Back to 2016: The Trends We’re Keeping (and Leaving) in 2026
Image Courtesy: Vocal Media
Since the commencement of the new year, social media users have been posting nostalgic flashbacks to the “simpler days” of 2016. According to these users, 2026 is the new 2016, and with that comes the return of some of the best and worst trends of the past few decades. So, we must decide which ones to keep and which need to stay in the past.
Keep: The Worst(/Best) Era of Emo Fashion
2016 really was a purgatorial era for emo and scene fashion. Hot Topics were slowly transforming into the extremely “Disneyified” version we know (and hate) today, and the best emo music to listen to was “5 Seconds of Summer” and “Death of a Bachelor.” Kids were yearning to return to the peaks of their favorite emo bands, as Brendon Urie scared every other member of Panic! At The Disco away with his insistent, ear-grating belting and poor collaboration skills.
Still, it is hard not to be nostalgic for the simplicity of a 2016 emo’s outfit. Graphic T-shirts defined this era, as people wore album covers from a bygone era. These shirts were paired either with the highest-waisted ripped skinny jeans or a plaid skirt that looks like it was stolen from a very edgy all-girls Catholic school. Converse were a must, along with at least one pair of black leggings (to wear under the skirt, of course). And how could we forget the classic choker, an accessory that began its life cycle in the mid-90s and resurged during the apex of emo Tumblr?
Leave: Skinny Jeans
Image Courtesy: Hypebeast
One clothing item that persisted through every subculture in the mid-2010s and continues to haunt my nightmares: skinny jeans. Since fashion trends are a never-ending cycle, I fear the day skinny jeans return to fashion and girls everywhere must cram themselves into pants that aren't actually meant to fit. A skinny jean isn’t simply a curve-hugging pair of denim pants; no, it is the clothing equivalent of claustrophobia. These pants suffocate one’s legs to the point where they can hardly extend their full range of motion without fear of a rip or tear.
High- or low-waisted, these pants are monstrously uncomfortable for something that doesn’t even look that good! More comfortable options that provide a similar silhouette include straight-cut or tapered jeans. If you want to accentuate your curves without doing the clothing equivalent of covering your legs in plastic wrap, a flare or boot-cut jean is much more flattering. Overall, anything is better than skinny jeans, so it is best to leave these torture devices in 2016.
Keep: Dan and Phil
Image Courtesy: YouTube
Dan and Phil were a staple of 2016 YouTube and Tumblr, as tween girls around the world took the pair’s wholesome life advice and used it to speculate on their relationship status to an often uncomfortable extent. The two YouTubers maintained their own channels with much success, but their collaborations propelled them into niche internet stardom. The duo began posting videos together in 2009, and their popularity persisted into 2016 thanks to the launch of their joint gaming channel in 2014.
For some reason, the young girls who watched these videos were obsessed with uncovering the smallest details that hinted that the two were more than friends. This obsession gave rise to the “Phan-dom” (Dan and Phil’s ship name), which in turn led to “Phan” art, “Phan” edits, and “Phan” fiction. Personally, I have not seen a fandom so ride-or-die for exposing two secret gay lovers since Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson, and I’m not sure if we’ll see one like this again.
Dan and Phil didn’t quite shock the world when they revealed in late 2025 that they had been dating the whole time, but “Phan-atics” from way back then treasured the moment as if their wish made the relationship come true. As the pair reinvigorates their combined gaming channel to host a podcast called “Hard Launch,” it is clear they are a couple we need to bring back in the “new 2016.”
Leave: Jake Paul
A mid-2010s influencer who is not as fondly remembered is Jake Paul. This blond Ohioan began his career as a Vine creator in 2013 with his similarly abrasive brother, Logan Paul. He reached the peak engagement of his now-dwindling audience in 2016 with annoying pranks, annoying friends, and even more annoying music. Obviously, this content was meant to appeal to a very young audience — a fact that became controversial when fellow creators called him and his “Team 10” out for spending most of their videos advertising to children who would have to take their parents’ credit card to “buy dat merch.”
As Jake Paul’s audience grew up, he pivoted to a new entertainment strategy: boxing. The influencer now gains attention by fighting former UFC fighters. Many have speculated that these fights are “rigged,” but the likely reason for his number of wins is that he fights opponents who haven’t been in the ring in years. Fans and critics alike viewed his headline-making match against Mike Tyson as more depressing than impressive. Jake Paul’s irritating attempts to rage-bait himself into stardom have grown tiring, so I say it is best to leave him in 2016.
Keep: Wattpad Fan Fiction
Long after its founding in 2006, Wattpad exploded in popularity in the mid-2010s, coinciding with the massive burst in Tumblr users. Simultaneously, Archive of Our Own (AO3) user numbers were rising, but despite that growth, the site still cannot compare to the extraordinary numbers boasted by Wattpad. The website and app became a breeding ground for both awe-striking independent literature and debaucherous, quasi-pornographic fiction. And both were beautiful.
Wattpad originated or popularized many of the most beloved fanfiction tropes: the “alternate universe” (AU) phenomenon, the infamous “your-name” (Y/N) self-insert, Pinterest-compiled mood boards, and even the “omegaverse.” The world of young adult literature would not be the same without the hundreds of undersocialized teens who wondered what it would be like to date Harry Styles, so the popularity of this hobby must be reinvigorated. Who knows? This could lead a young visionary to write Generation Alpha’s Twilight.
Leave: Eating Disorder Tumblr
Unfortunately, a trend that seems to be returning is “thinspo”: pictures and videos that young women post to inspire others to believe that “eating is overrated.” Eating disorders were normalized and popularized through Tumblr posts that listed reasons why users wanted to lose weight and showed pictures of the “ideal” body type. Young girls around the world encouraged one another to adopt horribly destructive habits to look like their favorite model or celebrity.
Now that it seems every other celebrity is using Ozempic, the idols of young women are growing thinner, and this, intentionally or unintentionally, suggests that “skinny” equals more attractive. Tumblr was a breeding ground for pro-eating disorder content, but as these girls grew up, most began to realize that their niche communities were leading them to a life of constant dissatisfaction.
The younger generation is now following in these extremely misplaced footsteps with the creation of “SkinnyTok,” a community on TikTok that shares dieting methods, extreme exercises, and unhealthy body image ideals. Hopefully, these young women will heed the warnings of their elders and refuse to carry this trend into 2026.
As we find ourselves reliving the highs and lows of 2016 in this new decade, it’s clear that nostalgia can be both a comfort and a cautionary tale. The trends we choose to bring back shape not only our wardrobes and playlists but also our mindsets. So, whether you’re dusting off your old Converse or revisiting your favorite YouTube duo, remember that some things are worth reviving, while others are best left as memories.
Strike Out,
Writer: Grace Myatt
Editor: Salette Cambra
Graphic Designer:
Tallahassee