If 2026 is the new 2016, here are some of the iconic style trends you can still rock and wear with confidence.&nbsp;

This year started with the recurring sentiment of people online that 2026 is the new 2016. Social media platforms are now flooded with a full-blown wave of nostalgia, with users, normal people and celebrities alike, posting their throwback Snapchat selfies, resurrecting Tumblr-era aesthetics, and revisiting music and trends that shaped that era. Scrolling through our feeds these past few weeks feels like stepping into a time machine &mdash; one that drops you straight into a sepia-toned world, with &lsquo;Closer&rsquo; by The Chainsmokers playing as the unofficial OST.&nbsp;
Remarkably, we&rsquo;re only a month into the year, yet the collective yearning feels unmistakable. And who are we to blame them? 2016 was the time when timelines felt personal, trends unfolded organically, and the internet is a shared space rather than a performance stage. Style, too, mirrored that same fun and ease &mdash; off-duty model looks of crisp white shirts and bomber jackets worn with skinny jeans, or casual-glam staples like a slip dress or a denim-on-denim look finished with chunky ankle boots. As Kylie Jenner &mdash; the poster girl of 2016 &mdash; captioned on her <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DTjAaYwEo3n/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&amp;igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==">throwback post</a>, it&rsquo;s a year that &lsquo;you just had to be there&rsquo;. 
Looking at it a decade later, people might have been cringing on the trends they participated in, the images they posted, or particularly, the outfits they wore. But in hindsight, the 2016 style never truly left &mdash; it has only evolved alongside the generation that once wore it and refined itself into silhouettes that continue to feel relevant in today&rsquo;s era. With that in mind, here are some looks you could revisit and still wear confidently in 2026.

<h4 style="text-align: center;">Skinny Pants</h4>

Photo from BACKGRID

Skinny pants were once a wardrobe staple back in 2016, before being dethroned by the rise of baggier, slouchier silhouettes in recent years. Some are probably cringing at the thought of these pants coming back, but like it or not, it has returned with a vengeance, as seen on the runways of Celine Spring 2026 and Gucci Cruise 2026. To be honest, the skinny pants has always been a classic with its leg-lengthening and body-hugging qualities. But what makes it different now is not only the cut, but also the material as it is now reworked in softer leathers and velvety textiles. To make it current, styling is the key &mdash; just take a look at Kendall Jenner, who has worn the silhouette a decade apart. The same &lsquo;off-duty model&rsquo; formula is refreshed for today with an oversized leather coat, sleekier pointy boots, slimmer sunglasses, and a clean hair bun.&nbsp;

Photo from Getty Images

Photo Courtesy of Gucci

Photo Courtesy of Celine

<h4 style="text-align: center;">Bomber Jacket</h4>

Photo from GC Images

The resurgence of the bomber jackets in 2016 is regarded as one of the year&rsquo;s defining fashion moments, taking over the fashion industry that made it a global phenomenon. Worn in runways and streets alike, it came in bright hues and satin fabrics &mdash; even being embroidered or patched at times (remember the Sukajan jackets?). It was the kind of piece that you&rsquo;ll see in both red carpet fashion and everyday wardrobe. This time, the bomber jacket appears in a more refined and streamlined form &mdash; coming out in buttery leathers and muted earth tones, as shown in Look 31 from Balenciaga Fall 2026 and Look 8 from Acne Studios Fall 2026. This shift can also be observed at Gigi Hadid&rsquo;s styling of the bomber jacket &mdash; from the playful, athleisure styling in 2016 to a more tailored, polished look in 2026.&nbsp;

Photo Courtesy of Balenciaga

Photo Courtesy of Acne Studios

<h4 style="text-align: center;">Millennial Pink</h4>

Described as the &lsquo;colour of the now&rsquo; back in 2016, millennial pink has taken the fashion and arts communities into chokehold. From the packaging of Acne Studios and Glossier to Gucci Resort 2016 runway looks and Rihanna&rsquo;s unforgettable MTV Video Music Awards performance, this understated yet expressive hue represents a generation that&rsquo;s unafraid to blur the line between strength and softness. Fast forward to 2026, millennial pink stages its comeback &mdash; particularly in menswear, where it continues to challenge conventions. Leading this charge was Timothe&eacute; Chalam&eacute;t, who was drenched in a head-to-toe pink ensemble from Chrome Hearts for a film festival premiere of A Complete Unknown. Meanwhile, Prada&rsquo;s Spring 2026 structural anorak and Willy Chavarria Spring 2026 power suit together prove that this delicate shade can convey power and modernity.&nbsp;

Photo Courtesy of Prada

Photo Courtesy of Willy Chavarria

<h4 style="text-align: center;">Slip Dress</h4>

During 2016, there was a fascination with the 1990s style codes &mdash; marked by the rise of the slip dress. Known for its understated sensuality, the silhouette took on an edgier, more irreverent attitude that year, styled with layers, chokers, and boots &mdash; much like how Zo&euml; Kravitz went out on this all-black slip ensemble. This year, the slip dress signaled its return when Kravitz wore a silky pale pink Saint Laurent slip gown on the Golden Globes red carpet that also doubled up as a cocktail dress for the after-party. Rihanna, a defining style icon of 2016, also approved of this message as she stepped out also on this rusty orange Saint Laurent slip dress layered over a Savage x Fenty black peekaboo bra and a green bomber jacket on the top &mdash; a look that is unmistakably 2016, but still feel relevant.&nbsp;

<h4 style="text-align: center;">Tracksuit</h4>

Athleisure became a major trend during 2016 as it reflects an era in which people began to embrace clothing suited for both physical activities and everyday life. Tracksuits became central to this trend, appearing on celebrities&rsquo; wardrobes and reinvented on runways &mdash; just like this Chlo&eacute; SS16 tracksuit worn by Kendall Jenner. But the one brand that is closely associated with the tracksuit is Adidas, whose iconic Three Stripes remains a fixture in today&rsquo;s style. Its influence has only grown recently with the trending Adidas Chinese New Year Tang Jacket that brought renewed attention to the piece, and just this year, the brand presented a special collection on Shanghai Fashion Week that reimagines classic pieces through the lens of Chinese cultures &mdash; seen on the show were model He Cong and actors Li Xian and He Yu.&nbsp;

Photo Courtesy of adidas

<h4 style="text-align: center;">Statement Tee</h4>

If you&rsquo;re into the &lsquo;quite luxury&rsquo; trend of today, 2016 is not for you &lsquo;cause it was a year that was all about making an expression. Unafraid and unapologetic, people wore graphic tees and slogan-heavy shirts that signalled who they are or who they want to be &mdash; whether you were rocking a vintage band tee, flexing logos like Gucci, Supreme, and Off-White, or making a statement with pieces like Dior&rsquo;s &lsquo;We Should All Be Feminists&rsquo; shirt. Honestly, with everything feeling uncertain and more divided than ever, expressing yourself through what you are wearing feels just as relevant &mdash; if not more. Referencing an iconic movie scene like this Zendaya I Told Ya shirt from Challengers, or choosing a message-driven shirt like this Connor Ives Protect The Dolls shirt that advocates for trans rights, fashion in 2016 isn&rsquo;t just about the aesthetics anymore &mdash; it&rsquo;s a platform, a conversation starter, and a representation of who you are and what you believe in.&nbsp;

2016 Style Trends You Can Still Wear Today

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