2010s Fashion: Top Styles, Designers And Clothing Trends

Skinny jeans, athleisure, beards and the first decade dressed largely for a camera.

Below: the clothes, the hairstyles and the accessories of the 2010s, then the fastest way to put together a costume if you are going to a themed night.

Useful for a decade party, a school project, a reminiscence session or working out what someone wore when they were young.

Years covered in the 2010s

• 2010 - A hung parliament, a volcano that stopped the planes and the first iPad. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2010
• 2011 - The royal wedding, the riots and Adele's 21. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2011
• 2012 - The Diamond Jubilee and the London Olympics in one extraordinary summer. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2012
• 2013 - A royal baby, Andy Murray at Wimbledon and the horsemeat scandal. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2013
• 2014 - The Scottish referendum, the ice bucket challenge and streaming joining the chart. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2014
• 2015 - The Queen's record reign, Leicester's title run beginning and Adele's return. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2015
• 2016 - Leicester won the league, Britain voted to leave and a lot of people died. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2016
• 2017 - Grenfell, the Manchester Arena attack and a snap election that went wrong. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2017
• 2018 - A royal wedding, a heatwave and England reaching a World Cup semi-final. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2018
• 2019 - A cricket World Cup final nobody could believe and a December election. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2019
• That is every 2010s year we have written up so far: 2010 to 2019.

What people wore in the 2010s

• Skinny jeans for most of the decade, on everyone.
• Athleisure: leggings, hoodies and trainers as normal daywear.
• Normcore and plain basics in the middle of the decade.
• Peplum tops, statement necklaces and bodycon dresses early on.
• Dad trainers and oversized fits returning at the end.

Hairstyles

• Ombre and balayage colour, dark roots left showing on purpose.
• Man buns, undercuts and carefully kept beards.
• Beach waves, done with a wand rather than a set.
• Pastel dyed hair, briefly, around 2014-16.

Accessories and finishing touches

• Statement necklaces early, dainty layered chains later.
• Fitness trackers and smart watches.
• Ankle boots, white trainers and slogan tote bags.
• Backpacks back in fashion for adults.
• Big brows - the shape everyone was doing by 2015.

Designers and labels of the 2010s

• Phoebe Philo at Celine, defining a decade of quiet, expensive minimalism.
• Demna at Vetements and then Balenciaga, and the oversized silhouette.
• Virgil Abloh, Off-White and then Louis Vuitton menswear in 2018.
• Alessandro Michele's maximalist Gucci from 2015.
• Stella McCartney pushing sustainable materials into luxury.
• Boohoo, Missguided and the rise of ultra-fast fashion online.

Dressing up as the 2010s

• Skinny jeans, ankle boots, a statement necklace and beach waves.
• Athleisure counts if you commit to it fully.
• For men: undercut, beard, rolled-up chinos.

Where to find the clothes

• Charity shops first - the later decades turn up constantly and cost almost nothing.
• Your own loft or a relative's wardrobe beats any fancy dress shop for authenticity.
• Buy the accessories new and the clothes second-hand; the accessories are what people recognise.
• Fancy dress versions of an era are usually a cartoon of it - one real garment looks better than a whole costume.

Shop cards

How to write it so it lands

• Photographs date an outfit faster than anything - look at family albums from the era before you shop.
• Hair and accessories carry a decade better than the clothes do.
• Pair this with the 2010s playlist for a themed night that hangs together.

Where to shop next

• Look back to 2010
• Look back to 2011
• Look back to 2012
• Look back to 2013
• Look back to 2014
• Look back to 2015
• Look back to 2016
• Look back to 2017
• Look back to 2018
• Look back to 2019
• 2010s books, films and TV
• 2010s calendar: year by year
• 2010s trivia: fun facts
• The 2010s: the whole decade
• 2010s party playlist
• Phone party games
• How to run a quiz night
• Decade music round questions
• Guess the year quiz
• Decade history: key events, politics and culture by era
• Decade books: best novels, authors and reading trends
• Decade fashion: clothes, hair and accessories by era
• Decade guides: books, films and TV by era
• Decade calendar: every year from 1920
• Decade trivia: fun facts by era
• Nostalgia gift shop
• Retro party supplies
• Decade-themed birthday parties
• Milestone birthday cards
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• Funny Father's Day cards
• Wedding cards
• Wedding cards guide
• Pin badges
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

What did people wear in the 2010s?

Skinny jeans for most of the decade, on everyone. The full list above covers the everyday clothes as well as the going-out ones, because the two were rarely the same.

What was the 2010s hairstyle?

Ombre and balayage colour, dark roots left showing on purpose. The other styles above ran alongside it - no decade had only one haircut.

Who were the big fashion designers of the 2010s?

Phoebe Philo at Celine, defining a decade of quiet, expensive minimalism. The designers section above lists the rest of the names and labels that set the decade's styles.

How do I dress up as the 2010s for a party?

Pick one silhouette and one accessory that everyone recognises, and stop there. The dressing-up section above gives the shortcuts for this era.

Do you sell clothes?

No. We make greeting cards, art prints and pin badges in the UK. This page is free to read and free to copy.