Butter Yellow – 10/10

This trend – just like its namesake – is cute, cheerful and impossible to hate. The benefit of a color being a trend is that it’s so ubiquitous. You could make and buy butter yellow anything from clothing to accessories to shoes to nails to Owalas and even kitchen appliances. The color is charming, and it deserves all the hype it gets. It’s also quite timeless. Unlike other microtrends, we wouldn’t be mortified if our future kids saw us wearing a butter yellow dress nor would our parents wonder if we’re crazy when we wear butter yellow clothing. It’s more exciting than boring neutrals but not overwhelming or dated. There’s not a single criticism we could think of for this fantastic trend.

Quarter-zips – 9.5/10

The rise of the quarter-zip wearing, matcha sipping, period cramp-hating male took the internet by storm. But the quarter-zip has experienced a multitude of iterations over the course of its surprisingly long lifetime. Sure, you have the quarter-zip of a performative male, but on the opposite end of the spectrum there’s the Patagonia quarter-zip of the Goldman Sachs investment banker, and let’s not forget the movement of young black men wearing quarter-zips in an effort to counter societal prejudices about their demographic group. Quarter-zips have evolved from a trend into a quiet cultural icon and taken on a multitude of meanings that can only be understood in particular contexts. The only criticism of quarter-zips we can offer is that in certain contexts they can be read as a marker of the quasi-elite. But if you wear it right, you can avoid this distasteful label.

Birks and Socks – 7.3/10

Cool, comfy and the hallmark of student athletes, Birkenstocks paired with Nike Crew socks can be seen in the hallways of every American high school. While Birks are convenient and cozy, they require some getting used to. Although, we wouldn’t recommend wearing these outside of America. Also, you will probably cringe when you look back at photos, but for the time being they’re a solid footwear option. Also, Birkenstocks offer arch support and orthopedic benefits, a plus for all wearers.

Balletcore – 7/10

Ballet core is quite a mixed bag – it’s been done well (thank you, Puma Speedcat Ballet Sneakers) and it’s been done terribly (do better, Louboutin Cassia Lace Ups). This trending aesthetic can be seen in everything from the prevalence of pink to bows’ rise to prominence to the propagation of ballet flats. This trend is characterized by inspiration taken from the clothes worn by ballet dancers – as the name suggests – and seamlessly blends athleisure and cutesy-ness. While it’s not infrequent to see this trend done in poor taste (see-through wrap skirts can’t be styled into streetwear, we don’t care what you say), this aesthetic introduced a previously unknown and underrated aesthetic to the masses. While the inaccuracies (No, ballet shoes don’t lace all the way up your leg) which arise in converting ballet ware into clothing are painful for actual ballet dancers to see, when done right, this aesthetic is something even non-dancers can enjoy.

Old Money – 6.5/10

At first glance, this micro trend seems harmless – actually, its emphasis on high-quality, timeless pieces seems like the antithesis of the very concept of microtrends. However, it didn’t take long for the internet to turn this microtrend into a market for cheap, fast fashion imitations of “Old Money” clothing as consumers shifted away from quality brands like Ralph Lauren to Shein. On top of that, the aesthetics of this microtrend appear to have roots in colonial imagery, elitism, classism, and perhaps even white supremacy. Because this trend promotes and idealizes a group of elites who gained their power from the historical exploitation of others, typically justified by social darwinism, it is worth looking at this trend critically. This trend problematically normalizes inequality and defines one particular socioeconomic class as superior while simultaneously offering people the false promise of wealth if they align themselves with this trend behaviorally and aesthetically. Ultimately, the “Old Money” trend lost the only redeeming elements of the class it aimed to imitate and retained the worst characteristics. On the other hand, as an actual aesthetic it is usually visually appealing and has a sagacious emphasis on timelessness.

Clean girl – 6/10

The main issue with the “Clean Girl” trend is it characterizes a very narrow range of imagery as “clean” – which in turn begs the question of what is “dirty.” While at face value, the “Clean Girl” trend seems to promote healthy living, organization and a minimalist aesthetic, it becomes problematic when these aesthetics are framed as superior to other makeup, clothing, or lifestyles. Also, this trend leaves little room for interpretation and is rather formulaic. It doesn’t give people room to make this trend their own, instead demanding conformity to a particular ideal to accurately embody this trend. While this trend itself is fairly aesthetically pleasing, the rigidity of the ideals it promotes can become very problematic, very quickly.

Brat Summer – 5/10

Created by singer Charli XCX, brat summer is one trend among many anti-establishment, rebellion-coded trends throughout history (shoutout to the beatniks and hippies). When it first gained traction in 2024, the Brat Summer trend, known for grungy clothing, black eyeliners, hedonism and a bright lime-green color – a very obvious shift away from the clean girl trend – was refreshing to see. This trend even made headlines in the 2024 presidential election, confusing news anchors around the nation. Brat Summer itself is relatively unproblematic, minus its undertones of delinquency and rather bold signature green. The biggest problem we have with this trend is actually with the commercialization of Brat Summer, rather than the trend itself. Companies ranging from lighters to plant-based meat companies tried a little too hard to capitalize on this trend for their marketing strategy, ironically contradicting the message of Brat Summer by bringing it to the mainstream.