At the start of last year, did you foresee the fascination with what Gen Zers think, wear and do starting to fizzle? How about the explosion of theme dressing on red carpets? Or rosettes blooming as a popular motif in fashion?
We did. Looking back on the past 12 months, those three phenomena were among the most accurate predictions that the New York Times made about fashion and lifestyle trends for 2024.
What might 2025 have in store? If the hypotheses we put forth below are accurate, it will be artificial, medieval, whimsical and green – but not because of brats. – Anthony Rotunno, fashion news editor, Styles
12. Minds drift to medieval times
Remember when all of those men were thinking about the Roman Empire? This year, a different historical period seems poised to infiltrate minds: the Middle Ages. There have been indications a fresh fascination with medieval times may be taking hold. Chappell Roan performed at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards in a suit of armour. Dior sent chain mail down the runway at a show inspired by Mary, Queen of Scots. A rakish, pickle-blessing priest at a Renaissance festival in New York became an unlikely TikTok star.
Instead of being “demure”, people in 2025 will start readying themselves for battle, or at least try casting away their phones to party like it’s 999. – Callie Holtermann, reporter, Styles
11. A hunger for the artificial
Whether or not Robert F. Kennedy jnr is confirmed to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, the prospect of his overseeing the nation’s wellbeing could be enough to inspire a run on all things artificial as a backlash to Kennedy’s Make America Healthy Again movement.
Look out for commuters swigging Diet Coke for breakfast on the subway; candy-coloured cocktails spilling out of plastic cups at bars; lines around the block at fast-food restaurants; and the fake fur, fake leather and fake gold associated with the aesthetics of Forever 21 at its peak in the early 2000s. No more indie sleaze, just sleaze. – Dani Blum, reporter, Well
10. Protests get punk
A few years ago, burdened by student debt, inflation, job insecurity, climate change and the coronavirus pandemic, Gen Zers laid the groundwork for a bout of nihilism. Now, the national mood might be shifting towards nihilism’s more politically inclined cousin – punk.
As the incoming Trump administration seeks to dismantle the established bureaucracy, Democrats are grappling with their own need to get gritty. Traditional protest appears to be on pause; a hastily arranged women’s march in Washington after the November election had low attendance and enthusiasm. The march organisers are hoping to make more noise at another event set for January 18, two days before the inauguration. Perhaps activism will look more unorthodox and inventive this time – more like the vigilante tactics of Russian band Pussy Riot, but made in America. – Anya Strzemien, senior staff editor, Styles
9. Tartan takes on new relevance
With more political unrest expected, tartan, the textile designers like Vivienne Westwood have used to challenge the ideals it was created to represent – structure, conformity, loyalty – seems poised for a resurgence. British footwear label Underground has covered its signature creeper shoe in tartan as part of a collaboration with Solene Lescouet, a French designer; Jessi Regina, a digital creator, has started styling tartan with streetwear in Instagram posts; and the brand Chopova Lowena in London has modernised tartan skirts by holding them together with carabiners.
For some, tartan will be top of mind mere days after the start of the new year, when the third season of The Traitors, the reality television show full of Scottish finery, premieres January 9. Whether used to challenge conformity, flaunt loyalty or enliven an on-screen wardrobe, look out for more of the textile. – Geordon Wollner, news assistant
8. Pandan becomes a star ingredient
Pandan, also known as screw pine leaf, is a staple flavouring in Southeast Asian cooking, imparting a sweetly grassy, almost vanilla-like taste – and sometimes a pale-green colour – to dishes such as kaya toast, honeycomb cake and nasi lemak.
Many bakeries and coffee shops already offer pandan treats – try the pandan latte at Le Phin in New York City or the kaya bun at Breadbelly in San Francisco. The ingredient’s growing popularity has put it on track to achieve what some, myself included, see as a telling sign of trendiness: arriving at Trader Joe’s. After a year of brat green, brace yourself for pandan green. – Mia Leimkuhler, newsletter editor, Cooking
7. A new crypto craze
Cryptocurrencies seemed dead as doornails after the collapse of FTX. The price of Bitcoin tumbled from its 2021 highs and many start-ups in the space fizzled out. Then, President-elect Donald Trump retook the White House and gave a full-throated endorsement of crypto, fuelling what is likely to be a new age of digital get-rich-quick traders and hustlers. Haliey Welch, better known as Hawk Tuah Girl, has started her own meme currency; pro-crypto technologists are landing positions in the new Trump administration; and the price of Bitcoin has soared past $100,000.
