I turned 19 last September. Ever since then, an uncomfortable question has begun to brew in my mind: “Am I too old?” I even found myself imagining what it would be like to slowly drift out of touch with the latest trends.
I dismissed these worries as an overreaction until I overheard a conversation between my 11-year-old sister and her friends and the word “skibidi” came up. Despite my unhealthy habit of scrolling through TikTok and Instagram Reels, I had never heard of “skibidi.” When my sister explained that the term was trending on her TikTok, I was hit with the realization — the dreaded day had come. I was old.
After sharing this moment with my suitemates, we dove into the past year’s trends, doing some intense research. After a lot of discussion, we’ve compiled a definitive list of trends — both good and bad.
Best Trends:
Cheetah Print
As someone who has been a fan of anything cheetah print for years, I might be a little biased about its recent rise in popularity. 2024 managed to take the once “trashy” design and rebrand it as sophisticated. It started with the popular Zara bandeau top, and suddenly, cheetah print became a highly sought-after fashion trend. The design even became associated with Russian artist Vitas’s song “Glamour.” Although the song has nothing to do with cheetah print — it’s actually about blonde and brunette girls — the two have become so intertwined that my suitemate can’t look at cheetah print without bursting into song.
Old Money Aesthetic
On a similarly sophisticated note, one trend that immediately came to mind was the expansion of the old money aesthetic, particularly in men’s fashion. While this style has been around for ages, 2024 marked the first time it captured the interest of groups outside the traditional old-money sphere. With slideshows on TikTok and Instagram Reels featuring everything from fairytale-like homes to effortlessly elegant children frolicking in flower fields, it seemed everyone was daydreaming about crafting their futures around this idealized expression of wealth. More modern trends like the Ralph Lauren American Flag Sweater, the clean girl makeup look, bombshell blowout hair and Lana Del Rey’s “Young and Beautiful” have all become closely tied to this aesthetic. Personally, I love this trend for its influence on men’s fashion and overall style. Neutral tones, loafers, slick back hair, quiet luxury – Yale men take notes!
#WomeninMaleFields
Though fairly new, my suitemates and I all agreed that this trend was one of the most genuinely relatable and funny moments of the year. Most videos using this hashtag hilariously poke fun at how men might cheat or act poorly in relationships with women. For examples, user @le4hhx on Tik Tok posted “He lost his temper so I asked him ‘Is it that time of the month?’ #womeninmalefields”. The reverse trend, #MenInFemaleFields, has also gained some traction (though, personally, I don’t think it’s nearly as funny). At the end of the day, there’s something undeniably satisfying about laughing about past relationships or situationships — because, of course, you’re TOTALLY over it, right?
Everything Love Island
I absolutely loved everything about the drop of “Love Island” Season 6 this past summer. From its iconic characters, like Leah Kateb, to the hilariously immature relationship plotlines, the show consistently delivered laugh-worthy moments that dominated social media. One trend I especially enjoyed was the “I came here for love” bit, where people spun their suitcases around their rooms, mimicking Kordell Beckham while poking fun at their own love-seeking situations.
Whilst those were our top four, here are our remaining top picks that don’t require much explanation:
Digital Camera Photos
Adidas Samba Shoes
Anything involving Gypsy Rose
Worst Trends:
Stanley Cups
Unsurprisingly, the obsession with Stanley Cups—especially among young girls and millennial women — was the first “worst” trend that came to all our minds. It feels like every year, a new water bottle becomes the trend for this same demographic. Previously, it was Hydro Flask and, before that, S’well bottles, but the Stanley Cups feel like a whole new level of absurdity. Not only were people scrambling for exclusive colors like the Valentine’s Day Stanley, but now there are even fanny packs designed specifically to fit Stanleys?! While the craze itself is amusingly over-the-top, we all agreed that it’s the underlying issue of overconsumption that truly makes us dislike this trend.
Very Demure, Very Mindful
Due to my immense annoyance with this trend, I’ll keep it short. If you haven’t heard this phrase, consider yourself lucky. It means exactly what it says. Let us NOT bring demure into 2025. Thank you!
Bows Everywhere
To be honest, it’s a bit unfortunate that this trend ended up on the worst list. While bows have been a timeless accessory, 2024 took them to the extreme — placing them everywhere. Early in the year, pink bows popped up on hoodies, jeans, backpacks, hats and even boyfriends’ biceps. I’ll admit, they were cute at first, but their overwhelming presence quickly made the design feel stale and overdone. I definitely blame last year’s rise of coquette for this!
Brat Summer
While I never really got the hype around the “brat” album or why Charli XCX needed an entire summer (I know, die-hard fans are probably about to come for me), I can’t stand “Brat Summer” for its forced grunge vibe. To me, it just felt like a bunch of Gen Zers who were too young to experience 2014 Tumblr trying way too hard to channel that era’s energy. And what’s with that horrible neon green showing up everywhere? And don’t even get me started on the “Apple” dance!
Our remaining top worsts don’t require much explanation:
Hawk Tuah
Slick back ponytails
The term “Aura”
“I’m looking for a man in finance” song