Prepare Your Wedge Trainers and Skinny Jeans—These Divisive 2010s Fashion Trends Have Officially Made a Comeback

From the reissue of the Celine Phantom bag, the reprisal of the Alexander McQueen skull scarf and the fervid discussion about the return of indie sleaze, there’s never been a better time to acquaint yourself with the 2010 fashion trends. This is obviously a delight to the patron saints of this era—Alexa Chung and her twee pinafores and Kate Moss in her satin lapel black blazers, to name a few—but the collective appetite for this period’s sartorial hallmarks might come as a surprise to anyone who actually embraced these looks when they were originally in fashion.

Yes, we’ve come to look back at clothing from the late ‘90s and early 2000s through rose-tinted glasses, but have we really moved so far on from the 2010s that we now nostalgically yearn for its fashion to return? And if we are, should those of us who still own pieces from this point in history consider re-selling them on Vinted to line our own wallets with the desires of a younger generation who aspire to dress like this “better” time? Or worse, consider a heavier dosage of retinol, considering the pieces we once wore in earnest, thinking we were the acme of taste, are now being classified and lusted over as archival.

As someone who personally spent the better half of the decade wearing American Apparel disco pants, lusting over Jeffery Campbell Lita boots and trying to discourage anyone I knew from investing in a pair of galaxy tights, I truly can’t come to terms with the fact that these styles have already sailed over the bell curve of the trend cycle and circled back to being sought after following such a stretch of obsolescence. Perhaps this is also because I can’t come to terms with the 2010s being that long ago.

Without sounding too pining, I can still vividly recall the time I heard about this novel app called Instagram, or the excitement I felt walking into Topshop and buying a pair of Joni jeans, or reblogging the love letter the Arctic Monkeys’ Alex Turner left for Alexa Chung on a cocktail napkin to my Tumblr page. And whilst there are certainly elements of the decade that we’ll never get back, including the thrill of going out clubbing and documenting it all on a lurid digital camera or posting something on social media using gaudy Kelvin filters, there’s some solace in knowing that we can always reach for these pieces to relive the memory. So, without further ado, grab your Isabel Marant wedge trainers, a pair of leather leggings, your slouchy Chloé Paddington bag and a faux fur gilet and get acquainted with the 21 biggest 2010 fashion trends, below.

21 2010s Fashion Trends That Are Just As Chic, Over a Decade On

1. Normcore

Style Notes: The 2010s were a spell of logo-mania—Alessandro Michele’s bee-emblazoned Gucci, Virgil Abloh checkerboard-adorned Louis Vuitton, Maria Grazia Chiuri’s graphic shirts for Dior. Acting like a palette cleanser for these heavily branded pieces, normcore emerged as an antidote for those looking for something more streamlined and minimalistic. Pioneered by the likes of Phoebe Philo and coined by trend forecasting group K-HOLE, the trend prioritises grey marle sweaters, blue wash straight-leg jeans and non-descript white t-shirts.

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2. City Bags

Style Notes: Created by Nicolas Ghesquière for Balenciaga at the dawn of the new millennium, the City bag (or, as it was coined then, the Biker bag) truly was the epitome of a viral moment. Like capturing lightning in a bottle, the style features a slouchy shape, leather strings that leisurely hung from the body and textural studs that served as the antithesis of what luxury leather goods looked like at the time. As the story goes, the style was so polarising that the brand only wanted to put a limited run into production exclusively for the runway. But as they say, the rest is history, and has since adorned the side of every chic dresser, including Kate Moss, the Olsen Twins, Nicole Richie, Paris Hilton, Kaia Gerber and Bella Hadid.

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3. Napolean Jacket

Style Notes: It’s not just in Ridley Scott’s 2023 epic biopic starring Joaquin Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby where France’s first Emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte, had a starring role. From Jonathan Anderson’s debut for Dior to Sean McGirr’s latest collection for McQueen, the Hussar jacket stole the spotlight with its frogged fastenings and gilded buttons. Whilst the trend originally dates back to the 18th Century, it was Olivier Rousteing at Balmain who brought it into the 21st Century and updated it for the new age. Now, you can find the piece at the likes of Allsaints, Zimmermann and even Mango.

