The Worst Style Moments of 2024
We regret to remind you, but we had to.
While we had a fair share of good style moments this year, there were just as many regrettable ones. From shake-ups at luxury houses and big-time e-comm platforms to the sale of two of streetwear’s most representative brands, the fashion industry went through a lot of turbulence. In the sports and entertainment spaces, athletes and musicians flopped in their style choices too. Lil Yachty had an internet beef against New York, Balenciaga delivered one of its most underwhelming collabs to date, and a rich CEO gave us a “glow up” we never wanted to see. Here’s our recap of the worst style moments of 2024—but we warned you.
Supreme & Off-White Sale
In mid-July, Supreme announced its sale from VF Corp to ElissorLuxottica after only four years with VF. Many fans deemed ElissorLuxottica to be a random new owner for Supreme—to say the least—given the French-Italian eyewear conglomerate’s total irrelevance in the apparel industry, let alone streetwear. Comments online ridiculed Supreme’s impending future at LensCrafters and Sunglass Hut.
As if that wasn’t enough of a shock for streetwear fans, less than three months later, LVMH announced its sale of Off-White on the day of Virgil Abloh’s would-be 44th birthday. Off-White’s new owner is now Bluestar Alliance, a New York-based brand management company that also owns Bebe and Limited Too.
Come 2025, it will be interesting to see how the future pans out for both Supreme and Off-White. –YJ Lee
Lil Yachty vs. New York City
A comment on a July episode of Lil Yachty’s A Safe Place podcast had the five NY boroughs coming at him over the summer. Boat said, “I don’t think there’s shit goin’ on when it comes to New York fashion,” and social media began to call him out for being hypocritical, noting that his current style is largely inspired by New York City in the 2000s. On TikTok, Yachty eventually addressed the comments and said he would never disrespect New York, but that his hometown of Atlanta had the most cultural influence right now, which only fueled more regional debates. Juelz Santana, ASAP Nast, and other notable New Yorkers weighed in before Yachty took to IG Live with Bloody Osiris to put the spat to rest for good. “I couldn’t go on and not make it right because I care too much about fashion,” he said. Looking back on the whole thing months later, it all feels pretty silly. It was a misunderstanding blown out of proportion—but that’s the internet for you. –Mike DeStefano
Balenciaga x Under Armour Spring 2025 Collab
When Balenciaga unveiled an Under Armour collaboration during its Spring 2025 runway in Shanghai, we were not thrilled about it. The collaboration aimed to blend high fashion with sportswear, but was underwhelming and overpriced. With hoodies priced at $1,450 and sweatpants at $1,290, many viewed them as exorbitant for items that essentially slapped a small Balenciaga logo on standard athletic apparel. The collaboration lacked a clear target audience and felt more like a gimmick than a thoughtful fusion of brands. –Shinnie Park
Zuck Glow Up
Not too much to say about this, just regret that I had to rewatch Mark Zuckerberg’s AI reel to write about his “glow up.” The Meta CEO has been on one this year, rocking gold chains and “streetwear”—isn’t 40 a bit early for a mid-life crisis? If you want to be reminded of how cringe his style is, check the video above where he asks Meta AI to “imagine him as a streetwear designer in LA.” –YJ Lee
Creative Director Swaps
The fashion industry in 2024 felt like a revolving door for creative directors, with announcements of exits and replacements dominating headlines. In a move that stunned the industry, Hedi Slimane left Celine after seven years of reshaping the brand’s identity. The shock was barely processed before Celine announced Michael Rider, a Phoebe Philo-era alum, as its new creative director on the same day. Talk about whiplash.Chanel also joined in the swap movement, letting go of Virginie Viard after five years at the helm and decades with the house. Meanwhile, Peter Do’s stint at Helmut Lang ended after less than two years, signaling that the brand’s anticipated revival didn’t quite land the way fans or critics had hoped.
These back-to-back changes reveal just how intense the pressure is for creative directors to deliver instant results at big brands. Chanel and Helmut Lang’s months-long vacancies also highlight the growing challenge of finding talent that can honor tradition while being innovative and relevant at the same time. We hope to hear some good news for these luxury houses in 2025. –Shinnie Park
Usher’s Puffer Hat
Usher has made the Atlanta Braves fitted a signature piece of his wardrobe for decades. For some reason, he decided to leave it on the shelf in favor of this ridiculousness for an appearance at the Posted on the Corner radio show in ATL. This puffer coat/snapback hybrid, courtesy of Mihara Yasuhiro, is a Frankenstein experiment that nobody asked for. If you want to keep your head warm, just buy a beanie. X user @nellychillin said it best: This is a “2024 First Team All Nasty Fit.” –Mike DeStefano
LaMelo Ball’s Back Tattoo
While we can appreciate the skill and time it took to complete LaMelo Ball’s back tattoo, we still can’t help but question it. It’s easily one of the most insane tats we’ve seen—not just in 2024, but of all time. Where do you even begin with this one? There’s the giant dripping “Rare” across his shoulders, and “One” in Old English font right underneath it. Then you have the random alien head at the center of his back. Gothic crosses that may or may not be a nod to Chrome Hearts cover both elbows. Photos of this were all over social media and got very mixed reviews. We have to admit though, the ink is pretty fitting for Ball—it matches his erratic playstyle perfectly. –Mike DeStefano
Fall of Large E-Comm
The luxury e-commerce world is in freefall, with Farfetch and Yoox Net-a-Porter (YNAP) struggling to stay afloat. MatchesFashion, once a go-to online retailer for high-end fashion, went under this year, abruptly shutting down. Farfetch followed suit with its own dramatic downturn—shares dropped 90% in just two years before Korea’s Amazon-equivalent e-comm company Coupang swooped in with an acquisition. Meanwhile, YNAP is stagnating under Richemont, and was recently acquired by MyTheresa.
The collapse of these platforms speaks to deeper issues plaguing luxury e-commerce. Oversaturation and heavy discounting have eroded their value, while the rise of direct-to-consumer shopping post-Covid has cut out the middleman. Convenience and exclusivity, which was once their strength, is no longer unique to them amidst increased competition.
This marks the end of an era for many luxury e-tailers, forcing the industry to rethink its future. The question now is whether these platforms can innovate and remain relevant, or if we’re witnessing the final chapter of big online fashion retail. –Shinnie Park
