’t think of a single person who wore a choker in 2016 and didn’t have a super cute outfit. Its simplicity also makes it easier to layer it with other necklaces, which I always find fun when you’re exploring your style.
Leave it Behind…Â
- Skinny jeans
I have never liked skinny jeans. I, of course, wore them at the time, but I had always found them uncomfortable. I have vivid memories of having to help my best friend literally jump into her jeans while we held onto the belt loops. Mind you, I think they are cute on other people, and when styled correctly, can look great. However, I find that the current trend of baggier jeans seems to be more versatile to me, and I think they can be flattering on more body types. On the one hand, the skinny jeans tucked into thigh-high boots combo was always a good combo in my mind, but I find that impractical since we also live in Florida, and that seems more like a cool-weather outfit. So while I can see the vision, I think I’ll stick to my baggy pants.
- Snapchat Filters
I personally still use Snapchat, but most people I know don’t. The filters that Snapchat has, like the dog or flower crown filter is reminiscent of the “color scheme” that 2016 had. It had vibrant colors and a playful energy. While all of that was fun for the time, it mostly just feels outdated. Which is a term about old trends that might sound ironic, but most people I know don’t use filters at all. It’s more about the bare face look or simply disliking filters because a lot of them distort how your face looks. It could also be that were older now and in college, so they just don’t seem relevant to us anymore. I think the filters were fun in a time when social media still felt dominated by sharing silly moments with friends rather than engagement, but with how things are now, I think that not using filters is the move. (https://www.pinterest.com/pin/172262754493171463/ ).
- Overlined Matte lips
I feel this one personally since I was for sure a victim of this trend since during 2016 I was 10 and I essentially discovered there was more makeup past strawberry lip gloss and Claire’s frosty eyeshadow that wiped away after 20 minutes. Although Kylie Jenner’s lip kits were the makeup item of the era, I don’t think we should bring them back since the style enhanced parts of the lips that I believe most people would not want to make more obvious (https://www.pinterest.com/pin/801288958734161631/ ). The overlined lips gave the illusion of bigger lips, but if done incorrectly, you can see where the lines were drawn on from the side of your face, and I have known way too many lip fails where this was the reveal. On top of that, I think matte lipstick enhances the cracks in your lips, which is normal since not everyone’s lips are perfectly smooth, but I would be frustrated if I did a full face of makeup and my lips looked like they were cracking. This trend was, in hindsight, a flop for me, so I think we should leave it in 2016.
Conclusion:
By this point you can probably tell all of my opinions stem from personal experiences I had in 2016 yet, that’s the fun in looking back at old trends. These are things that I like or disliked but if you disagree with me you fully have the option of wearing whatever you’d like. Even though we use style as markers of the different eras we have experienced, the fun thing about looking back is that now we can remember what worked for us and apply it to how we live now. Style and culture will always evolve but what will stay is how you felt when you lived in the moment!