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4. Blazers

Style Notes: The 2010s were a time when business casual attire reigned supreme, so it should come as no surprise that the blazer was a crucial part of this ensemble. At the beginning of the decade, the fits were decidedly cropped quite tight to the figure before filling out and becoming more boxy and oversized towards the end of it. Irrespective of the cut, however, it’s safe to say this corporate piece was an essential part of any 2010s wardrobe.

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5. Ballet Flats

Style Notes: Before they stomped their way back into our hearts on Miu Miu’s autumn/winter 2022 collection when Mrs Prada presented a panoply of candy-coloured satin styles inspired by pointe shoes, ballet flats were once relegated to the more demure dressers of the 2010s. They certainly weren’t as ubiquitous then as they are now. Primarily worn by preppy types like Gossip Girl’s Blair Waldorf wearing Tory Burch’s medallion-adorned Reva flat, they’ve since become a mainstream staple seen on everyone from Hailey Bieber to Chloë Sevigny.

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6. Skull Scarves

Style Notes: First presented in Alexander McQueen’s pirate-inspired spring/summer 2003 collection, the label’s skull scarf has quickly been reclaimed by the avant-garde and artistically inclined as a tongue-in-cheek nod to the 2010s. (See: Timothée Chalamet performing a rendition of Bob Dylan’s “Outlaw Blues/Three Angels” on Saturday Night Live, Charli XCX wearing a custom version for her set at Glastonbury and .)

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7. Wide Belts

Style Notes: Just as the 2000s had the useless skinny scarf, the 2010s had the gargantuan wide belt. An accessory designed not to hold up looser-cut trousers around the hips but to accentuate your waist by drawing the eye to the mid-section, this style often featured lengths that reached up to half a meter and a fussy rectangular buckle that rivalled something you’d see on a pilgrim’s shoe.

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8. Skinny Jeans

Style Notes: Sickly tight and fitted to the point they appeared sprayed on, skinny jeans were the defining jeans trend of the 2010s. Though the back half of the decade introduced looser cuts, though not so loose compared to the baggier barrel-leg style seen today, the first few years of the time period were certainly marked by an adoration for the ultra-slim style. Whilst some, like Kate Moss, have never lost their penchant for the cut, it’s certainly one of the most polarising trends and therefore one with the rarest sightings.

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9. Wedge Trainers

Style Notes: From the Made In Chelsea set to the Kardashian-Jenners out in Calabasas, wedge trainers were all the rage. Of course, it would be remiss of me not to call out Isabel Marant’s Beckett style, which featured suede accents, a high-top shape and a 5-centimetre heel height. The inimitable original, this piece served as the definition of off-duty style at the time and was regularly worn with no care for the divisive trail it left in its wake.

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10. Bandage Dress

Style Notes: Ah, Hervé Léger. It’s a name that could either conjure shivers down someone’s spine or spark endless amounts of joy, but regardless of your own feelings on the designer’s most famous creation, there’s no denying that the bandage dress is nothing short of iconic. A going-out staple if there ever was one, the silhouette has returned with a vengeance, spotted on the likes of Kaia Gerber at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival to viral TikTok sensations on your For You page.

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11. Luggage Bags

Style Notes: To the more practical amongst us, luggage bags might read as something you’d carry with you onto a flight. But to those in the know, you’ll remember how this shape and style of accessory was so widespread in the 2010s. The most recognisable style is, of course, Celine’s style. Rendered in a Yves Klein blue and sporting its signature smile facade, this is one shape that’s made a comeback under the aptly-titled name the New Luggage and already spotted on the shoulders of A$AP Rocky and Julia Roberts.

