The Fashion Items That Defined 2024

Ah, 2024. The year of Brat and “Espresso”; rodent boyfriends and looking for men in finance; Kate Middleton conspiracy theories and Nara Smith’s family empire. So much has happened over 12 months, including in the fashion world. We’ve seen a revolving door of creative directors, indisputable changes in the luxury landscape and a million microtrends. It can be hard to keep track of it all!

Luckily, FASHION is here to help. Below, we’ve rounded up the fashions that defined 2024 and will one day haunt your children.

Adidas Sambas

There are few trends that came as fast and ferociously as the Adidas Sambas did in 2024. Once the sneaker infiltrated the It girl circle, there was no stopping it until it was on every celeb and content creator on the planet. While we do have the Scandi and London girlies to thank for bringing the trend overseas, it was the North Americans that took it to the extreme, purchasing multiple striped Sambas in a wide array of colours, unofficially christening it the shoe of the summer.

Short Shorts

Sure, Paul Mescal is a great actor. And sure, he was unexpectedly hilarious on SNL. But really, the legacy this Irish man left behind in 2024 is the return of the short short.

Skin has always been in (see the perseverance of the sheer trend and Miu Miu hot pants) but it’s typically been classified as a more feminine style. This year, men like Paul Mescal, Jeremy Allen White and Donald Glover enthusiastically joined in the conversation and started the #freethethigh movement. And really, we don’t see anyone complaining.

“I Told Ya” Tee

Challengers brought us many things: a steamy love triangle, Zendaya’s tennis heels, Mike Faist. But perhaps its greatest contribution to the fashion conversation of 2024 was the Loewe “I Told Ya” tee.

Worn in the Luca Guadagnino film by both Zendaya and Josh O’Connor, the costume represented more than just a simple chest covering. It symbolized the cruel love games between the three main characters — who has control and who doesn’t. But offscreen, its purpose was much less dramatic, with Challengers’ stars, director and costume designer Loewe’s Jonathan Anderson sporting it at various press events. Needless to say, once it became available to purchase, it sold out instantly and became a great Halloween costume.

Stanley Cups

Since birth, we’ve been told to drink more water and in 2024, many TikTokers took that to heart with the popularity of the Stanley Quencher. Available in 14, 30 and 40 oz, the water bottle is comically large. It contains enough water to satisfy a family of four, or keep you hydrated on a 15-hour flight to Japan.

Yet, the adult sippy cup somehow became a status symbol, conjuring images of a celeb off-duty on their way to an Othership class or to purchase an Erewhon smoothie. And even prompted a collab with Wicked! Just don’t expect this trend to translate into 2025, as 2.6 million mugs were recently recalled due to burn injuries

Bag Charms

First came charm bracelets. Next came necklaces. And then in the late summer, street style stars decided to bespeckle their bags with personalized key chains, scarves and more.

While its origins technically date back to Jane Birkin, who was known for adorning her namesake Hermès bag with whimsical accoutrements in the 1970s, it was Coach’s Fall 2024 show that resurrected the trend. Next season, Balenciaga, Fendi and Miu Miu followed suit and thus the bag charm movement was born. As Natalie Michie wrote in October, the appeal of the accessorizing comes in the magic of messiness; subscribing to the art of play and the fun chaos that naturally ensues. Plus, who needs to go to the gym when you’re carrying a 20-llbs bag all day?

Cardigans

As per usual, Pinterest Predicts called it: Eclectic Grandpa — one of its 2024 trend forecasts — became the menswear mode du jour and no other article of clothing represented that better than the cardigan.

Worn by all of the Internet’s favourite boyfriends like Harry Styles, Pedro Pascal and Jacob Elordi, the button-up sweater served some serious style this year. Instead of looking to Gen Z for sartorial inspiration, men looked to their fathers and grandfathers for their clothing cues and were all the better for it. The key was to look approachable yet intellectual. As if you’re due at the library by 4pm, but going to a speakeasy at 6pm.

Bottega Venetta Bean Bags

The front row fashion crowd is usually very hard to impress. Worn down and bitter by the hundreds of shows they’ve witnessed, it takes a truly sensational surprise to get a smile from Anna Wintour and her accompanying minions.

Enter Bottega Veneta, who staged its Spring 2025 show with bean bags lining the runway. Rumour has it former creative director Matthieu Blazy picked each animal and designated it to each guest personally. Nara Smith was sitting on a pig. Jacob Elordi was assigned a bunny. And A$AP Rocky was on a chicken. Of course, the footage instantly went viral and had many wondering whether they should pay rent or purchase a $9,000 a chair.

Neckties

The tie trend may appear as if it came out of nowhere but its roots started in the winter with the rise of Businesscore and the Office Siren. Once it got warmer, boxers left the bedroom and became the go-to summer short for content creators. And then as October rolled around, ties made their way into the mainstream, thanks to a viral Saint Laurent ensemble worn by Hailey Bieber.

Since then, the neck accessory has exploded, with Gigi Hadid, Zoe Saldana and most recently, Elle Fanning sporting the style. And it shows no signs of slowing down as many designers used ties in their Spring 2025 and Pre-Fall 2025 collections.