What Celebrities Wore in 2016: The Fashion Trends That Defined the Era
From chokers to bodycon dresses, these iconic celebrity looks shaped the bold, Instagram-era style of the mid-2010s.
You’ve probably seen the 2016 trend all over your social media feed — and curated your own looks from your archive as well.
2016 fashion was all about bold, body-conscious silhouettes and statement-making details. Think skinny jeans, off-shoulder tops, messy hair and bodycon dresses ala Herve Leger. We were loud with our beauty choices, and our photos were far more expressive — none of it was algorithm-driven. To recap, 2016 was the year Kylie Jenner reigned supreme with her matte lip kits and Hailey Bieber was finding her style.
To take a walk down memory lane, let’s look at some of your favourite celebrities in 2016 and see what they were wearing.
1. Kylie Jenner
NEW YORK, NY - MAY 02: Kylie Jenner attends the Balmain and Olivier Rousteing after the Met Gala Celebration on May 02, 2016 in New York, New York. (Photo by Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images for Balmain)
Matte lips, checked. Bodycon dress, checked. King Kylie era? Definitely, checked.
2. Hailey Bieber
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 08: Hailey Baldwin is seen on November 08, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Gardiner Anderson/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
Justin, is that you? Looks like casual Hailey was papped on the streets of New York wearing skinny jeans and flannels.
3. Selena Gomez
BEVERLY HILLS, CA - JANUARY 10: Singer Selena Gomez attends InStyle and Warner Bros. 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards Post-Party at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 10, 2016 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Lester Cohen/WireImage)
Our beautiful queen can do nothing wrong; even in an off-shoulder top and matching flowy skirt at the 73rd Golden Globe Awards Post-Party in 2016.
4. SZA
SZA at a Calvin Klein ‘In the Desert’ party for Coachella, Palm Springs, America.
As SZA’s career took off, we saw her style gradually transition into a more stylised, ethereal look. Here she is in a cute little black dress that leans more towards a minimalist iteration.
5. Sam Smith
LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 27: Tinie Tempah (L) and Sam Smith attend the evian Live Young suite during Wimbledon 2016 at the All England Tennis and Croquet Club on June 27, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for evian )
It was the year Sam Smith picked up a Golden Globe for his Best Original Song and that was a huge win for the singer. The song, “Writing’s On The Wall” was written for Spectre. His fashion choices then was “timeless and classic” and he favoured casual looks like bomber jackets and skinny jeans.
6. Kim Kardashian
PARIS, FRANCE - OCTOBER 01: Kim Kardashian West is seen on October 1, 2016 in Paris, France. (Photo by Marc Piasecki/GC Images)
The reality TV show star has given us a couple of iconic looks over the years, so it’s come as no surprise when she rocked this velour hoodie and matching track pants look. We guess being with Kanye West (then) had that effect.
7. Taylor Swift
BEVERLY HILLS, CA - FEBRUARY 28: Recording artist Taylor Swift attends the 2016 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted By Graydon Carter at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on February 28, 2016 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic)
The bob, the heavy bangs! Mind you, this wasn’t a wig but a sleek, chin-grazing bob that had our jaws dropped. It took her six months to work up the courage to go for this cut, but it was everything that the Internet was talking about at that time.