Trends come and go, especially in the age of TikTok, where microtrends rule supreme—if only for a day, week or month, if they’re lucky. (I’m looking at you, mob wife winter.) But there are trends that endure, like Regencycore, largely due in part to long-running popular shows like Bridgerton. (Personally, I cannot wait for the influx of puffy sleeves to go away.) Then there are the decades, defining eras of style instantly recognizable with a quick glance, that inevitably come back around as an anchor to all the background noise. The ‘90s came swinging (regrettably) with the resurgence of “heroin chic,” low-rise jeans and the stunning rise of weight-loss drugs like Ozempic. Y2k followed, with a brief intermission for ‘70s boho chic when Daisy Jones and the Six premiered (and is very much back, if Chloé’s 2025 collections are any indication). Indie Sleaze had a moment, too, and I’m pretty sure Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan have single-handedly ushered in a ‘60s revival, allusions to Brigitte Bardot, go-go boots and all. But what I, a Zillennial, couldn’t see coming, was the resurgence of the 2010s. Yeah. Skinny jeans are back, baby.
Millennials Are *Not* Ready for 2025's Biggest Fashion Trend
if you held onto your tight a&f jeans, here’s your vindication
Personally, there are two photos that defined the 2010s for me, and they both involve none other than Taylor Swift. (I am a professed gentle Swiftie, after all.) Case study #1: Walking with Jake Gyllenhaal in the park. Case study #2: Swift and Harry Styles, also walking through another park. Swifties have surely already analyzed each failed relationship from multiple angles (I mean, “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)” gave us a lot to work with.) But for me, relationship speculation aside, these photos are the epitome of what was happening with style in the 2010s. Long (or infinity) scarf, peacoat, skinny jeans.
Recently, I’ve seen street style photographers and trend forecasters make predictions about how these pieces are coming back. In fact, I have it on good authority from a friend at a legacy fashion title that her editor-in-chief is swearing that wide-leg pants are on their way out. (They’ve been “in” for so long, it makes sense.) But it’s not just a hunch: the data also speaks for itself. In Google Trends, terms like “women’s peacoat” and “white skinny jeans” are showing a surge of search interest. On the runways, Hedi Slimane’s FW23 Céline womenswear collection was the harbinger when models came down the runway in all manner of slim-cut pants, complete with knee-high boots. Street style photographer Karya Schanilec has noted that capes and ponchos are coming back around, including them in her 2025 trend predictions. Meanwhile, Bottega Veneta, Ferragamo, and Miu Miu all sent peacoats down the FW24 runways, and the Balenciaga City Bag campaign also gave 2010s vibes when it dropped earlier in the year.
So for those of you who held tight to your Abercrombie & Fitch skinny jeans and said they’d never go out of style, well, you were right.
