This year I really had no plan whatsoever for my style. I realize that this may sound random to you either way — the fact that I plan out my style for the year OR the fact that I didn’t have a plan whatsoever, even though I am a — you know a full-time style blogger. But the truth is by mid-January, I usually do have a plan for where I’m going with my style and content if not each year, at least each season. This year I pretty much just went where my thoughts or Pinterest board took me. I tried to stay as true to myself as I could, even though it can be very tempting to chase every trend rather I like them or not. (Still looking at you neck scarves…do I like them? I can’t tell.) But as I’ve learned over the last 16 years style blogging, I tend to move on from trends really quickly and then I’m left scratching my head at what really is my style. So I tried to stay true to my favorite silhouettes and build an outfit from there. This is one of those years that I look back on with warm feelings and joy and I feel like my outfits reflected the year that I had. So I thought it would be fun to kind of ‘review’ my blog this past year and see what changed and what stayed the same!
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As I was looking through my outfit posts this year, I did a quick analysis of the data points I saw. I had 191 posts and really picked up the steam this year, starting in June. I noticed that I leaned more to budget friendly styles (even giving Amazon a try again) with many of my hero pieces under $100. For 9 of the 12 months, I used the rental service Nuuly to boost my existing wardrobe (which lead to my new found love of the Collette Pants) and I pretty much stuck to flats only. A few heels here or there, but sneakers and flats ruled my wardrobe. I also noticed a very interesting theme throughout this year: maxi dresses. From winter to spring to summer and even in autumn, I found a lot of comfort in the maxi dress this year. (You’ll see below!)
The other thing I noticed this year was that I played a lot more with color and pattern! Now was this every post? No, I still love my neutrals. But when I found a stand out hue or bold stripe or pattern, I noticed that it ended up making the happiest little outfit. When looking through my list below, my favorite outfits are either bold and colorful or fully minimalist. Style is a spectrum after all and I criss-crossed that spectrum all year long.
I noticed that also branched out with retailers. Zara returned in full force in spring / summer and kind of tapered off towards the end of the year. Nordstrom held steady but I found myself looking at the under $100 tab a lot more and going there exclusively for shoes. For the first half of the year I went to Madewell for denim and then the last half of the year I found some killer denim at Gap. Speaking of Gap, I found a new respect for the Gap and have been loving their denim and basics this year.
My top retailer this year was Quince and I will be honest — it has taken over my closet. Most of my sweaters are Quince and I don’t regret that one bit. They have the best sweaters after all! And it was one of your favorite retailers, too. No surprise that Nordstrom, J.Crew and Madewell were next in line for favorites along with Zara, Amazon and Clare V. (This crossbody is why!) It looks like we were all on the same budget wavelength this year.
Also we have to talk about The Hair this year. 2025 was a year of hair changes; I started out with mid-length, got long hair extensions for the first half of the year then chopped it all off in June. I’ve kept it this length for the rest of the year but now I’m itching again for a change in 2026. The one thing that stayed the same? No bangs and always a slick back bun when needed.
Besides my Nuuly posts, another reader favorite have been my What I Wore Last Week-ish posts! I’ve become very consistent with these and I’m so glad you guys like it. Selfishly it’s helped keep me dressed and accountable, plus it gives me content when B and I can’t get out and shoot outfits like we used to. (He’s back in the office full time so we have to find time on the weekends now!) Although I still love a nice outfit photo and it’s still so fun for me and B to do. There’s a happy nostalgia when we shoot photos downtown still.
Next year I will be excited to continue the WIWLW-ish posts, but I think I’ll move on from my Nuuly posts. I’m still on the fence for my January delivery, do I keep or do I pass? I suppose I’ll let you know either way. I’m excited to see what I come up with next because Lord knows I don’t know right now. December 30th is for couch and movies, not for creative ideas.
Another thing I noticed this year was my repeat of favorite bags. My Clare V. crossbody I’ve had since 2022 ended up being a top seller (I know why!) and I hung on to a few favorite Madewell bags I wore over and over again this year. I was gifted quite a few bags from Quince and a few from J.Crew, but the only purse purchase I made this year was this giant suede tote from Zara. 10/10, no regrets. But I’ve realized that I can slow it down on purses and stick to my favorites. Quince, Madewell, Clare V. all have such solid quality I don’t need a new bag every time I turn around. I do love a seasonal bag though, especially a rafia or woven tote via J.Crew for spring / summer. But besides the summer, I kept to the same leather bags all year round.
Oh and another little change this year? Big earrings! I took to big earrings this year and that’s not going to stop as I just got another pair for Christmas. Also, I would like to have this on record: I did not lose one earring this year. That I know of.
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As always, thank you for being here and for following along with me. It’s funny, I started Kendi Everyday in 2009 with the goal of finding my personal style and I’m here to tell you that although I’ve come a long way since 2009, I’m still finding my style. I look for myself in the trends and the style noise and try my best to give you guys my best finds and recommendations I can. That’s what friends do, after all.
Also, this exercise is fun to do for yourself. I know you may not have a whole online photographic catalog of your outfits (or maybe you do!) and affiliate link data, but you probably have a few selfies and a whole closet where you can see what you really loved this year, what you didn’t and perhaps what you outgrew. Give yourself a little style review, it’s helpful to see what you really love.
Let’s get to my favorite 20 outfits of the year! ( And I chose 20 because that’s the amount instagram allows on a carousel ;))
I love the color of this sweater and these jeans were some of my favorite finds this year at J.Crew. While this sweater is sold out, but just as I suspected this green-ish yellow color has been big this year and I expect will be into the 2026. Weird colors for the win!
This dress was a favorite find from Zara back in February. Wore it so many times, offline as well, it’s just a nice loose fit and I love the maxi with boots look. I think this was the beginning of the maxi dress obsession this year, actually!
