The 15 Fashion Trends That Defined How We’ll Remember 2015

It's almost impossible to recognize what makes an outfit so "1992" or so "2006" when you've just wrapped up that year. With a few years of hindsight, though, what used to be invisible because it was so normal became obvious — it's funny to think now that sunflower-print vests and low-rise pleather pants were ever closet staples. To try and distill what made 2015 so iconic means hanging up your mom jeans and gray knits for just a moment, and taking a look at the most standout shapes, items, and moods we tried to go for with our clothes.

From the '70s-meets-'90s redux to a return to minimalism, the biggest trends of 2015 were enough of a departure from the over-the-top, embellished, glossy, girly looks of the prior years that — to us — they signaled a style shift that'll separate the end of this decade from the first few years. Take a look at the fifteen trends that made 2015 special, and what made them such favorites.