2016 IS HAUNTING OUR TIMELINES

With each passing year, our nostalgia for the 2010s grows stronger – but 2026 has unlocked a very specific craving for 2016. Maybe it’s the fact that a decade has passed, or maybe the rise of minimalism has us longing for overworked brows and excessive wardrobes once more. Either way, 2016 is officially back on our timelines. If you’re reminiscing about the glory days of Snapchat filters and cut creases, we’ve rounded up some of the most iconic celebrity style moments from ‘the best year ever’. We can’t promise all of these looks will return – but if you’re wondering where the time went, allow us to refresh your memory.

She may be the queen of soft glam today, but Hailey Bieber’s style wasn’t always so subtle. This look is a collage of several 2016 trends, including mom jeans, band tees, and mirrored sunglasses – not to mention the fishnet tights (who remembers styling those beneath almost every outfit?). It may be a far cry from the buttery neutrals she’s known for in 2026, but we can’t deny this chaotic outfit has us yearning for the levity of yesteryear.

As if we needed more proof that Rihanna is a style icon, these side-by-side pics don’t seem a decade apart. In fact, besides the choker and dramatic winged liner we’d never know the left look was pulled from 2016. The bomber jacket ruled 10 years ago and still dominates street style today (as Miss Fenty’s red number so stylishly demonstrates) – but we’re particularly nostalgic for the layered necklaces. Here’s to more-is-more accessorising in 2026.

Margot is a litmus test for the ten-year trend cycle. Now a purveyor of the quiet luxury aesthetic (think quality basics and crisp tailoring), the actor was once a far more vivacious dresser. Just take this gold red carpet look from 2016. Everything from the snakeskin texture to the padded shoulders screams 2010s maximalism – and the peroxide blonde hair is a cautionary reminder of our love affair with boxed dye. While we love 2026 Margot’s subdued aesthetic, there’s something refreshingly fun about her former ‘all-or-nothing’ energy.

Thanks to a breakout stint on the Disney Channel, Selena has been around long enough to try out plenty of looks. Her appearance at The Golden Globes this past week was evidence of her acting trajectory – featuring sleek pin curls and a deep red lip worthy of the biggest silver screen icons. But throw it back 10 years, and Selena’s red-carpet style was quite different. From the straight brown hair to the smoky eye, this glam has everything we wanted back in 2016. In those days, a heavy strip lash and thick black liner were the standard – and paired with a floor-length silver dress, Selena was giving major main-character energy.

This throwback pic of Dua has us in a chokehold. The turtleneck sheer dress, the messy side-parted hair, the knee-high boots – it’s a 2016 fever dream. It’s also by far and away the biggest transformation on this list, with Dua now known for her colourful wardrobe and endless carousel of hair colours. Proof that 2010s maximalism could still come in black, this ensemble is simple and entirely chaotic at the same time. We can’t get enough.