A Year in Review: The Fashion "It" Items That Defined 2016

Blame it on fashion for delivering coveted items that we, irrationally, have to have, year after year. In 2016, these “It” must-haves arrived in the form of Gucci fur-lined loafer slides (a design so good that not even celebrities could resist wearing them over and over again), vintage Levi’s jeans (specifically, the 501s and 505s; here’s how you can shop for the perfect pair), Cult Gaia bamboo clutches (that became a viral hit through Instagram), and Vans Old Skools (interestingly, the most snapped sneaker to come out of Fashion Month ever since the Stan Smith’s claim to fame). And since 2016 will forever be known as The Year of The Choker, there’s, of course, one on this It List: Roxanne Assoulin’s rainbow-happy spectrum tiles, a design that's found a home on the necks of A-listers and street-style stars alike.

There was a big demand for tour merch (Bieber and Saint Pablo, specifically), along with street-chic hoodies—and coming in from the opposite end, incredibly ladylike Chanel cap-toe mules (the latest iteration of the cap-toe slingbacks that made it on our list in 2015). Scroll through to see the 12 buzziest fashion items of 2016.

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1 of 13

Giant Super-Sized Earrings

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$219
anniecostellobrown.com
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So long, teeny-tiny studs. Incredible over-the-top earrings dominated the spring 2017 runways, and in turn, the street-style scene. A favorite? These sculptural creations by designer Annie Costello Brown.

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2 of 13

The Cult Gaia Ark Bag

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$88
cultgaia.com
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The bamboo clutch that dominated our Instagram feed for the better half of the year. Actually, make that all straw bags. 

3 of 13

Vans Old Skool Sneakers

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$60
vans.com
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It looks like Adidas Stan Smiths finally have a rival. The most snapped sneaker of Fashion Month were the black-and-white Vans Old Skools (even Kendall Jenner is a fan). 

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4 of 13

Aquazzura's "Wild Thing" Sandals

$785
barneys.com
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Fringed, tasseled, fun—these were the sandals of the summer. And once Rihanna wore them, their fate was sealed. 

5 of 13

The Loewe Puzzle Bag

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$2,350
nordstrom.com
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Sculptural, deconstructed, geometric—there's a reason why the Puzzle bag (one of designer Jonathan Anderson's first designs for the Spanish label) was such a hit. 

6 of 13

Street-Chic Hoodies

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$1,050
net-a-porter.com
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With the rise of buzzy streetwear designers (Demna Gvasalia of Vetements, Virgil Abloh of Off-White, etc) arrives the demand for streetwear staples, like hoodies, oversized denim jackets, and sweats. 

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7 of 13

Vintage Levi's

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$265
shopredone.com
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The pre-reqs for jeans in 2016: high-waist, straight-leg, vintage, and made by Levi's. 

8 of 13

Chanel Mules

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Chanel's back with another in-demand shoe: cap-toe mules—the updated version of last year's famous slingbacks. (Not available online, sorry guys.)

9 of 13

Roxanne Assoulin's Rainbow Chokers

ROXANNEASSOULIN/instagram
$120
roxanneassoulin.com
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2016, the year of the choker comeback. But the favorite among editors? Roxanne Assoulin's happy, mood-boosting spectrum designs.

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Johanna Ortiz One-Shoulder Tops

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$850
net-a-porter.com
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Johanna Ortiz's playful, voluminous one-shoulder silhouettes—the answer to off-shoulder saturation. 

11 of 13

Gucci Loafer Slides

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$595
nordstrom.com
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OK, so we had Gucci's famous slides in last year's line-up, but these really picked up traction this year. 

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Justin Bieber Tour Merch

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$18
forever21.com
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The year that street-style stars came out as die-hard Bieber fans.

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