Happy New Year, everyone.
It's 2026.
Can you believe it?
I can't, to be honest.
I feel like it was just January 1st, 2025, literally yesterday, and now it's January 1st, 2026.
And, to be honest, it's making me really uncomfortable because I feel like every single year of my life is going by quicker than the last, and I don't like it.
And so we're not going to be digging into that today, because if we do, I think I'll have an existential crisis on camera, and I'm not in the mood for that.
That's not a cute way to start out 2026.
So instead let's discuss what I think is going to be in and what I think is going to be out in 2026.
And this list came to me sort of like a vision, a message from the universe.
This list was created in a sort of spiritual way.
And I can't really explain why these things came to me, but they did.
And I didn't question them.
Some of these things are more cultural, more societal, more universal.
And some of these things are more personal to me.
But all will make sense as I share the list.
So, without further ado, this is what I think is going to be in and what I think is going to be out in 2026, with a special bonus category of what I think we expect to be out but will continue to be in in 2026.
Things that we think we're sick of, we're not.
They're not going anywhere.
That's a bonus category this year.
So get excited.
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Now back to the episode.
Without further ado, let's begin with what I think is going to be in in 2026, starting with toe rings and chokers.
I don't know what it is about 2026, but I feel this playful, free spirited energy.
And I feel like we're going to be wearing chokers and I feel like we're going to be wearing toe rings.
There's something about a toe ring and something about a choker that just feels chill.
It's like chill jewelry.
You know, when you think of like super elegant super, put together jewelry, you think of a gorgeous charm necklace, dainty hoop earrings.
That stuff's pretty timeless.
I think that's always gonna be in.
If you think of elegant jewelry that's maybe a bit less timeless, a bit more trendy, you might think of big statement gold chunky necklaces and big statement gold earrings.
I feel like everyone just wants to relax this year and have a little bit of fun.
And there's a connection between that energy and chokers and toe rings.
Like imagine...
Going to a coffee shop on a Saturday afternoon and seeing a girl in line with a choker on a cute little tank top, maybe a cute little skirt, some flip flops and a little toe ring.
Like, can't you just see that in 2026?
It's cute.
It's fashionable.
But not taking... fashion too seriously.
There's a lightheartedness about it.
Perhaps I feel this because chokers and toe rings I feel like we're really in the 2010s and perhaps the 2010s are back.
So maybe that's why I feel this coming.
Chokers and toe rings.
Sorry, I said it.
To be honest, I want a toe ring and I think I'm going to get one.
Can you just like leave a toe ring on?
I think you can just leave it on.
Like I don't think you have to take it off to shower or anything.
I might order a toe ring.
Yep.
Because I feel it coming back.
And I think they're really cute, to be honest.
Wait, maybe anklets too.
Are anklets back too?
Should I add that?
Maybe anklets too.
Okay.
Casual, lighthearted jewelry.
Next, bands.
I'm not talking about like silly bands.
Remember those?
I'm not talking about rubber bands.
I'm talking about musical bands.
Think the Beatles.
Think ABBA, the Backstreet Boys, the Spice Girls.
I don't know.
Is that even... Think... bands, musical groups are in 2026.
I feel like the last few years it's really been all about the solo artist, like the solo pop star, even the solo indie artist, to be honest.
And I think bands are going to make a comeback this year.
Musical groups, a bunch of talented people who come together to make something better than they could all make as individuals.
This feels into me.
There's something really romantic about a band, you know?
Like there's something really cool about this idea of like a group of friends that all make music together and they all get on stage and they perform together and you and your friends can all be a fan of this band and all have your favorite band member that you have a crush on.
Like I feel like that energy is back.
I feel like having band posters online on the wall is back.
Even if you're like not a teenager anymore.
I know that's kind of like a teenager thing, having band posters on the wall.
Fuck it.
I think that's back.
I think being 30 and saying, you know what?
I love this band.
I'm putting a band poster of this band on my wall.
I feel like that's back.
I feel like... band culture is back and I'm excited about it.
Even though it's a concept that goes back many years, there's not that many bands anymore.
And so the thought of like bands starting to pop up, it just feels exciting.
And that's not to say that there haven't been bands over the last few years, but it hasn't been the popular type of musical output.
I feel like it's just been a Next, it's in to have a non-stereotypical personality.
Okay, let me give you some examples because this doesn't make any sense unless I give examples.
