Fashion trends continue to shock us, but we never thought some of the outdated looks that made us cringe would be as popular as they've become now. From barrel jeans to Mary Janes, 2024 didn't care what we thought. Based on your personal preference, you may think some trending styles from the past should've stayed there, but it's hard to argue with viral moments featuring them!
That's why we rounded up the top 7 fashion trends we thought we'd never see again. Some of them are here to stay, but we pray others are forgotten as 2025 gets underway.
These 7 outdated fashion trends that have totally come back around!
H&M
1. Barrel Jeans
We have a love/hate relationship with barrel jeans because some of them can make us look frumpy. That's not a word we like to use often so that should be a hint at how complicated this fashion trend is for us. Still, we saw an increased interest in this and can't be mad at how great some people styled it.
Our favorite outfits included a plain button-up top, balloon jeans, flats, and a cute coat to accessorize it.
Try this style:H&M High Rise Barrel Leg Jeans
Dr. Martens
2. Oxford Loafers
Wearing loafers is never a cause for burning down the fashion industry, but we didn't think the clunky versions would be a shoe of choice for anyone. Some of us can't forget wearing penny loafers with our school or church outfits, but we never thought we'd see modern versions of a shoe we were forced to wear.
P.S. Can you picture the plaid dress or skirt with thick white stockings stuffed into black penny loafers? Or, is that just us?
Try this style:Dr. Martens Adrian Virginia Leather Tassel Loafers
Old Navy
3. Mary Jane Flats
Fashion trends aren't supposed to make us sigh and roll our eyes before admitting we love them, but Mary Jane flats elicited that response from us. We truly didn't know we'd see them so much in 2024, but they were another surprising popular style.
P.S. We have a pair in our closets too so you're not alone.
Try this style:Old Navy Mary Jane Square Toe Ballet Flats
Madewell
4. Metallic Studs Galore
This really shocked us because we thought people were leaning towards minimalism. As far as anyone can see, there isn't anything subtle about strategically placed metallic studs on a garment or shoe. But, guess what? The girls loved it.
We can't say that we gave into the hype, but we're glad people enjoyed playing around with gaudy pieces last year. For all we know, someone will still love wearing this trend in 2025.
Try this style:Madewell The Greta Ballet Flat
ELOQUII
5. Sequins Everywhere
We don't think this trend went out of style, but we saw how many people rushed to wear sequins during the holidays. We even gave in to it ourselves and we're kind of proud of it. However, we remember how annoying it was when some of our sequins popped off and rolled away into some unknown abyss.
Try this style:ELOQUII x Kate Spade New York Sequin Column Dress
Target
6. Mini Bubble Skirts
Some of us were unable to participate in this fashion trend because of the way we're shaped, but we weren't complaining. This is probably the most confusing trend that we kept seeing, making us question what year we were living in.
Somehow, mini bubble skirts were one of the trendy styles to wear in 2024, but we really wish they would go back to wherever they crawled from. Sorry, not sorry!
Try this style:A New Day Bubble Hem Mini Skirt
7. Androgynous Neckties
It's not that we hated this trend back in the day, but we didn't think people would start wearing neckties again. It's one of those trends that felt easy to forget until you saw someone wearing one.
Try this style:Luckyvestir Tie
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