Every year has its own visual language, and 2025 will be remembered as the year we chose personality over perfection. Gone are the days of the clinical clean girl look. Instead, we embraced styles that feel playful, tactile, and full of emotion.
Here are the accessories that defined the year and reshaped the way we dress.
Trinket, trinklet everywhere!
This summer, the fashion conversation was dominated by the Labubu craze. What began as a niche collectable from Pop Mart quickly became a global icon after appearing on the handbags of Lisa from Blackpink, Ananya Panday, and Rosalia.
These quirky, sharp-toothed elves transformed luxury leather handles into galleries of chaotic cute. And yes, the fiscal impact mirrored the aesthetic frenzy. Pop Mart’s revenue from this series skyrocketed to $677 million in the first half of the year, marking a phenomenal 668 per cent year-on-year growth.
The craze sparked the Trinket-core movement, where beauty essentials moved from the inside of a bag to the outside. The trend was clear: Gen Z wanted products that were fun, personal, and easy to show off.
Lip oils and blushes hung from purses like little charms. Benefit Cosmetics made a lip tint phone charm, and closer home, Dot and Key launched a clip-on sunscreen. The list kept growing.
Jane Birkin-fication of shoes
Footwear trends followed a similar path of playful personalisation. Stylists called it the Jane Birkin-fication of sneakers and loafers. Inspired by Birkin’s famously charm-filled handbags, fashionistas decorated shoelaces and heels with metallic studs, ribbons, and tiny crystals.
Model Bella Hadid was seen with ribbons on vintage trainers. Even Adidas gave classic Samba sneakers a makeover with ribbons and pearl charms. The result? Social media exploded with viral videos, racking up nearly a million views, and everyone was asking how many charms are too many on a pair of shoes.
The analogue tech rebellion
A pushback against invisible technology also shaped accessories. Wired earphones made a stylish comeback, worn deliberately as a visible accessory rather than hidden. Stars like Lily-Rose Depp and Harry Styles trailed white cords from their pockets, signalling a preference for tangible tech.
Cameras followed the trend too. Early 2000s digital cameras and 35mm film shooters made a comeback for their grainy flash and imperfect results. On Google Trends, searches for “digi cam” steadily climbed from mid 2024 to mid 2025, with clear spikes in January and May.
Soon after, the trend took over celebrity feeds. Model Kendall Jenner and actor Khushi Kapoor were spotted flaunting their Nikon and Canon cameras on Instagram, sealing the comeback moment.
The return of the heirloom
As smartwatches waned, vintage timepieces gained attention. Small dials, mechanical movements, and gold-toned designs from the seventies and eighties became wrist staples. Jewellery-first watches required care and told stories that digital devices could not.
Actors Timothee Chalamet and Ishaan Khatter were spotted with understated vintage models that felt like heirlooms.
The dramatic finish
Birdcage veils emerged as an unexpected street-style statement. Once reserved for 1940s-inspired looks or weddings, they were now paired with oversized blazers, leather jackets, or denim.
The short, netted veils added mystery and main character energy to everyday outfits, proving that 2025 embraced a touch of drama in daily dressing.
Layered belts and scarf-ing
Two final trends cemented their place in the 2025 style. Statement belts returned with a twist: layering. Wearing two or three thin belts at once added structure to oversized knits, recalling early 2000s archives.
Silk scarves proved their versatility. No longer just for the neck, they were tied to bag handles, worn as headbands, and most notably used as belts. Looping a vintage or thrifted silk scarf through denim or over a blazer added a soft, Parisian contrast to structured looks. Scarves became the year’s ultimate style tool.