Someone being goth like, dressing goth doing goth makeup, wearing goth clothes, but then also being a gym rat.
Okay, let me give you another example.
Someone being a Pilates princess eating chia seed pudding for breakfast, but being a hardcore EDM fan.
Electronic music freak.
And fuck it, also smoking a pack of cigarettes a day.
Having an inconsistent personality.
I feel like we've been so obsessed with having a consistent aesthetic for so many years.
And we've been so obsessed with putting ourselves in boxes.
Like, oh, I'm a Pilates princess.
Oh, I'm cottagecore.
Oh, why can't somebody who's cottagecore also be obsessed with drinking like a dirty martini?
Do you know what I'm saying?
Like, you don't normally put those two things together, but why not?
We're interesting, we're complicated.
And I think in 2026 we're all gonna lean into that, into our duality or even beyond our duality, right?
I don't know what a word beyond duality would be.
Like, I don't know what it would mean if you have like four different traits, but you get the idea.
Being dynamic, being interesting, being a combination of a bunch of different things that don't seem like they'd go together, but they go together because it's you.
I feel like that's in.
Moving on, convertible cars.
Do I think everyone's going to go out and buy a convertible car?
Absolutely not.
This is an energy thing.
I can't explain it.
I feel like the sales of convertible cars are gonna go up a little bit.
Am I gonna go out and buy a convertible car?
No, my lease is not up.
But there is something about the energy of having the top down driving headscarf on glasses on driving around in a convertible.
I can't explain it.
It's just the energy of 2026 to me.
This one's weird though, because again it's like are we going to see a bunch of convertible cars on the road?
Probably not.
But it's the energy.
You see what I mean?
But I also think, too, the sales will go up for convertible cars.
A little.
Because I think people just want to have fun in 2026.
I think people want... the wind breezing through their hair or grazing their bald head.
It doesn't matter, but it's just like, I think people want the wind in their face this year.
Everyone's done with the stuffy air inside of their car.
People just want to breathe.
They want to be one with the earth.
Okay, moving on.
Looking up words you don't know the definitions for and using the dictionary and growing your vocabulary.
This is in for 2026.
We're all sick and tired of using like Gen Z slang.
There's something so not exciting about like using the word chopped to describe someone, which means that somebody looks ugly.
And I know that because I get chopped in my comments sometimes.
People are like, Emma is a little chopped in unk.
That means to look old and ugly, okay?
Listen, like I think in 2026, we're gonna find a more eloquent way to say chopped in unk.
I think in 2026, it's in to sound smart.
Because I think a lot of times when we talk in a super Gen Z, super trendy way, it doesn't sound good.
I think sounding smart is in.
And I think people are going to be craving that.
Craving vocabulary expansion.
And I think that's for the best.
And there are many ways you can expand your vocabulary.
Read books, read articles, and look up the words that you don't know the meanings for.
I think that's in.
Next, peanut butter.
I can't explain it.
Peanut butter's in.
Eating fruit with peanut butter.
Apples with peanut butter.
Bananas with peanut butter.
Dates with peanut butter.
Peanut butter flavored desserts.
Peanut butter cookies.
Peanut butter pie.
Chocolate peanut butter cups.
In.
I feel like almond butter, hazelnut butter and pistachio nut butter, pistachio butter.
I feel like extravagant butters have been in.
And I feel like 2026 return to self.
We're all going back to peanut butter because it's so good.
I feel like we all forgot how good it was for the last few years.
And we've kind of overlooked peanut butter.
It's back.
This might be a personal thing, because I'm really into peanut butter right now, but I just The lighthearted fun, classic energy of peanut butter feels to align with what I see for 2026.
Moving on to croissant sandwiches in...
They should have been in.
I don't know why they're not in.
Croissant sandwiches are so fucking good.
To cut a croissant in half, toast it a little, put a little pesto, a little mozzarella, a little tomato.
Yum.
A little bacon, egg, and cheese on a croissant.
Yum.
Peanut butter and jelly in a croissant?
Sure.
If you eat meat, fig jam, ham, some brie, some arugula.
Yum.
Prosciutto.
I don't even know what kind of meat goes into a sandwich like that, but...
I feel like croissant sandwiches are in.
They're so good.
They're so underrated.
I don't see them nearly enough.
It's like a light, buttery, flaky outer layer for some delicious, flavorful insides for a sandwich.
