2024 Trends

As we are quickly nearing the end of 2024, it is time to take a look back on the trends that many of us followed in the last 12 months. Each year we see trends from the past make their way back into the spotlight. There are also new trends that didn’t last very long and most likely will not be making a comeback any time soon. 

Social media has made it easy to identify these new trends and micro-fads. Influencers are constantly posting about the newest and hottest clothing to wear, how to do your makeup, what products are worth buying and what brands or people we are canceling. 

Regarding high fashion, 2024 has been all about bringing back Vintage Y2K looks. Trends from the early 2000s such as matching sweatsuits and chunky glasses can be seen on the younger generations. For many young adults, these are the trends from when they were children. 

In true Y2K fashion, the digital camera has also made a comeback. Although everyone has mobile phones with great camera quality, more and more people under the age of 25 are buying digital cameras to give their photos that nostalgic feeling. A popular way people are highlighting this trend is making instagram accounts just for their digital photos, like an online scrapbook. 

This year has put emphasis on originality through comfortable clothing. Bright colors and patterns or even writing explaining your mood has become extremely popular. 

Nicole Mikowski is the co-owner of The Sonder Edit, an online clothing store specializing in loungewear. Mikowski designs all the clothing herself and is constantly looking for the best new trends to keep the brands style current. 

“I get most of my inspiration from Pinterest or Tiktok. Captions that get alot of likes usually do well on a sweatshirt. We also have our own social media pages and sometimes will get comments with requests for a design,” Mikowski said. 

The Sonder Edit has sold 129 sweatshirts in the last five months. Their largest increase of customers was due to sweatshirts specifically designed for SUNY Cortland’s annual football game against Ithaca College. They offered over five different designs sizes XXS to XXL. 

We see trends come in all forms, not just clothing. Another trend coming out of 2024 is personalized skincare. We have always been using face wash and maybe a moisturizer, but this year has taken skincare to a whole new level. New products and awareness on ingredients have caused people to obsess over what they are putting on their face. Viral skincare routine videos have also helped inspire the excessive products consumers are now buying. Children have also been hopping on this trend. 

This year we saw a rise in kids using these skincare products, even when they could be damaging to the skin. Many social media platforms are talking about the “Sephora Kids.” These are kids who have been overly excited to get their hands on the latest skincare brands and destroy the in-store testers while there at it. It is definitely not a cheap hobby for a ten year old. 

This year we have also seen a rise in all types of influencers, including pet influencers. Animals have taken over many people’s For You pages. This trend could be accredited to Dave Portnoy, the founder of BarStool Sports. This year, Portnoy adopted two dogs, Peaches and Pete. Their instagram account has 1.4 million followers and 270 posts. Many took inspiration from Portnoy and created their own pet fan accounts. 

It wouldn’t be worth mentioning all of these trends without bringing up 2024 food trends. This year we have seen some of the most innovative and creative food combinations that are must-tries. We started off the year with butter boards, essentially a cutting board of butter topped with different spices and sauce. Usually served with a side of bread. Later in the year we were introduced to cucumber salads. Thinly sliced cucumber, soy sauce, salt, pepper and chives was one variation. Others included mayo or peanut butter for a different take. We were also shown many different pastas such as the feta tomato pasta or Tini’s Mac and Cheese. 

While many of these trends will fade out, next year we will be introduced to new ones and probably some old ones as well. This year taught us to embrace individuality while keeping that nostalgia from our childhoods. Who knows, maybe the ‘80s hair will make a comeback next.