Starting with my closet mess
Last weekend I finally tackled my disaster closet where clothes from like a million years ago were piled up. Pulled out stuff from 2016 specifically, threw it all on the bed, and stared at this mountain of fabric thinking: damn, what actually worked back then? Decided to sort summer versus winter pieces to see which trends aged like milk versus wine.
Summer 2016: neon nightmares
Grabbed all the summer stuff first. Noticed three big things everybody wore that year:
- Skinny chino shorts – These were EVERYWHERE. Dug out my bright teal pair that I wore exactly three times before realizing they made my legs look like squeezed sausages.
- Tropical print shirts – Found my old pineapple-print button-up. Wore it on vacation in Spain thinking I looked so fresh, but looking back at photos? Straight-up looked like a walking fruit salad.
- Mesh tank tops – Remember those gym bro tanks with huge armholes? Tried one on for kicks and ripped a hole in the armpit immediately. Should’ve stayed dead.
Winter 2016: the coat wars
Opened my winter storage bins next. Found way more winter items survived, which tells you something:
- Longline coats – My black wool coat still hangs in my closet! Length was perfect then and still works now unlike those stupid cropped jackets people tried pushing.
- Distressed denim – Faded black jeans with knee rips actually held up. Tried them on and they fit better than my new jeans somehow.
- Cheap bomber jackets – Had a shiny navy one from H&M. Zipper broke after two months – total landfill material.
What actually lasted
Winter stuff clapped back hard. Those longer coats? Still see dudes wearing them. Dark wash jeans? Never died. Summer 2016 lost big time – looking at you, mesh tanks and butt-hugging shorts. Dug through old Instagram posts and realized I looked like a try-hard mango during summer but actually put together in winter layers.
The real winner though? Oversized sweaters. Found three chunky knit ones I’d forgotten about. Immediate regret for ever storing them away. Still look fire with jeans even now. Moral of the story? Summer trends usually age like raw chicken left in the sun. Winter fashion? That’s your loyal dog who never pees on the carpet.
Why bother with this? Cause last week my little cousin asked to borrow “vintage” clothes for a party. Kid thought my pineapple shirt was cool! Put my foot down – burned that thing in the backyard grill. Lesson learned: keep the coats, trash the fruit prints.