It just feels right to me.
I also feel like too.
A lot of times sandwiches have too much bread to the point where you like can't taste what's inside, and croissants are so light and fluffy that whatever you put inside can shine, but the buttery, yummy croissant is still present, it's just it's not taking over.
I feel like it allows the insides to shine.
I don't know croissant sandwiches in 2026.
Moving on talking to strangers,
We have really stopped talking to each other.
In the elevators, we're silent.
At cafes, we sit with our coffee and we don't talk to anyone.
When we go out to a bar, we sit with our friends.
We don't talk to people.
That's out.
It is in to talk to strangers.
Okay.
Safely, of course.
Be mindful.
But I think it's in to just talk to one another.
And the truth is, it's so enjoyable.
Some of my favorite memories of going out into the world are as fond as they are because I talked to strangers when I was out.
For whatever reason, I got wrapped up in a game of pool with strangers.
For whatever reason, I talked to the barista for a little bit at a coffee shop.
Do you know what I'm saying?
Like, it's in to talk to each other.
I think we're all feeling lonely and we're all feeling isolated due to the age of the internet.
Let's talk to each other this year.
Next, lip stains.
We're all sick of reapplying our lip products every 45 minutes.
And that's like generous 45 minutes, maybe every 20, depending on what kind of lip combo you got going that day.
We're sick of it, I'm sick of it, we're all sick of it.
I think lip stains are gonna be in.
You can eat, you can drink, you can kiss, you can smile, you can laugh, you can spit.
Fuck it, you could throw up and that lip is not going anywhere.
Lip stains are in, okay?
Because we all love to have a lip on.
That's not going anywhere. but we want it to stain so that we can live our lives.
That's the energy of 2026.
We want to live.
We want to have fun.
We want to be lighthearted.
We don't want to be thinking about fixing our lip.
We want to know that it's there, rain or shine.
Moving on.
Utilizing free will.
Now I know free will is kind of up for debate, whether or not we have free will, whether we can choose to do whatever we want, or if everything is predestined.
Okay, but let's ignore that for a second.
Let's just take this surface level.
Utilizing free will meaning being spontaneous, breaking routine, being bored on a Tuesday night and being like you know what.
I'm gonna take myself to dinner.
I'm gonna sit at a restaurant and I'm going to eat this dinner by myself on this random Tuesday night.
Another example you know what i'm bored i'm going to randomly go on a road trip to a nearby town that's two hours away.
So is that really nearby?
Maybe not, but you get the idea like being random is in in 2026, remembering like, wait a minute, i can be random because i think we forget about this sometimes.
I forget about it all the time.
I get so caught up in the minutia of my routine that i forget that i can do whatever i want.
I mean, I can't
Like, of course, we have things that we have to tend to.
We have responsibilities and stuff like that.
But when we've tended to our responsibilities and we have free time, we forget we have free will.
Kind of.
Maybe.
I don't know.
We can be random.
When the weekend rolls around, we don't have to go to the same bar that we go to every weekend to try to meet people.
We could drive an hour and go to one we've never been to before.
Like do you get what I'm saying?
Random, being random.
I, the other day, had a really random day.
I went grocery shopping at a grocery store I don't normally go to.
I went to a new workout class that I don't normally go to.
It was weird.
It doesn't seem like it should be weird.
It's like, who cares?
But I'm in such a routine in my life that I forget that I can try new things.
I can break my routine.
And I saw things I wouldn't normally see.
I experienced people I wouldn't normally experience.
And it was really... grounding.
When you're in your routine, you're an autopilot and you're not paying as close attention to the world around you.
When you break routine, you have to be focused, you have to pay attention, and it forces you to be present in a way that I think we're all craving.
And so I think that's in 2026.
And, last but not least, having a pen pal via text.
A friend from high school, for example, a friend from college, an old work friend that you used to work with, who moved away.
A pen pal via text.
Now, what does this mean?
It means you text each other once a month, maybe twice a month with long gaps in between.
You might not respond for two weeks to this person, but it doesn't matter.
You're pen pals.
You keep each other up to date, but with a lot of space in between, with a lot of breathing room, something you get back to when you have the chance.
I have a friendship like this, where we text each other like once a month and we'll go like a month without responding to one another.
And no one gets their feelings hurt and no one cares because we're pen pals.