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12. Collared Shirt

Style Notes: Continuing the business corporate attire that saturated the decade, collared shirts were another notable piece in the 2010s fashion landscape. Worn under chunky argyle knit sweaters and with moccasins or rendered in an eccentric print and teamed with MAC’s Saint Germain lipstick, pair this with a top knot and a chunky statement necklace.

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13. Military Jackets

Style Notes: It wouldn’t be the 2010s if there wasn’t the presence of the army bomber jacket rendered in the apt khaki green. Often styled with the Chloé Susanna ankle boots and a flannel shirt wrapped around the waist, this is something you’d find worn by Gigi Hadid and the supermodel set circa 2016.

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14. Sandal Boots

Style Notes: Is it a sandal or is it a boot? It’s neither nor both at the same time. A major part of any discerning dresser’s wardrobe, these styles were often made of leather, grazed the ankle and featured intriguing cut-outs that made them inappropriate for winter’s frost and summer’s heat, but totally right for layering with a sculptural skort and fluorescent sleeveless top.

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15. Bag Charms

Style Notes: It might seem like bag charms are a recent innovation, but they were just as prominent in the 2010s as they are now. Whilst the trend has evolved to include any trinket or tchotchke that your heart desires, back in the day, bag charms were reserved for one specific style: Fendi’s Fur monsters. These keyring add-ons were the brainchild of Karl Lagerfeld, but they almost have a Jim Henson slant to them that makes them feel so whimsical.

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16. Beanies

Style Notes: As seen here by Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen, a crucial part of the millennial uniform was a knitted beanie. Not quite the wide-brimmed, sauna-esque hats we see nowadays on Jennifer Lawrence and Kendall Jenner, these styles were far more slouchy, netted and designed to sit at the crown of your head. While The Row would never put out something so passé as this, it doesn’t stop the brand’s founders from wearing them, even into the 2020s.

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17. Shorts and Tights

Style Notes: With cooler weather, it’s tempting to want to style your summer clothes with winter-appropriate pieces. I say this to suggest how the polarising tights under shorts began. While there are certainly some ways to make this trend look less dated, I do simply love how Alexa Chung had rocked the trend for the entire decade, with this sleeker interpretation seen here at Miu Miu’s spring/summer 2019 show nearly identical to an outfit she wore to attend the London Film Festival’s screening of Submarine back in 2010.

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18. Peplum Tops

Style Notes: With a protruding panel that circled your waist and jutted out from your torso like something you’d see on a Pierre Cardin design from the 1960s, peplum tops became one of the most common style tropes sported in the 2010s. Designed to give a cinched silhouette, the results sometimes felt too outlandish, especially when worn with a tight pencil skirt, making them a sworn enemy of those who wore them the first time around. However, with compelling new takes by the likes of Bally and Erdem, the possibility of returning to peplum tops is on the horizon.

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19. Choker Necklace

Style Notes: First rising to prominence in the 1990s after being worn by Princess Diana, choker necklaces made a reprisal in the late 2010s, albeit in a slightly more grungy tone. From ribbon iterations adorned with charms to tattoo styles, these are already making a comeback after being worn by the likes of Dua Lipa and Zoë Kravitz.

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20. Knee-High Socks

Style Notes: Knee-high socks are a 2010s fashion trend so pervasive that the style even inspired a single on the Arctic Monkeys’ magnum opus album, AM. Slightly youthful, incredibly retro, but always sweet, this is a style that toyed with the concept of coquettishness and girlhood in a more dressed-up format.

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21. Leopard Print Coats

Style Notes: Love it or hate it, leopard print coats have become a piece so widespread that it’s almost hard to call it a trend. However, it wouldn’t be a discussion about 2010s fashion trends without it. You’d be hard-pressed to find a photo of any chic dresser throughout the decade not wearing one, and it’s easy to see why. When paired with leather pants and towering boots, the effect was something slightly rebellious and slick.

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