2022 was supposed to be our first look back at normalcy. However, the year proved to be just the opposite of that; the pink sauce that almost killed people, Will Smith’s ‘slapgate’, Johnny Depp’s trial, and even the death of the Queen. An exhilarating year riddled with trends — both new and old, filled with many memorable moments — can best be remembered by the clothes we wore.

As crazy as it may sound, fashion can play a great role in recapping a year, as it’ll associate certain memories from the year with styles we may or may not see again in the future. So let’s look back at the year in fashion and see what you want to bring with you into the new year, and what you’d like to leave with the pink sauce in 2022. 

You might’ve heard someone say they make shoe-contact before eye-contact. This past year, a variety of different styles of shoes were prominent. Whether they were sneakers, boots, or slides — here’s what we saw.

Whether you were a fifty year-old father of four, or a seventeen year old high-schooler, New Balances found their way back onto the sneaker scene. With the 550’s and 2002r model, the chunkier sneakers paired well with the baggier workwear we saw a lot this year. Nike SB Dunks were everywhere. With a classic silhouette and hundreds of colorways, these shoes were a staple in a lot of rotations due to their classic versatility. Looking in a different direction, platformed shoes were also quite prominent this past year. Doc Marten Jadon boots made their way back into a lot of people’s rotation, a platform version of the classic 1990’s boot first released in 2013, became quite popular. Whether it was Birkenstocks or Urban Outfitters, textured clogs were a nice switch up to the Yeezy slides from 2020. 

Many different styles of clothes reflected different parts of the year. In the fall, workwear was everywhere. Carhartt jackets, double knee pants, and dickies provided a unique streetwear look. Loose fit cargo pants found themselves in a lot of closets due to their functionality. Dickies straight leg skate pants were a popular alternative to the more baggy Carhartt silhouette. Seen often paired with a tote bag or knit beanie, this revival style is something a lot of people may look forward to wearing this year.

In the spring, we saw a lot of flared denim and full-zip jackets from a lot of people creating their own clothing brand. The saturation of these styles may have gotten played out towards the end of the year but they started off strong, and for that they make the list.

Throughout the year British rapper Central Cee showed just how prevalent Nike Tech Suits were. Appearing on the red carpet wearing joggers in any other year would be crazy, but not this year. With hundreds of color possibilities, the slim athletic fitting jacket paired with matching tapered joggers were a staple for a lot of cozy outfits. Popularly paired with dri-fit masks, nicknamed ‘Sheistys’ after Memphis rapper Pooh Sheisty, was an outfit many people were excited to put on this year, no matter the weather. 

In some ways normalcy may never come back, and that’s fine. As long as we continue to push our own trends and have fun while we do it, we’ll be okay.