We don't live in the same city anymore, but we still want to stay connected.
So we do.
But we're not also so close that we need to respond to each other, you know, at a quick rate.
There's something really fun about it.
There's something really nice about it.
It's a great way to maintain friendships, but in a way that's reasonable.
Like we can't all be available to one another all the time.
But I think having sort of a pen pal via text, I think that's in.
OK, now let's move on to what's out, starting with something that I really love.
And I'm sad to say that this is out, but I really do believe that it is.
And before I say it, I want you to know I love this thing and I always will love this thing.
And I don't think it'll ever be out completely, but I think it had sort of a chokehold on get togethers, social get togethers, for the last few years.
And I think it's on its way out.
Charcuterie boards, cheese boards out.
Here's the thing.
I've hosted quite a few little gatherings at my home.
I haven't in a while.
It's been a while.
Every single time I make a cheese board, an eighth of it is really consumed.
I am left with so much cheese and so many crackers.
It's actually quite wasteful.
I mean, it's not wasteful because I repackage everything back up best I can.
But then it's like, wait, how am I as an individual going to go through this much cheese?
I live alone.
You.
And also when I go out and I go to some sort of social gathering where there's a cheese board, I notice number one.
It's not usually get in touch that much.
I've never seen a cheese board that looked ran through.
You know, it'll be the end of the evening and the cheese board's still pretty intact.
And on top of that, when I'm out, I don't really reach for the cheese board.
Because number one, cheese gives me gas.
Okay, I love it, but it makes me fart.
Sorry.
And I don't want to be farting when I'm out, especially not right now.
Single?
No, no, no, no stink.
You never know where the night might go.
You know I'm not eating half a block of a cheddar cheese and I'm definitely not digging into the brie.
That's high lactose.
A crampy tummy is not good for socializing.
It's also really filling.
Like if I am at some sort of social event and there's a cheese board and then there's also dinner, it's like I don't have room for both.
It's one or the other.
And a lot of times both are present, you know?
I think cheese boards are really fun to make, but I think oftentimes they're not properly utilized.
But I will love them forever.
And I love cheese.
And I think in very specific sort of settings, they're going to continue to make sense.
You know, like if you're at a wine bar, It might be nice to order a little cheese plate, right?
But that's a cheese plate.
That's not a charcuterie board.
I think charcuterie boards, cheese boards, the massive displays that are so gorgeous, with so much cheese, so much crackers, so much jam, so much weird cured meats that I don't really know which one's which, that kind of smell a little.
I just think it's over.
I'm sorry.
Next, overusing cuss words.
We need to start saving bad words for when they really are necessary, so that they can have proper impact.
Walking around saying like, fuck this, fuck that.
This is bullshit.
Smells like shit.
Everything's shit.
We're done.
We have to be done with that because I think bad words have lost their meaning.
I want to use fuck to like make a point, you know?
I want to say shit and for people to jump a little.
I want bad words to regain their gravitas.
I want that for us.
And I think too, overusing cuss words, it's like saying like and um a lot, which I am guilty of.
I do say like and um a lot.
I also think that that's out for 2026, hopefully for me.
But that didn't make the list because, for whatever reason, the spirit and the universe did not call on me to say that.
The spirit and the universe called on me to say that cuss words are out.
But they're not fully out.
It's just overusing them is out.
Overusing them to the point of them losing their meaning.
That is out.
Next, Instagram captions are out.
I think it's in to just post your pic and not have to think about a caption.
We're all tired of writing captions.
I don't want to think of something funny.
I don't want to think of something heartfelt.
I just want to post the goddamn photo.
I want the photo to speak a thousand words.
I do not want to think about my Instagram captions anymore.
I'm done.
And I don't even want to like choose an emoji.
It's like, no, let's just be done.
Let's just post the photo and run.
Occasionally, there might be a moment where a little story in the Instagram caption is necessary.
If the Instagram caption is calling, write.
But I think in general, just let the photo speak a thousand words.
I'm done with Instagram captions.
Unless I really have something to say, I'm not writing a caption.
I don't care if it's bad for the algorithm.
I don't care...
If it feels impersonal.
You know what?
These images?
If I'm posting an image, I want it to speak for itself.
And also too, I think, Instagram captions.
It's like so hard to make one that doesn't feel like cliche.
There's something, I feel like 80% of Instagram captions sort of feel a bit cliche.
And for that reason, they're out.
