The end of the year offers us a moment to pause and reflect on the major milestones and achievements. We might think smugly about the amount of hot girl walking we did or perhaps contemplate adopting a dumb phone for 2025 to (finally) cut down on our screen time. The end of the year is also a critical time to reflect on the fashion moments we loved this year while setting our sartorial intentions for the next.
This year, we craved comfort from fashion, but not the tracksuit and sneaker kind. From the return of boho spearheaded by Chemena Kamali at Chloé to our infatuations with mellow shades of brown and butter yellow, we craved calming, luxurious tones and textures. But, we still had fun. Left-of-field fashion moments came in the form of ugly shoes (some might say “quirky”, an itch for Jemima Kirke-style slogan tees and a passion for capris (wear them all together, we dare you).
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50 Shades Of… Brown
Or mousse, or tan or beige or buff. While a certain shade of neon green may have dominated the zeitgeist in 2024, it didn’t make it into our wardrobes. Under the influence of the boho trend, creamy and toasted shades of brown and tan were the shades we lusted after. From tan suede jackets, worn seventies-style with silver jewellery, and loose denim to milky pinky browns (now known as “mocha mousse”), it looks like brown is staying on our “ins” lists for 2025.
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Oversized Bags
In 2024 if we couldn’t fit a book, laptop and potentially change of outfit in our preferably brown oversized carry all, we didn’t want to hear about it. From structured bags like the Coach Empire Carryall 35 and The Row Margaux to the triumphant return of the Balenciaga Rodeo bag, our favourite bags in 2024 were ludicrously capacious (Cousin Gregg’s date in Succession officially had her revenge). Now that we’ve finally found our perfect one, we’ll hang onto them in the new year.
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Weird Shoes
Shoes were no longer an object that seamlessly complimented an outfit while taking you from point A to point B; they became subversive exclamation marks at the end of a sartorial statement. From sexy thong heels paired with capris to “dad shoes” like boat shoes and ugly sneakers with skirts and jorts, or whimsical jelly sandals, footwear had a sense of humour, that we roundly appreciated. We have no plans of slipping off our thong heels anytime soon.
Haute Boho
Thought you’d seen the last of her? In 2024, boho chic returned thanks to the influence of Chemena Kamali at Chloé. Kamali’s fall 2024 runway drew inspiration from the Phoebe Philo era of Chloé seen on NYU-era Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen. Not just a copycat collection designed to fuel happy millennial memories, Kamali provided an elevated take for 2024 full of floating translucent fabrics and milky pastels worn with tan, supple leathers. It’s all about careless sex appeal, comfort and ease.
Oval Sunglasses
Our infatuation with boho didn’t extend to sun-safe eyewear in 2024. This is largely thanks to Hailey Bieber and her ultra-slim Saint Laurent sunglasses. Their power over us continues to hold, and we suspect our eyewear will stay streamlined in 2025.
Loud Luxury
Instagram account @databutmakeitfashion posted on December 8th, flagging the rise of “unapologetically loud” luxury in 2025. After kicking off the year with the mob wife trend and John Galliano’s explosively maximalist runway for Maison Margiela—although the mob wife was quickly ousted by Brat—both movements felt like a refutation of the clean girl aesthetic and her quiet luxury wardrobe. According to the experts, the maximalism of the mob wife may have more staying power than Charli XCX’s brand of pop-grunge.
Commenters noted they’d seen brands like Versace and Galliano popping up “all over the internet” and selling like hotcakes on Depop and Vestiare. And, of course, Galliano’s extravagant collection for Maison Margiela in January was the most viral runway of the year.
We also saw maximalism at the Nicol &Ford show at Australian Fashion Week Sydney, where design duo Lil and Katie-Louise presented a collection inspired by witchcraft and BDSM. It was pure sex, with extravagant silhouettes, rich colours, and contrasting textures—a far cry from the relaxed cotton and cashmere that represent the clean girl aesthetic.
If we need any greater argument, look at Lily-Rose Depp’s regal and gothic ruffles on the Nosferatu red carpet and Sabrina Carpenter‘s recent appearance in a 1994 Chanel faux fur set out to dinner. The outlandish silhouette, fluffy black faux fur skirt and bolero indicated that maximalism is here to stay for 2025.
This article was first seen on ELLE AU.