The top fashion and beauty trends of 2025
From the humble cow print to officecore, we take a look at the colours and treatments that defined the year
This year was one of matcha lattes, Labubus and Dubai chocolate-flavoured everything. But 2025 also saw the sad return of dangerously skinny celebrities and pilates princess-core. That’s on top of the rise of AI slop — low-quality content flooding the internet which not only distorts our already fractured reality, but looks hideous to boot.
Here we look back on the biggest fashion and beauty trends before we prepare for what’s to come in 2026.
Food-hued fashion
In some strange contrast to the huge rise in weight-loss injections, it seems we’ve taken to wearing our meals instead — or at least the colours that remind us of food. Chocolate brown, butter yellow and pistachio green were everywhere in 2025 as palettes turned towards rich and earthy neutrals. The trend even dominated the year’s hair colours: mocha mousse, cherry cola, apricot auburn and buttery blonde were all on the metaphorical menu, even if actual food wasn’t.
Elevated athleisure
Yoga pants are out. Tracksuits are in. Pilates soared in popularity this year, but 2025’s exercise-girly was less Lululemon and more Wales Bonner. Celebrities such as Tracee Ellis Ross balanced oversized white joggers and Asics trainers with a Loewe bag and sleek black blazer, while Emily Ratajkowski combined a pair of massive low-slung basketball shorts with a pair of raffia ballet flats. The idea is combining comfort with style (something I can get behind) and contrasting high-low fashion. It’s a look that comes with a risk of appearing like you have an exercise class at 11am and a job interview at 2pm.
Cow print
Fashion’s love of animal print shows no signs of slowing down, and while 2024 was ruled by the exotic leopard, 2025 belonged to the humble cow. The subtle brown tones complement the trend for chocolate and coffee-coloured neutrals, and its popularity is a natural progression from last year’s cowboy trend. Talia Byre, Dior, Bottega Veneta and Gestuz all sent cow-print coats down the runway in their autumn/winter 24 and spring/summer 25 collections, and sportswear giant Adidas featured the print on everything from its timeless Sambas to a satin track top. As Doja Cat once famously said: “Moo.”
Officecore
Unemployment in the UK may be at its highest level in four years, but that hasn’t stopped us from dressing for the high-paying, low-effort office job of our dreams. Prada, Tory Burch, and Luar are just some of the designer brands to send models down the runway in corporate looks with a sexy twist: think skinny glasses, sheer knee-high socks, loafers, suits and a palette of greys and browns. On-the-ground reports from the world of nightlife tell me that Gen Z are also bringing back one of the worst millennial trends of all: wearing business casual to the club.
Skin barrier health
Protecting and boosting the skin barrier — the uppermost layer of your skin — was 2025’s biggest skincare trend, reflecting a shift in focus from corrective to preventative care. Consumers switched from complicated 12-step routines to multi-purpose, ingredient-based products that target multiple concerns, such as Byoma’s foaming rice deep cleanser and the TikTok hit hydrating milky toner. Tying into the “skinimalism” trend, the priority here is healthy skin, natural beauty and doing more with less.
Glass hair
Following the glow-maxing, ingredient-based approach to skincare that gave us “glass skin” is glass hair — essentially, super shiny hair from the root to the ends that requires a routine that both cleanses and nourishes. Start with a pre-shampoo detangler before washing with a gloss-boosting shampoo such as Gisou’s honey gloss range. Finish off with conditioner and a shine treatment. For best mirror-like results this trend needs heat: protect hair and lock-in shine with Color Wow’s humidity-proofing Glass Hair duo. As is often the case with viral trends, we can thank TikTok for its popularity.
Korean beauty
Die-hard skincare aficionados have been singing the praises of Korean beauty brands for years, often stocking up on their favourite products via international hauls or visits to Asia. Korean brands have soared in popularity as they’ve become more widely available in the UK. Haruharu wonder, Laneige, Beauty of Joseon, Biodance, Dr.Jart+ and Anua are now all stocked at Boots and, as an added bonus, are more likely to be BDS-friendly too. Try haruharu wonder’s black rice probiotics barrier essence for skin nourishment and hydration, Beauty of Joseon’s glow serum to minimise pores, and COSRX acne pimple patches for breakouts.
Mood-boosting scents
Rather than finding and sticking to a signature scent, Gen Z are turning to perfume for its apparent mood-boosting properties. Modern perfumier Phlur creates scents inspired by memories and feelings, Vyrao uses organic, natural ingredients for its specific emotional qualities and “energetic vibrations”, and Maison Margiela’s Replica memory box features fragrances inspired by a familiar scent or location, designed to evoke nostalgia. Why not change the way you smell to match your mood?