Next, emojis.
I feel like emojis are out a little.
I feel like in 2026 we're just, we're typing.
We're expressing how we feel.
We're expressing our tone through our words.
I think the thing about emojis is that they've all developed such complex double meanings.
Where it's like, wait, is this laughing emoji sarcastic?
Is this laughing emoji actually because this person thinks this thing is funny?
Is the heart emoji sarcastic?
Like being like, talk to you later, heart.
Is it like passive aggressive?
I think we're exhausted.
Emojis have actually complicated the way that we communicate at this point, because they all have such double meanings.
It's like impossible to know what the emoji actually means.
So I think now we're just going to speak.
We're just going to type.
And I think in 2026, they're out.
Moving on.
I think it's out to have a favorite food, to have a favorite color, to have favorites.
We're boxing ourselves in.
I don't have a favorite food.
I don't have a favorite color.
I have cravings for foods.
Sometimes I really want sushi.
Sometimes I really want pesto gnocchi.
Sometimes I really want a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
Sometimes I really want a burrito.
Sometimes I really want a breakfast burrito.
Sometimes I really want avocado toast.
Sometimes I really want a smoothie.
Sometimes I really want... a basket of fresh blueberries.
Sometimes I really want tater tots with aioli.
Sometimes I really want falafel with hummus.
Like I love every food.
Sometimes I really want, oh my God, yum, a yellow curry, yum.
Okay, like don't make me choose my favorite food.
We don't need to choose favorite foods anymore.
Same thing goes for a favorite color.
Sometimes I really am drawn to blue.
Blue just spiritually feels like my color of the moment.
And then the next day I might wake up and say, you know what?
I really love cream and yellow, like a really creamy, light, buttery, pastel yellow.
Then the next day I might wake up and say, you know, I like maroon.
Then the next day, olive green.
Why do I have to choose?
We're complex people.
We're constantly changing.
We're constantly evolving.
We don't need to have favorite things.
Like we're adults.
Oh, what's your favorite food?
No, don't ever ask that again.
What's your favorite color?
I mean luckily, I think most of us have grown out of that question, but it's like I don't know blue.
I don't know.
I don't know.
All of them.
I don't know.
Like we're done with that.
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Moving on.
Perfume obsession.
Layering like 10 fragrances on the body.
Having a signature scent.
Matching scents to the day.
I think we're gonna kind of let go of this.
I never got into this.
I've been wearing the same scent for like six years now and it is a funny story.
It was my first boyfriend's scent that he wore around the time that we broke up, And when we broke up, the scent was so strong it stuck to my entire house.
So we were broken up, but my entire house for like three months smelled like him.
It was hell.
Did I at times dig my face into my couch pillow to remember what he smelled like?
Yeah.
Did I avoid washing pieces of clothing that smelled like him because I hugged him when I was wearing it?
Yep.
It was hell.
But it also was like the first fragrance that I ever really liked.
I've never really loved.
It's so rare that I like a perfume and it was one of the first ones I ever really liked.
So then I decided to adopt it as my own and I've been wearing it pretty much every day ever since.
It's a really basic perfume.
A lot of people wear this particular one.
It's like a very famous fragrance.
It's Baccarat Rouge 540.
It's not special.
It's not even a signature scent.
It's literally just a scent that everyone knows.
So I never got into the whole like fragrance lore.
There's a lot of people that are really into it.
Layering scents, having a massive perfume collection, wearing something new every day or having a very specific layered combo that is them.
I think that that is out.
Do I think fragrance is out?
Smelling good is out?
No.
But I think the sort of obsession with fragrance and having it be something that's super individual, hyper individual, is out.
I just think it's fatiguing.
And I think it's in to just mindlessly be like, this perfume feels like the vibe today.
Spray it quickly and walk out of the house.
I think being like OK, let me layer the bass notes.
Like you know, people have gotten into it in such a deep way.
And I think that that's out. don't know, maybe I'm wrong, but that's what I'm feeling.
I think we're entering into a far more nonchalant time period, where we're not overthinking small details of our daily routine.
Okay, next.
Mascara.
I think mascara is out.
Listen, mascara will never fully be out.
It is at times like a key element of a makeup look.
But I think mascara-less looks are going to be in.
Like I think it's going to become more common to just not wear mascara.
And like five years ago, that was unthinkable.
