Right, 2016 style trends. Yeah, I remember that time. Feels like a different world now, doesn’t it? I recall making a conscious effort back then, trying to figure out what was going on with clothes. My stuff felt kinda… old. Dated, maybe.
So, what did I do? First step, naturally, was hitting the internet. Spent a good chunk of time just scrolling, clicking through fashion blogs, picture galleries, that sort of thing. Probably Pinterest, yeah. It was a flood of information, honestly. A bit much.
I started noticing the same things popping up everywhere. You couldn’t escape them:
- Chokers: Seriously, they were everywhere. Black velvet ones, lace ones, plastic tattoo ones like back in the day. Felt like a major throwback.
- Off-the-shoulder tops: Looked breezy, I guess. But my first thought was always, practicality? Keeping warm?
- Bomber jackets: Especially those satin ones, often in green or pink. Shiny.
- Athleisure: Basically wearing workout gear as everyday clothes. Leggings as pants became totally normal. Sneakers with everything.
I remember actually going out to try and participate. Thought I’d get a bomber jacket. Went to the mall – big mistake, always is. Found a green satin one. Put it on in the changing room. Looked in the mirror. Felt like an idiot. Like I was playing dress-up in someone else’s clothes. It just didn’t feel like ‘me’.
It reminded me of this whole phase I went through years ago trying to learn coding from some online course. Everyone said it was the future, gotta learn it. Signed up, bought the subscription, watched the first few videos. Then just… stopped. It looked cool from the outside, people making apps and stuff. But sitting there, trying to make sense of all the brackets and semicolons, it just wasn’t clicking. Felt forced, just like that jacket. Sometimes things just aren’t for you, even if they’re ‘trending’, you know?
Trying things out… or not
Okay, so the bomber jacket was a bust. I did cave and buy a choker, though. A simple black thin one. Wore it exactly once. Felt weirdly constricted all day. Took it off that evening and never put it back on. Tossed it in a drawer somewhere, probably still there.
The off-the-shoulder thing? Never even attempted it. Just seemed like too much hassle, constantly adjusting it. Not for me.
The athleisure trend, though? That one stuck, sort of. Not the full leggings-as-pants thing for me personally, but the idea that wearing comfortable sneakers with regular clothes was okay? That was revolutionary. Finally, comfort wasn’t totally sacrificed for style. I definitely bought more sneakers around that time and started wearing them more often, not just for sports.
So, looking back at my whole ‘2016 style update’ project, it wasn’t a massive success in terms of adopting the big trends. I mostly ended up realizing that chasing every new thing wasn’t really my speed. Found it better to just pick bits and pieces that actually worked for my real life. Learned that comfort is pretty important, actually. And yeah, those chokers definitely had their moment, but like most super-hyped trends, it passed pretty quick. Now I just stick to what feels right, less hassle that way.
