2026 Ins & Outs: What’s Hot & What’s Not, According To STYLE
Spoiler: no more Labubus
By Ava Barker | 8th January 2026New year, new rules. As we wave goodbye to 2025 – the year of Labubus, 67 (whatever TF it is), and anxiety over the increasingly ominous presence of AI in our lives – we’re wiping our slates clean and forecasting what’s hot and what’s not. From the style philosophies we’re embracing to the habits we’re leaving behind, this year is all about intentionality for the team at Style. Consider this your insider’s guide to what’s defining our 2026 – and what’s (subjectively) had its moment.
INS FOR 2026
Outfit repeating
The best place to shop? Your wardrobe. Everyone else is too busy worrying about themselves to notice if you wore the same thing twice.
Buy less, but better
Supporting sustainable, quality craftsmanship is always in, and investing in wardrobe staples that won’t fall apart after one wash is something we’ll always get behind. For Brissy gals, we’re spoilt for choice when it comes to second-hand shopping, and with SWOP landing in Fortitude Valley late last year, we’re pretty much unstoppable.
Day drinking
Few things in life bring as much joy as a mid-afternoon margarita or a long lunch with a bottle of wine. Period. Here’s where we’d go for top-notch day seshing.
Third spaces
Not home, not work. Find a space that’s neither of these, but equally as important. Try social clubs, cosy cafes, sunny parks – trust us.
Eyeliner
Let your eyes do the talking with some good ol’ eyeliner – waterlining encouraged. The more smudged and smoked-out, the better. Messy is in.
Morning sun
Wake up and scroll? Not in 2026. Wake up, get that Vitamin D kick, and let your dopamine run wild.
Accessorising
Stack on those bangles and buckle up your chunkiest belt. There’s no such thing as too much.
Phone on DND
Peace? Protected. You don’t need to be accessible 24/7.
Irish goodbyes
You’ve been at the function for hours. Your sling-backs are giving you blisters, and you’re yearning for your bed. Escape is crucial, but you’re too socially depleted for farewell pleasantries and peer pressure to stay. What to do? The Irish have the right idea.
Social sports
Getting a sweat on with a friendly game of *insert your sport of choice here*? Sign us up.
Dressing up just because
Every day should be a special occasion. Why? Because you’re special.
Anything analog
Card games, board games, print magazines, colouring in book – in, in, in. Can you tell we’ve spent the whole holidays playing Monopoly Deal and Uno?
OUTS FOR 2026
Doomscrolling
But we don’t need to tell you that.
Rage baiting
Ladies and gentlemen, let us present Oxford’s Word of the Year for 2025. Whether it was fake news, divisive content, or Threads posts from basement-dwellers calling beautiful actresses “mid,” rage bait was inescapable in 2025. Here’s to hoping it stays there.
Bag charms
It was one of the hottest trends of 2025, and it’s well and truly time it was laid to rest. Those plastic AliExpress bag charms that were flooding everyone’s Pinterest feeds are probably halfway to the bottom of the ocean by now.
Overly curated feeds
Remember when social media was fun? Let’s bring that back. We hope “casual” posting on Instagram can actually become casual in 2026.
10-step skincare routines
Less is more. There’s no need to go to bed with an entire Sephora’s worth of product layered on your face.
Dome lids
In. The. (recycling) Bin.
Skipping breakfast
No one likes a hangry person. It’s considered important for a reason.
Filming live gigs
You’d be hard-pressed to find a gig nowadays where the mosh isn’t a sea of iPhones, but your Instagram followers will skip past your stories and – let’s be honest – you’re probably never going to rewatch any of the footage you filmed. Just save your storage and live in the moment.
Marathons
Last year, it felt like everyone and their mum was training for a marathon on Instagram. We were exhausted just watching. Just go for your hot girl walk and give the 42k a rest.
Overpriced coffees
If you’re paying $7.50 for an iced latte (and an extra $1.50 for oat milk), it’d better come with a solid gold straw.
Shopping hauls
Overconsumption is so last year.
Imagery: Dupe (Kaitlin Marino, Eva Couto, Dakota Spencer)