I chuckled in October when the Black Keys shilled for one of crypto’s biggest political action committees before the election. Perhaps the fading rockers saw what was coming? – Mike Isaac, technology reporter, Business
6. The United States of Merchandise
Forget White House M&Ms – with an incoming President who turned a baseball cap into a pledge of allegiance and made merchandise out of not only his mugshot, but the suit he wore in his mugshot, it is but a matter of time before more elaborate souvenirs of the second Trump term are available for purchase. New Trump perfumes have already been released; Elon Musk has teased merch for the new Department of Government Efficiency; and the potential next FBI chief, Kash Patel, comes complete with his own K$H product line.
What could be next? Scent of the Oval? A build-your-own-wall kit? Crime-buster shades? Maybe just a Treasury friendship bracelet, with gold beads. Whatever the answer, you can bet it’s going to be more than a button. – Vanessa Friedman, fashion director, Styles
5. Whimsy drowns out quiet luxury
Minimalist brands like the Row and Toteme have long had a grip on stylish people who can afford their simple but pricey pieces. But as the years wear on and cultural and political winds shift, some have started to look for ways to make luxury a bit less quiet. One solution has been whimsy. Consider, for instance, the fanciful charms dangling from a growing number of handbags, or the vintage (or vintage-inspired) jewellery many fashion influencers have been drawn to lately.
The desire to express one’s individuality through clothes and accessories is evergreen, but the recent focus on personal style may be partly the result of algorithms that can recycle the same outfits on our social media feeds ad nauseam. As it intensifies, expect more people to be seeking out those special items that are uniquely them. – Marie Solis, staff editor, Styles
4. Ramaswamy v Musk
Leaving aside the seeming inefficiency of setting up a Department of Government Efficiency with not one but two leaders, the political partnership between Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon Musk makes some sense. Both wealthy tech entrepreneurs with a healthy sense of self-worth, they have a lot in common.
But just as familiarity often breeds contempt, the bromance could well fall prey to the kind of reality-show competition that Donald Trump has long seemed to encourage. Men (in government and everywhere) often favour combat over collaboration. Add to that the seeming need of both Musk and Ramaswamy to seek attention, and their partnership could be short-lived. A spotlight, after all, usually shines on only a single person. – Jesse McKinley, domestic correspondent, Styles
3. The rise of Clinton-core
When Donni, a womenswear line popular among the social media set, introduced its holiday collection two weeks after the November election, one ensemble stood out: a two-piece taffeta suit of prim collarless jacket and tapered pants that bore a striking resemblance to styles favoured by Hillary Clinton. On Instagram, a photo showing Donni’s so-called Lady suit styled with kitten heels and pearls received emphatic comments from 30-somethings including model Paloma Elsesser, who wrote, “I am deeply obsessed”. Within 48 hours of being released, most of the jackets had sold out.
The Lady suit’s appeal could be an anomaly. But it could also signal that Clinton’s style of clothing is catching on with young women at the dawn of a second Trump administration. – Misty White Sidell, market reporter, Styles
2. Wrinkles are embraced
Between 2013 and 2023, Botox rates for people under 30 jumped by nearly half. The Covid era aggravated our social media addiction and introduced us to the tyranny of video calls, steering many women towards cosmetic surgery. Filler injections soared.
Now there is evidence of a movement against Botox. Celebrities are dissolving their fillers, and “anti-Botox” makeup tutorials are trending on TikTok. Could 2025 be the year of the wrinkle – or, at least, the year of plant-based skincare? – Rose Adams, editorial assistant, Opinion
1. A turning point in the war for attention
If our thoughts in 2024 felt like pinballs in a machine – clattering, bopping and bouncing in all directions at the mercy of incessant smartphone notifications – 2025 will be when we reset the game. Workshops now promise to teach the art of reclaiming attention, states are passing laws that restrict phone use in schools and some people are swearing off their devices in February instead of alcohol in January. And TikTok, known for an algorithm that can make it particularly difficult to pry eyes off screens, has come one step closer to being banned in the United States.
All of this points in one direction: 2025 may be a turning point in the war for attention, a moment when many “Marie Kondo” their minds and see what joy might be sparked by clearing out the meme clutter. – Emma Goldberg, reporter, Business
This article originally appeared in the New York Times.
Written by: The Styles Desk
Photographs by: Robert Ormerod, Scott Mcintyre, Maansi Srivastaval Rachel Vanni, Amy Li
©2024 THE NEW YORK TIMES
