2016 inspired outfits come in two strengths. For a 2016 Day or a themed party, go all in with a black choker, a bomber, ripped skinny jeans and ankle boots. For everyday wear, keep one of those pieces and pair it with straight jeans, wide-leg pants or a clean white sneaker, so it reads as current.
I’ve been blogging since 2014, so I watched the choker-and-bomber year happen in real time, and now it’s back on every feed as the “2026 is the new 2016” trend (yes, that makes me feel old, thank you for asking). The funny part is how much of it still works, because 2016 was a year of very wearable pieces: bombers, bodysuits, slip dresses, camel coats and a LOT of mauve.
The tricky part is the dial. Turn it all the way up and you look ready for a 2016 theme night, turn it down and you just look well dressed with a little wink. Each of these 2016 inspired outfits tells you what’s in the photo and how to push it either way, and after the looks you’ll find what to wear to a 2016 party and why the year is trending again.
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Start by checking what you already own, because most closets still have one 2016 survivor in them, usually a bomber, a black bodysuit or a pair of black ankle boots. Build your first look around that piece, and if it turns out to be a slip dress, my slip dress outfit ideas have plenty more ways to wear it in daylight.
What Were the Big 2016 Fashion Trends?
The big 2016 trends were chokers, bomber jackets, lace-up and off-shoulder tops, long duster coats and suede mini skirts, usually with skinny jeans underneath and black boots below. The colors were soft and a little dusty: mauve, blush, olive, gray and camel.
1. Black Choker With a White Tee and Straight Jeans
A thin black choker is the quickest way to say 2016 without saying anything else, because it’s small and sits right where people look first. In this mirror selfie it’s a plain black band with a fitted white baby tee, mid-blue straight jeans, a slim black belt, black canvas high-tops and a black shoulder bag, in a bedroom with a clothes rack behind her.
The straight jeans are what keep it in this decade. Swap them for ripped black skinnies and you’ve got the full party version in about thirty seconds.
2. Bomber Jacket With a Fitted Tank and Jeans
The bomber was THE jacket of 2016, and it’s still the easiest piece from that year to wear on a normal Tuesday. This one is olive with a little sheen, worn open over a light gray fitted tank, a black belt and relaxed light-wash jeans, with white sneakers, sunglasses pushed up on her head and a coffee in hand on a city sidewalk.
Look for a bomber that ends right at your waistband, since a longer one starts to look like a rain jacket.
3. Lace-Up Top With Wide-Leg Pants
Lace-up necklines were everywhere in 2016, and wide-leg pants are what make one look grown-up now. Here a black long-sleeve top with criss-cross laces at the neck goes with high-waisted cream wide-leg trousers, black pointed flats and a small brown bag, against a cream stone wall.
Black on top and cream on the bottom gives the laces a clean frame. Back then this top would have gone with skinny jeans and a choker, which is exactly the version to wear if the invite says throwback.
Read more: 90s minimalist outfit ideas built on fit, not trends
4. Off-Shoulder Top With Denim Shorts
The off-shoulder top with cutoffs was the summer uniform of 2016, and on a hot day it still makes complete sense. She’s in a white off-shoulder top, light-wash cutoff shorts, flat brown sandals and big sunglasses, with a tan straw bag on her shoulder and palm trees down the street.
Get a top with firm elastic, otherwise you’ll spend the whole afternoon pulling it back up (ask anyone who owned one).
5. Olive Duster Coat With Black Skinny Jeans
A long duster over black skinny jeans is one of the few skinny-jean outfits that never looked dated, because the coat does all the work and the slim leg just keeps it tidy. In this hallway mirror selfie the coat is a soft olive, open over a black turtleneck and black skinnies, with pointed black ankle boots and a structured black handbag.
Olive is the color doing the 2016 bit here, and my olive green outfit ideas show how far that one shade can go.
6. Suede Mini Skirt With a Ribbed Sweater
The suede mini was fall 2016’s 70s moment, and it’s lovely with a ribbed knit in a lighter shade. This one is tan, worn with a cream ribbed sweater tucked in, sheer black tights, brown loafers and a little brown crossbody, in front of a white door.
Loafers make it feel current. For the throwback version, it’s ankle boots and a choker, no question.
How Do You Make 2016 Outfits Look Current?
