Image via Complex Original
On one September morning, Whoopi Goldberg wore a red, oversized hoodie from the ultra-hyped fashion label Vetements on The View. Yes, Whoopi. Yes, The View. And yes, Vetements. It was a welcomed co-sign for us, but surprising nonetheless. Who knew Whoopi was up on pricey, avant garde fashion? But this was only one of a few unexpected style moments this year. The Internet turned Hillary Clinton's pantsuits into a meme, comparing them to classic looks from Death Row Records' days. Travis Scott became the face of a Saint Laurent campaign—a huge win for him and for hip-hop. The Weeknd cut his signature hair. Juicy Couture's tracksuits made a comeback. What a time to be alive.
2016 was a bizarre year, to say the least. Here are the best, most shocking moments in fashion from the last 365 days.
Young Thug Wears a Dress on the 'Jeffery' Cover
Before the release of Thug’s Jeffery mixtape, he was already The King of wearing women’s clothing and giving a middle finger to gender norms. But this past August, the Atlanta rapper blew the Jaden Smiths and Jared Letos of the world out of the water and wore a dress on the cover of his new mixtape. The image made some people feel uncomfortable, but was largely celebrated (as it should have been). It was an instant classic on the Internet.
According to Garfield Larmond, the photographer responsible for the cover, Thug was at VFiles when he saw the dress by Alessandro Trincone, a participant in VFiles’ crowdsourced Season 7 runway show. “He saw the piece in New York, and said immediately, ‘I want that for the cover,’” Larmond told Fader. “Like, there was no thought about it. He just saw it and knew he wanted it."
Now, to be clear, this didn’t make the list because it was shocking to see Thug in a dress. But it was a bold move that moved the needle and further broke gender norms. The Jeffery cover is one of the best moments of 2016, period. Don’t @ me. —Karizza Sanchez
Gucci Mane is Everyone’s Favorite Fashion Personality
When Gucci Mane was released from prison this past May, plenty of rap fans were excited for new music. That much was clear. But who knew that the East Atlanta Santa would also kill it in the style world? He instantly caught the fashion industry’s attention with his signature oversized sunglasses, weight loss, and designer clothing. Even Vogue, who more than likely would never write about a Gucci Mane album or song, invited him to their offices to review Gucci’s Spring 2017 collection. Credit Guwop and his team for the foresight because now he’s dropping albums, talking fashion, and releasing an upcoming clothing line called Delantic. They wrote the perfect Welcome Home story. —Karizza Sanchez
Whoopi Wears Vetements on 'The View'
Since its inception, Vetements has been fashion's most self-conscious in-joke. To be in on the joke means being comfortable with spending $90 on American Apparel-grade knee socks or $750 for a cigarette case, broadcasting the brand’s "if you have to ask, you can't afford it" mentality that elicits eye-rolls and rounds of applause in equal measure. Are you cool enough to “get” Vetements? Then throw down your debit card for a $900 Snoop Dogg tee, and give a fuck enough to let everyone know just how few fucks you give.
So, there is something poetic and perfect about Whoopi Goldberg wearing a Vetements hoodie on The View, the aggressively uncool daytime gabfest that provides a platform for a half-woke group of women far too privileged to ever fully grasp the sheer inconsequence of their daily debates. Whoopi’s sense of style is a consistent outlier compared to her co-hosts, but wearing a hoodie that says “May the Bridges I Burn Light the Way” widened the gap between her and her Tory Burch-clad colleagues even more. It also challenged the coolness at the very heart of Vetements. Who is disrupting the status quo more: a French collective sending sweats down the couture runway, or a 60-something TV host beaming them straight into the homes of Middle America? —Steve Dool
Hillary Clinton's Death Row Records Meme
Hillary Clinton, the President-elect-that-never-was-but-should-have-been, didn’t mobilize the youth in the way that President Obama did, or even in the way that Bernie Sanders might have. But it wasn’t for the Internet meme-makers lack of trying. As the Presidential debates dragged on, one of the funniest viral moments to emerge had nothing to do with politics and everything to do with Clinton’s much-maligned wardrobe. This time, though, the focus wasn’t about how bad her pantsuits were, but about how badass they were, and how much they resembled classic looks from Death Row Records’ glory days. There was Clinton in an all-white get-up, a la Tupac, in red-on-red like Suge Knight, and in a shawl-collar that called to mind Snoop Dogg. Sure, it didn’t tip the scales in any meaningful way, but it did at least provide us with one genuine LOL moment, at a time when many of us just wanted to cry. —Steve Dool
Grindr Becomes Fashionable
In 2016, the LGBTQ community watched as a notedly homophobic administration prepared to take national office, including a Vice President who has supported conversion therapy for homosexuals. But—silver lining alert—at least gay men no longer had to use two different mobile apps when searching for quick hookups and fashion news! Grindr, the very popular same-sex “dating” app, made headlines in January when it hosted a livestream of J.W. Anderson’s fall runway show direct from London, allowing fashion-curious users the opportunity to conveniently mix dick pics with high-end design with minimal effort. At the time, Anderson said that the partnership was “a no-brainer.” Streetwear brand Richardson seemingly agreed, releasing a co-branded Grindr T-shirt in October. The app also introduced their own Ancient Greek-inspired menswear collection, completing a fashionable trifecta and proving that, like a segment of its users, Grindr is definitely versatile. —Steve Dool
Travis Scott Featured in Saint Laurent Video
In the last year or so, rappers have become the most important fashion ambassadors. A$AP Rocky starred in a Dior Homme campaign and collaborated with J.W. Anderson. Kanye West’s dramatic, black and white “Wolves” music video doubled as a Balmain campaign. Young Thug was featured (wearing womenswear) in Calvin Klein’s ad. And so forth and so on. But we can’t say we expected Travis Scott to be in Saint Laurent’s Spring 2017 campaign.
