I walked into 2026 with stars in my eyes thanks to all the astrology girlies talking about quantum leaps and how this was going to be Leos’ big year. We are currently *checks calendar* 8 months in, and I am still waiting for all the manna to start falling out of the sky into my lap. You know what 2026 has consistently delivered, though? Chaos. Unpredictability at every turn.
And that includes fashion.
Here are three things that were NOT on my personal style bingo card for 2026 and, yet, are now (or about to become) my whole fashion identity.
Athletic Wear
I have never considered myself an athletic person. My superpower is reading books; I don’t get along with the sun. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve had to reform my sloth-like ways to give my body a fighting chance to keep up with my forever-young state of mind. At 46, I’m now in the best/fittest shape of my life and I have plans to take it up another notch by getting more serious about strength training. So, in a way, it’s fitting that I should enter the Sporty Adina phase of my style evolution.
In truth, this phase has a lot more to do with a very specific kind of nostalgia than it does with late-developing athleticism (which, let’s face it, can be called that only relative to my previous sedentariness). I am so obsessed with the aesthetics of the 90s and 00s, and athletic/street wear was a huge part of that. A part I didn’t explore back then because I felt “disqualified” from it. I was too nerdy, not cool enough, etc. to pull it off. I am still all of those things now … except that, now, I don’t care. I also don’t care that some people might think the aesthetic “too young” for someone my age.
I can’t say this too many times: it’s freaking amazing to (a) be old enough to not care about what other people think of your hobbies/interests, and (b) have the wherewithal to indulge said hobbies and interests in a way that you couldn’t as a teenager/broke student.
Anyway, you will find me in the mens’ activewear aisle at the thrifts for the foreseeable future.
Bootcut Jeans
I’ve never had a particularly contentious relationship with bootcut jeans — unlike, say, low-rise jeans — but it was not a style I was expecting to revisit in 2026. I knew they would make a comeback, sooner or later, because everything in fashion eventually does. I was still taken by surprise by how much I loved the look of the first (vintage) pair I thrifted earlier this summer when I tried it on. Honestly, I think I would be cycling back to skinny jeans before bootcut, but here we are.
There is something that feels very … effortlessly cool about them. I know, I know. The two worst words one can use when describing anything style-related are “effortlessly cool” but, sorry, that’s the feeling that bootcut jeans currently evoke for me. They suit a few different vibes I enjoy (Ralph-coded, as per always), including southwest/prairiecore and 90s minimalist. We love a versatile closet workhorse.
Capris
This was, hands down, the biggest shock of all. I am not usually too susceptible to fashion trends I see on social media, but this time I was got. I don’t remember the last time I wore capris/pedal-pushers, but seeing images of fashion girlies sporting black ones paired with minimalist pieces got me hella intrigued. I like that it’s taking the Y2K vibe and giving it a 90s off-duty model polish. Less cutesy, more laidback cool.
The downside is that this is very much a summer/early fall kind of piece, so my runway for experimenting with it is going to be short. That being said, I just thrifted a vintage pair for $10, which feels like a good compromise for this scenario. Low risk, plenty of upside. And it’s going to give my low-heeled, pointy-toe pumps a reason to come out of retirement again.
What were your biggest fashion surprises of 2026?