Keep the 2016 piece and change what’s around it, usually the jeans and the shoes. A bomber or bodysuit looks fresh with straight or wide jeans and clean sneakers, and the same piece looks like an old photo with heavily ripped skinnies.
7. Striped Sneakers With Black Leggings
Leggings with three-stripe sneakers and a big sweatshirt was the 2016 errands outfit, and it never really left the airport. The photo is cropped at the shoulders, showing black three-stripe sneakers with white socks, black leggings, an oversized gray sweatshirt and a black belt bag worn across the body, next to a gray car.
Low, slim sneakers are what make it look like now, and my Adidas Samba outfit ideas go further with that exact shoe.
8. Bodysuit With Ripped-Knee Jeans
A black bodysuit gives you the smooth tuck a tee never quite manages, which is why it was the going-out top of 2016. She’s wearing a square-neck long-sleeve one with a black belt and light-wash jeans ripped at both knees, plus black ankle boots, a thin pendant and a burgundy bag, in front of a dark wooden door.
Two clean knee rips like these look fine today. Shredded thighs are where it tips into costume.
9. Plaid Shirt Tied at the Waist
A flannel tied around your waist is the soft-grunge side of 2016, and it’s also just a handy place to keep a layer. In this one she’s sitting on a low garden wall in a white ribbed tank, light-wash jeans and black heeled ankle boots, with a plum plaid shirt knotted at her hips and a black tote beside her.
If the knot feels too literal, wear the shirt open over the tank. Same mood, less 2016 Tumblr.
Read more: Dark wash jeans outfit ideas that look polished
10. Cold Shoulder Top With Black Trousers
The cold shoulder top is the riskiest piece on this list (I never fully warmed up to it, if I’m being picky), so give it the most serious partner you’ve got. Here it’s a burgundy knit with the shoulders cut out, tucked into slim black cropped trousers with a black belt, black pointed flats and a black shoulder bag.
Burgundy and black keep it quiet enough for dinner or the office, and a bodycon skirt would date it in a second.
11. Mauve Sweater Dress With Knee-High Boots
Mauve was basically the official color of 2016, and a mauve sweater dress with tall boots is the coziest way to bring it back. This hallway mirror selfie shows a ribbed mauve knit dress that stops above the knee, cinched with a thin black belt, with black knee-high boots and a black handbag.
Short dress plus tall boots means the boots carry the warmth, so check the fit at the calf before anything else. My knee high boots outfit ideas cover heel heights and shaft fit.
12. Cropped Hoodie With High-Rise Jeans
Athleisure peaked around 2016, and a cropped hoodie over high-rise jeans is the part of it that aged best. She’s in a light blue boxy hoodie that ends at the waistband, high-rise light-wash straight jeans, white sneakers and a cream canvas tote on her shoulder, in a bright bedroom.
Which 2016 Inspired Outfits Are Easiest to Wear Now?
The easiest ones are the layered looks: a slip dress over a tee, a camel coat over black, a denim jacket over a knit dress. They were popular in 2016, but nothing about them screams the year, so they work any week.
13. Slip Dress Over a Baby Tee
A slip dress over a tee was 2016’s version of the 90s, and it’s still the best way to wear satin before dinner time. This is a black satin midi slip over a fitted white baby tee, with white socks and chunky black loafers, standing in a stone doorway.
Loafers and socks are the 2026 touch. Ankle boots would turn it straight back into a 2016 Tumblr post.
14. Camel Coat With a Black Turtleneck and Skinny Jeans
Camel over all black is the 2016 outfit nobody ever stopped wearing, so you can’t really get it wrong. Her long camel coat hangs open on top of a black turtleneck, black skinny jeans and black ankle boots, with a burgundy crossbody and sunglasses, on a sunny street with bare trees.
If you’ve lived through as many dark Finnish Novembers as I have, this is the outfit you wear on repeat until March anyway.
Read more: Trench coat outfit ideas and what to wear under one
15. Graphic Sweatshirt With Faux Leather Leggings
Faux leather leggings were a night-out piece in 2016, and a big graphic sweatshirt is what makes them work at 11 a.m. She’s taking an elevator mirror selfie in a cream sweatshirt with an abstract brown and black print, shiny black faux leather leggings, chunky black boots and a small black crossbody.
Get leggings with a thick waistband that don’t go see-through when you bend. That’s the whole tip.