These barrel jeans are my favorite barrel jeans that have ever barrel’d. They’re the Madewell one and the only complaint I have is the slight crop on me, but other than that 10/10 recommend if you’re into this cut. Also 2025 was the year I learned how to spell ‘barrel’ correctly.
I wore this in sunny Vegas for a quick trip this spring! These pants were some of my favorites from a Nuuly order and they were perfect pool side. Just another fun example of the bold patterns that brightened up my basics this year.
The hair change! The extensions are in full force here and I’ll be honest — I kinda miss them. (my scalp and stylist says no, please, god no.) What if I get clip-ins instead? Wait, this is my inside voice talking…
Back to the style commentary, loved this outfit, loved these pants. Can’t wait to pull them back out in spring. Honestly, loved everything J.Crew spring. I think they truly fly in late spring / summer; their spring styles are superior. Also I can’t tell if I love or hate the ugly sunglass trend. 2026 will let you know.
This post has two of my favorite pieces — that eyelet tee from Madewell and the striped Collette Pants from Anthro. Well actually from Nuuly and I’m kicking myself for not keeping them! I sent them back and then they sold out online. Big regrets with this one. But overall loved this outfit and just felt cool while wearing it. Also the hair is HAIRING here.
This dress was one of my very favorites this summer! (And one of yours too! I think we sold it out!) I’ve never been a strapless kind of gal but this dress was so flattering and the smocking held up so well, I wore this hell out of this one. Here we were celebrating B’s birthday in Fredericksburg but I wore this dress whenever and wherever I could this summer. I can’t wait to pull it out again next year; a true classic in my book.
This whole photo was my vibe this summer: short hair, denim cut-offs, and a nice tan. Sometimes I see a photo and I want to go back to be her for a minute. I love this whole vibe and this shirt — this shirt had me in a chokehold. More of this please next year, Madewell. I feel like Madewell is best when they’re a bit quirky, let’s get quirky in 2026.
This maxi skirt (See another maxi!) was the biggest winner of 2025 for me. I wore and wore and wore this skirt. I’m wondering if this look / trend will come back next summer because it was such a look this year. I’m hoping so because any time I wore this skirt, it was a favorite look. This sweater was when I was dipping my top into Amazon again and I found a few tops to wear on my last-minute trip to NYC! This look got me a compliment from a New Yorker, so I felt it needed a place in this countdown.
Another day, another maxi. This dress was so damn comfortable this summer and anytime I wore it, it was just as simple as this. I feel like with an easy summer dress, you don’t need much and this one got so much wear out of it. Also the see through sandal trend was so divisive this year! I’m hoping they come back around next year because I loved it! Wildly enough, these cheap shoes were the most comfortable shoes I owned last summer.
I found this skirt from Mango — or rather this skirt found me. I have worn and worn and worn this skort. I swapped this skort out for my denim cut offs ; same vibe but nicer.
This was one of my most popular posts this year! I love this maxi dress from Zara, so I get it. Once again, another maxi! I told you it was a recurring theme this year and honestly I wouldn’t have realized this without looking back at all my posts. Will this theme be carried out into 2026? We will just have to wait and see…
This outfit is simple, admittedly but I love it. It’s so cool girl and honestly at this point I was dying for it to be fall. So this is a nice transition look for when you want a different season already. (Turns out we didn’t really get a fall this year, so I’m glad I didn’t hold my breath waiting for one.) This tee is one of my absolute favorites from Gap and I pulled out some past season trousers from Amazon for an Aritizia-like look.
These silk pants were all the rage this year and I have to be honest: it’s my favorite trend. I’m so hopeful they’ll stick around year after year because they’re such a nice piece. I got mine from Quince (but of course) and I’ve worn and worn them this fall / winter. A classy alternative to a midi skirt, I’ve found out. Love love love them!
This look was one of my all time favorites — there is just something so cool about this look. I bought this blazer on Thredup for a crazy good deal and I loved this color throughout the fall. Plus this pair of denim was all I could wear through November, they fit like a dream. (They’re on sale by the way!) This look is a 10 in my book.
I loved this jacket I found at Madewell this year. One of my favorites — I only wished it had been more fall-like this year because I wanted to wear it even more. I couldn’t believe how well it incorporated with this J.Crew mini skirt, too! Which is admittedly a bit too short for me, but the outfits been worn so whatcha gonna do about it, you know? 😉
This is Maxi count number 6, if you’re keeping track. And a favorite of mine. I guess this dress is kind of a midi length, but I’m counting in my maxi dress count. I loved how flattering this dress was / is! It’s not often that smocking works in a big busted girls favor, but whatever black magic this dress has I’m keeping it. I loved this all brown look and honestly this tipped off my chocolate brown obsession this fall….(see below)
I am still screaming about this outfit. One of my favorites this year! The matching of the shoes with the bag, the sweater with the pants. I love it all! And I just knew it when I put this outfit on, it was just one of those really good outfits that I would want to wear again and again. (The sweater is still in stock!)
You know those outfits that you just feel really good in? It was this one. I felt so pretty in this dress! This dress was gifted from this Columbian designer and all I can remember is that I just felt beautiful in it.
Last but definitely not least, (I love all my children the same) is this outfit. I will forever love Reformation, even if I can’t always purchased Reformation and this skirt reminded me of my love for their pieces. They have such a way to create a stand alone piece. Even though it’s just a simple slip skirt, I love the color and it paired just so beautifully with my very favorite (and top selling!) Quince sweater. 11/10 would wear this outfit again.
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That’s the year in review! I’ve got a few more posts coming this week but I do hope you’re having a good in-between the holidays week. Thanks for following along, friend 🙂
