This past year took fashion fanatics on a wild ride. Flat shoes had a comeback in the form of ballet slippers and soccer sneakers, leopard print was by far the king of the concrete jungle, and heads snapped with each pop of crimson red that walked by. As we look back on the trends, and hope that some of their headstones read 2024-2024, we remain filled with anticipation for what OOTDs might look like in 2025.

2024 is sure to go down in fashion history as the return of the ballet flat. From professional ballerinas, to those that may have never seen a pointe shoe, everyone had to have their hands on a pair. Whether you preferred the classically accurate design from Sandy Liang, a vintage Ferragamo with a slight heel, or the controversial mesh flat — this trend surely piqued interest.

Effortless looks with a sporty twist made quite an impression on the year. Cool girls roamed the city streets in Adidas track pants paired with tailored button downs and kitten heels, while others taking a more athletic traditional approach may have fooled you into thinking they actually went to the gym that day. Either way, their outfits screamed “I didn’t try too hard today, but I know you’re still looking at me”, and we were.

Jorts: the 90s love child of “jeans” and “shorts”. Originating from rebellion in the 60s, this style continues to stay prominent — especially in 2024. If you’re like us, you may remember cutting the legs off of otherwise horrendous thrifted oversized denim in high school. This of course always remains an option, but if you’re not up for the DIY, Coperni or Levi’s are a safe choice.

From July to November we saw more denim on denim looks than ever before. Some in the form of a denim jacket and matching jeans, the classic Canadian Tuxedo, and others were switching it up in denim corsets and v-shaped hem jeans from Rōari. No matter the approach, this trend often required little additional styling, yet was sure to catch our attention.

Whether you’re an avid sports fan or you thought the last Superbowl was just an Usher concert, it’s safe to assume you were wearing a jersey at some point in 2024. Even when it felt like this trend was dying out, Willy Chavarria’s Spring 2025 Ready-to-Wear collection proved us wrong. If you aren’t sure which team to root for, this “Football Top” from Martine Rose is a safe bet.

Say goodbye to Y2K and hello to the return of the decade that brought us Free People lace dresses. Given the fashion world’s recycling of trends, the resurgence of the 2010’s was inevitable yet still somewhat feared. Ease yourself back into this era by pairing chiffon ruffles with chunky black boots — an effortlessly edgy look.

This was no doubt the year of crimson. If you, among many, chose to pair your classic black on black NYC uniform with a saturated bag, you were sure to catch our eye. From lipstick red coats to more subtle pops of patent leather red bottoms, we’re eager to see which color takes 2025 by storm.

Anybody that watched Lily-Rose Depp dance around in her Guizio Micro Mini Stretch Skirt last summer knows that the girls continued to embrace more leg and less fabric this year. Whether solid, patterned, or textured — we honor Paris Hilton and will always agree that skirts should be the size of a belt.

Did you even wear a purse last year if it wasn’t adorned with jewels and chains? Customization was key in the form of personal approaches or love letters to our city. Oftentimes we realized that our dangling charms weighed more than the contents in the bag itself, but the statement was always worth it if meant skipping arm day — just be careful where you’re swinging it.

The presence of the Samba in 2024 had us wishing we purchased stock in Adidas. Everyone, everywhere was wearing this shoe — and there really isn’t much more to say about it. From the OG to the XLG, there’s a style and color for anyone.

If you weren’t wearing leopard print this year, it’s likely that you participated in the lesser visible camo trend — pun not intended but appreciated. Similarly to pops of red, we saw this pattern in the form of larger statements and more subtle nods alike. Style these pieces with an otherwise muted pallete and chunky gold accessories for a look that stands out with no hunting experience required.

As previously mentioned, if skirts should be the size of a belt, does that mean that belts should be the size of a skirt? As some Y2K trends transitioned out this year, this one lived on. We love an untraditional statement, but if you happen to prefer function over form, try this 2” antique silver belt from Streets Ahead.

As quiet luxury paved its way to prominence this year, oversized blazers were at the forefront. New or vintage, dressed up or dressed down — they proved to be a preferred piece to the layering equation. There are a surplus of options when building your collection, but we recommend starting with a classic pin stripe or breathable stretch wool.

While most of NYC decided between black or white Sambas this year, another large population filtered through which trainers they should purchase and probably not train in. Chunky athletic shoes, widely known as dad sneakers, had quite the year — as seen by the releases of Sandy Liang x Solomon, Ganni x New Balance, and Cecilie Bahnsen x Asics. While all of these collabs offer a unique twist to what is at its core a functional piece of footwear, know that the classic styles will always be in stock.

As the 2010s began preparing for their return, so did the foldover boot, an iconic design most prominently executed in the Givenchy Shark Lock Boot. Originally released over a decade ago, it was reimagined in the form of stiletto and ankle boots for the brand’s 2023 fall collection — rebrand aside, we still saw more of you opting for the classic look. With brands like Marc Fisher and Miista carrying their own style of foldover, we have a feeling this trend will creep well into 2025.

Monochrome looks are some of the harder OOTDs to pull off, but when done well, they’re carefully crafted executions of tone akin to a Rothko — which is exactly what we saw in 2024. Permeated stockings jointed soft leather trenches and patent burgundy slingbacks, oversized windbreakers billowed over layers of beige, and shades of blue worked their way from head to toe. Whether muted or heavily saturated, these studies of form and texture were applaudable.

Statement this, statement that — we’re starting to feel like a broken record, but at the end of the day we’re reporting on what was prominent. In tandem with quiet luxuries refined wool coats, abstract patterns, and starkly contrasted embroidery made just as much of an impact on the year.

Amid a dramatic winter, dramatic furs were key players — and the bigger the better seemed to be the mantra. Cropped pigments doubled as scarves and ankle-length neutrals swept the streets, literally. No matter your style preference, they were sure to keep you warm.

As we close out the shoe trends of 2024, we’d be remiss not to mention the trusty moto boot. If Sambas led the pack, these were a close second — and the question of which pair to purchase became increasingly harder to answer with each brand that released their own variation. From designer to dupe, there was no shortage of options.

A layering concept not new to many, specifically Disney Channel stars stepping onto a red carpet 10 to 15 years ago, this trend reached a wider audience on the NYC streets this year. Though we won’t throw shade at the style choices our stars of the past may have made, the looks we saw were balanced and well-assembled. To simplify your sourcing when trying out this look, opt for a single piece that does both jobs.

Cropped, satin, shearling, your dads from high school — we saw them all and gave you bonus points if you committed to the edge and paired them with moto boots. A closet essential for the casual cool girl, reliable and well-structured bomber jackets will last you for many winters to come.

While there are many functional options to layer with your winter coats, we noticed an overwhelming number of you reaching for the understated hoodie this year. This seasonally evergreen item added effortless dimension under statement furs and vintage bomber jackets all over the city. If you’re not looking to overthink the sourcing, start with a Sweat Full-Zip Hoodie from Uniqlo.

Theaters may have brought us a new remake of The Lion King this year, but fashion claimed The Leopard King. By far the most-seen print of 2024, it doesn’t look like this trend is going anywhere. Whether you asserted dominance of the concrete jungle in an outstanding fur jacket, or let your accessories act as a supporting role — every look was a performance.

Where were you during the balaclava craze of 2020? Are you still wearing them? Or did you join others in swapping hats and hoods for head scarves this year? This 2-in-1, fiscally responsible style choice was a preferred way to keep warm when the temperature started to drop. Oversized is key to a perfectly swaddled head, and the color combos are endless.

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