16. Denim Jacket With a Bodycon Midi Dress
A ribbed bodycon midi with a denim jacket was the weekend formula of 2016, and white sneakers keep it daytime-friendly, which is the only way I’d wear bodycon before 6 p.m. Here the dress is charcoal gray, the jacket is light-wash and worn open, and she’s carrying a canvas tote with black handles by a black front door.
17. Olive Utility Jacket With a Striped Tee
The utility jacket was the most useful layer of 2016, with more shape than a cardigan and less fuss than a blazer. She’s wearing it open over a black and white striped tee with a brown belt, medium-wash straight jeans, tan suede ankle boots and a cream tote, coffee in hand.
Push the sleeves up and keep the tee fitted, since all those pockets already add bulk.
18. Blush Bomber With a Gray Tee and Black Jeans
Blush was the softer half of Pantone’s 2016 color pair, and a blush bomber is the cutest way to wear it now. This one is satin with ribbed cuffs, over a plain gray tee and black straight jeans, with white sneakers and a small white bag, next to an outdoor cafe table.
Gray and black stop the pink from going sweet. It’s a good first bomber if olive feels too safe.
What Should You Wear to a 2016 Themed Party?
For a 2016 themed party or a 2016 Day, wear skinny jeans with knee rips, a bodysuit or off-shoulder top, a black choker, a bomber and ankle boots, then add one prop like a flat-brim cap. Turn every dial up, because nobody comes to a throwback party to look subtle.
These are the quickest swaps between the two versions:
- Jeans: ripped black or blue skinnies for the party, straight or wide-leg for every day.
- Shoes: black ankle boots or over-the-knee boots for the party, white sneakers or loafers for every day.
- Neck: a stretchy tattoo choker for the party, a thin velvet or ribbon one for every day.
- Layer: a satin bomber or a long duster for both, because those never really left.
- Makeup and hair: matte lip and sharp brows for the party, your normal routine for every day.
Why Is 2016 Fashion Trending Again?
2016 fashion is trending because of the roughly ten-year nostalgia cycle and a social media trend called “2026 is the new 2016”, which took off on TikTok in late December 2025 and spread at the start of 2026.
People started posting their 2016 photos, filters and playlists, and the clothes came along for the ride. The bonus is that a lot of 2016 pieces are probably still in your closet or at the back of a secondhand rail, so this is a cheap trend to try.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was trendy to wear in 2016?
Chokers, bomber jackets, bodysuits, off-shoulder and lace-up tops, suede mini skirts, duster coats and ripped skinny jeans were the big pieces of 2016. They were usually worn with black ankle boots or white sneakers.
How do you dress like it is 2016?
Pick one signature piece, like a choker or a bomber, and wear it with skinny jeans and ankle boots. For a more modern version, keep the piece and change the jeans to a straight or wide leg.
What colors were popular in 2016?
Mauve, blush, olive, gray, camel and burgundy were everywhere in 2016. Pantone even picked two colors that year, Rose Quartz and Serenity, a soft pink and a pale blue.
Are chokers still in style?
Thin chokers in velvet, ribbon or slim leather still look good with simple necklines like a white tee or a tank. The stretchy tattoo choker looks like a party prop now, so save it for a throwback night.
Can you still wear skinny jeans with 2016 inspired outfits?
Yes, and black skinny jeans look best under something long, like the duster in look 5 or the camel coat in look 14. Pick a clean pair without big rips so the outfit does not tip into fancy dress.
Key Takeaways
- Every 2016 inspired outfit can go two ways: full throwback for a party, or one era piece for every day.
- Bombers, camel coats and slip dresses over tees are the 2016 pieces that look the least dated.
- Straight or wide jeans and clean sneakers or loafers are the fastest way to make a 2016 look current.
- Mauve, blush, olive, camel and gray keep outfits true to the year.
- Save stretchy tattoo chokers and shredded skinnies for a 2016 Day or a theme night.
Start With a Bomber and Work Back to 2016
If you only do one thing, get a bomber, because it covers looks 2 and 18, goes over almost anything you already own and is the least dated of all these 2016 inspired outfits. Wear it with straight jeans and sneakers on Monday, then pull it out again with ripped skinnies and a choker if someone throws a 2016 party, and for the cozy end of that era my Ugg outfit ideas pick up where the duster coat leaves off.
Last update on 2026-10-07 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API