The designer label is known for its close connection to the music industry, often enlisting various musicians to be the face of its brand, though those chosen are usually rock artists. Travis, who had previously appeared in an Alexander Wang ad, is the first rapper in recent memory to be co-signed by Saint Laurent in this way. We’re not sure how the collaboration came about, but maybe Anthony Vaccarello, the label’s new creative director, is a rap fan? —Karizza Sanchez
Vetements and Kim Kardashian Bring Back Juicy Couture
Vetements probably couldn’t have existed before social media. Nearly everything they design comes with built-in viral potential, from their sold-out hoodie that riffs on the Titanic movie poster (spotted on Celine Dion) to their wildly popular DHL T-shirt. It was only a matter of time, then, that their vision collided with Kim Kardashian, Queen of the Interwebs, Breaker of Instagram. In September, Kim appeared on the cover of UK magazine Wonderland, resplendent in a hot pink, velour Juicy Couture tracksuit, highlighting three things the internet loves most: nostalgia, irony, and Kim’s body. Just a few months earlier, Vetements had debuted their collaboration with Juicy, on the Paris Couture Week runway, no less. And if the co-signs from those two weren’t enough, Rihanna also loaned her stamp of approval, wearing Juicy x Vetements to collect her Shoe of the Year Award this November. Three is a trend: Juicy Couture officially had a moment in 2016. Your move, Von Dutch...oh, wait. —Steve Dool
Kylie Brings Back Von Dutch
Just accept it, people: Kylie Jenner has 81.3 million Instagram followers and the power to make anything trendy again. Like Cady Heron and her army pants and flip flops, Kylie Jenner could wear the most heinous outfit possible and thousands of girls would immediately rush to copy her look. Luckily for those of us who peaked in the early 2000s, Jenner decided to do us a solid and post a picture of her wearing a Von Dutch hat, instantly making them cool again. Thank you, King Kylie, for giving us the perfect excuse to proudly dust off our overpriced trucker hats and blast Hilary Duff’s “Metamorphosis” like it was 2003. Here’s hoping she rocks Juicy Couture tracksuits in 2017, like her big sister Kim, so I can wear my velour in public again. —Lauren Zupkus
Cargo Shorts Fucks Everyone’s Marriage Up
Amazing news for your dad and the CEO of Old Navy: Cargo shorts are back!!! Not so amazing news: They're ruining marriages across the country! 2016 was the trashiest of trash years, so it was only right that the most repulsive pair of shorts in menswear managed to have its moment in the sun. (It’s been a great year for white men, after all!) Plus, this year in particular we needed a ton of pockets to carry all of our anxieties, fear, and disappointment around. I wouldn’t be mad if this trend stayed in 2016, though, and neither would happily wed couples everywhere. —Lauren Zupkus
The Weeknd’s Cut His Signature Hair
This past September, The Weeknd revealed that a new album (Starboy, out now) was on the horizon. But the announcement came with another surprise: He cut his hair! The Internet went nuts. He’s become known for his signature hair as much as his hits like “Can’t Feel My Face” and “The Hills.” This change was almost as shocking as Kanye West dying his hair blonde. What’s the Weeknd with shorter hair? Well, apparently, not that much different, just with even more hits. New year, new project, and new Weeknd, I suppose. —Karizza Sanchez