Now that the year has transformed into 2026, there’s a growing interest in what the new year’s fashion trends might be. 2025 was a year of pastel clothing in the sunny months and Earth-toned clothing in the colder months. We saw the rise of Hailey Bieber’s “clean girl makeup” for that effortlessly elegant look and the return of our parents’ favorite clothes from when they were teenagers. However, with Gen Z’s musings about 2026 being the new 2016, 2026 might end up being just that in fashion: a reflection of some of the trends in 2016, or in the 2010s as a whole.
2025 Makeup and Accessories
We can all agree that the signature makeup aesthetic of 2025 was the “clean girl” look. This trend, brought to Gen Z by Hailey Bieber, is known as a “no-makeup” makeup look, applied to highlight a woman’s natural beauty. This look uses only the essentials, usually involving light skin prep, minimal blush, light lip liner, and clear brow gel, to capture that effortlessly glowing look. Obviously, since the trend has started, it’s undergone a few variations; natural-looking mascara, maybe a gloss here or there, but it’s never strayed from that idea of minimal effort for a stunning look.
The slick back hairstyle made a comeback in 2025. This look has been popular through the decades, specifically for women in the 1980s, when music videos were first emerging. The slick back was used in these videos as a polished hairstyle that combined sexiness with strength. In 2025, it was revitalized as a complement to the “clean girl” look, adding to the tidiness and brightness of the entire aesthetic.
If we’re also talking about trends that came back in, let’s talk about saddlebags! This unique bag has cycled through trends a few times, going all the way back to the late 1990s, when it first came into style, courtesy of Dior and the hit TV show Sex and the City. Regardless of where they came from, they made a swift return in 2025, heading right into 2026!
The 2025 Return of Vintage Styles
Continuing the trends that have resurfaced, we have to acknowledge flare pants. These never seem to really stay out of style. They started in the 1960s, in denim or other fabrics, and became even more popular with the rise of the Beatles, who wore them in concerts. During this time, they were usually paired with bright patterns or designs, which were worn as a form of individual creative expression and to break free of the previous attire expectation.
They carried into the 1970s disco era as well, staying popular with celebrities like John Travolta, and had a resurgence in the late 1990s to the early 2000s, when several other celebrities like Britney Spears popularized the pants again. From there, they made their way back into fashion in 2025, though we mostly ditched the denim. In 2025, it wasn’t flared jeans that were in, for the most part; instead, it was flared leggings.
One of the most controversial pieces that made a comeback from previous decades was the bubble skirt. Love it or hate it, these skirts seemed ever-present in 2025. Much like the bell-bottoms of the 1960s, these skirts were designed in the 1980s and 1990s to express oneself creatively, and as a fashion choice that wasn’t like the other items on the market. In the 1980s, fashion was big and bold, characteristics that the bubble skirt perfectly embodied.
The difference between the bubble skirts in the 1980s and in 2025 is the fabric used and the design of the skirt. The skirts in the 1980s were a little more complex in fabric patterning and frilliness, while the designs of 2025 reached into that more simplistic, minimalistic aesthetic that everyone was looking for. The skirts of 2025 varied in length, some being mini and some being maxi (or even dresses), but most of them were monochromatic and simpler than their ancestors.
How about 2026?
Since everyone’s calling 2026 the new 2016, we might be seeing more of the 2016 fashion as well! Not a total return, because it seems like we all have our fashion grievances from that era, but we seem to be heading away from a total minimalist place, and back into maximalism.
The “clean girl” makeup seems to be fading out a little, being replaced, or perhaps exaggerated, with makeup that’s a little bolder and more nostalgic for Gen Z. The makeup might include more metallics and darker colors than we saw in 2025, but over a fresh, bright base, just like we saw in the “clean girl” aesthetic.
We’ll probably move away from total simplicity in our clothing as well, into bolder choices, colors, and designs. Baby tees might stay a staple in every Gen Z’s closet, but oversized tops might be making a comeback. Overall, the general aesthetic for 2026 seems like it might be messy, but in a very intentional and deliberate way.
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