Outdated Trends You Won't Want To Be Caught Dead In During Winter 2024/2025

Now that we're in our very demure, very mindful era, it's time to say goodbye to some of the flashier, more rugged trends that have characterized fashion in recent years. Raw utility is out as shoppers are gravitating toward looks that make strong statements in soft ways. So goodbye to heavy-soled boots, bulky shapes, and uncomfortably short skirts. The new year of fashion trends is getting a major glow up in simplicity and elegance. Need proof? Just consider Pantone's 2025 Color of the Year: a neutral lover's dream.

As nostalgia for 90s minimalism and 2000s hyper-femininity reaches a crescendo, trends are moving toward minimal, body-conscious shapes. Expect a return to more delicate footwear and flippier skirts, as well as tailored shapes and subtle but refined detailing. Softness is key, which is why brown is the color trend we're seeing everywhere, instead of harsher blacks and grays. Overall, shoppers making their 2025 fashion resolutions can anticipate a general trend toward a more refined, feminine, and polished aesthetic in everything from shoes to handbags to makeup trends. Plus, Brian Lim, founder of the clothing brand iHeartRaves, weighs in on the looks you can kiss goodbye, along with the styling he expects to ring in with the new year.

Though bulky sneakers have dominated street style for the last decade, it's time to look for something a bit more polished, according to Brian Lim. "The over-sized 'Dad sneaker' seems to be on its way out," he exclusively tells Women.com. "In winter 2025, sleek and functional pieces like hybrid sneaker boots or leather ankle boots will take over, offering more streamlined styles."

The knee-high boot still has a chokehold on fall and winter fashion, and the bulky but beloved brand Uggs is primed for a comeback. Both offer a dressier alternative to 2024 sneaker trends without sacrificing comfort or walkability. The end of the dad sneakers trend tracks with a broader move toward more polished and feminine styling that is central to the incoming 2025 aesthetic.

Hemlines have crept up in recent years with mini skirts dominating high fashion and streetwear trends. But, as looks get more classic and feminine, expect an uptick in flowy midi- and maxi-length skirts, which tend to be more wearable.

YouTube style expert Marie-Anne Lecoeur, the French-Chic expert, recommends the flirty elegance of longer pleated styles — perhaps in a cheeky tartan pattern.  A detail like the pleating or patterns can give outfits a playful touch while still friendly to anyone who has felt intimidated by the micro-lengths of current trends. Longer hemlines aligns with the broader shift toward "quiet luxury," which emphasizes understated elegance over flashy, revealing styles. Plus, we've never met a skirt and boots combo we didn't love for winter.

Faux fur has been everywhere in recent years. It's thanks, in part, to a resurgence of bohemian styles as fashion gets nostalgic for the 1970s (or the 2000s Y2K redux of hippie styles). But Brian Lim suggests steering away from faux fur details when shopping for a winter coat —or, well, anything — this year.

"With a rise in minimalistic fashion, the drastic, over-the-top look of the faux fur coats is a bit out of fashion," explains Lim. Instead, he recommends more classic styles, like "sheepskin lined jackets and wool blend coats, which are warm and practical and go with most outfits." Bonus: What these more minimal coats sacrifice in statement, they make up for as a sustainable, more eco-friendly alternative to faux fur.

For the last decade, bulky puffer coats have been popular in winter, particularly as a streetwear trend. But the puffer may be wearing out its welcome. "As fashion trends shift towards more detailed and nuanced shapes, these baggy styles are starting to feel out of place," Brian Lim exclusively tells Women.com. "They tend to dwarf the body."

Instead, he suggests a more tailored look, which is going to look fresh against the sea of puffy parkas. "Expect winter styles for 2025 to be made of a more structured touch: neat, tailored woolen coats, trench coats with belts, and coats that feature an architectural look while still providing thermal benefits," he says. In other words, you don't need to sacrifice warmth to look on trend. A quick update will keep you cozy and chic.

Say goodbye to your cargo pants and heavy motorcycle boots. In recent years, style has prominently featured heavy-duty utilitarian styles that could be equally at home in an auto mechanic shop or on the runway. But in 2025, fashion is moving in a more sophisticated direction, privileging feminine shapes and textures over the tough looks of recent months.

Not sure where to start? Trade your lug-sole boots from a narrow, high-shaft boot with a kitten heel in a supple leather. Swap your chunky heels for stilettos or sleek ballet flats. Or give your distressed biker jacket a rest while you spend some time getting to know a supple lambskin leather jacket. Where you once were tough, look for opportunities to soften, swapping in delicate jewelry and slim belts to replace more rugged, functional styles.