A makeup look with no mascara, it's like no one does that.
And even now still, it's like unusual.
I think when somebody doesn't wear mascara, there's a very different look.
It's a very natural, soft look.
But I personally am into it and I think it's going to be a thing, 2026.
I think mascara free looks, doing like fully doing makeup but then letting the eyelashes kind of blend in and not stand out.
A softer look in the eye, I think, is going to be in.
And I think this kind of is a reflection of where I again feel like we're going in 2026.
Lighthearted energy, easygoing energy. effortless energy, playful energy.
Mascara is very harsh.
It's very strong around the eye.
And it's also something that is heavy on the eye.
It feels heavy.
It's much more comfortable not to wear it.
And you also feel much more free when you're not wearing it.
You can rub your eye and it doesn't matter.
You don't have to think about it running.
I don't know.
There's something high maintenance about mascara that doesn't feel 2026 to me.
Okay.
Moving on.
Mind games.
Okay.
Let me explain what I mean by this.
Being like oh, I feel like my friend's mad at me, but I'm not going to text them because I don't want them to think that I think that they're mad at me.
I'm going to wait and I'm going to text them about something else and then see what their response is.
No, just text them.
Are you mad at me?
Or having a crush on somebody and being like well, I'm not going to tell them that I have a crush on them.
I'm going to play hard to get and i'm going to not text them and i'm gonna wait for them to text me.
I am not going to let them in to my reality.
Okay, i'm not going to show them my true feelings.
I'm going to have a poker face and i'm going to play hard to get out.
It's in to be like let's go on a date please, and if they're like, then you're like okay, Like.
That vibe is in mind games, overthinking interactions with other people.
You know, having a poker face with other people out.
It's in to just fucking say it.
Say it.
This is in for me.
If this is not in for everyone else, I'm sorry.
Play your games.
I'm not playing any games if I want to text my ex and be like, how are you?
I'm gonna do it if I want to text my friend and say are you mad at me?
I'm gonna do it if I have a crush on somebody would be like We should go on a date.
And if they're like, I don't know that that makes sense for me right now.
I'll be like, no worries.
Like, I don't care.
I just want to say what I'm thinking.
I don't want to censor myself.
I don't want to play games.
I don't want to overthink.
I just want to live.
I just want it to flow out of me.
I don't. want to play games.
I don't want to be a puppet master of situations.
I just want things to exist and to happen and to flow.
And I think we all want that.
I think we're all sick of playing with each other.
And honesty and just bluntness like this is so charming as well.
Like when people are blunt with me, I'm so attracted to it.
It's so refreshing and I want to adopt that.
And I think we all do.
So I think it's in.
Next it's out to hate your ex.
I know like listen okay, if your ex really you over bad, i get it, and to hate is a part of the process okay, i'm not saying forgiving your ex and and like going back to them, But being angry, hating your ex, that's heavy energy.
That's dark energy.
We don't need that anymore.
It's so easy to hate your ex, whether they did something wrong or not, okay?
If they did something wrong, it's really easy.
And it's actually a part of probably the healing process, I would say, for most.
That's a part of getting to a place where you can say, you know what?
What they did to me hurt me.
It wasn't cool.
I'm not going to let it happen again.
And I'm not going to talk to them again.
They are not a part of my life anymore.
But also, I don't hate them.
Emphasis on hate here.
Because hating things, hating people only hurts you long term.
If you hold on to hate that you don't need to hold on to, that only hurts you.
And I think a lot of us hate our exes, even if they didn't do anything to us.
Even if we just feel rejected by them.
It's really easy to fall into a pattern of hating them.
Oh, they have a new partner.
I hate them, you know it's like, but we're not doing that in 2026, we're letting them go.
Let them go do whatever the fuck they want.
Okay well, I just cussed see, I need to work on overusing cuss words because I said I said that that's out in 2026 and I just used it.
And was it really necessary?
It felt necessary, but I don't think it was.
Hating exes is out.
Letting them go and sending them love and light is in, okay?
Forgiving and not forgetting in.
Moving on, working from home every day.
Okay, not everybody works from home, but for those who do work from home every day, like me, it's out.
I can't be in my house anymore.
I gotta get out of here.
I gotta get out of here.
I need to start going to cafes and getting work done on my computer.
Like I need to get out of here.
I need to start doing a few more in-person meetings instead of Zooms.
I got to get out of here.
I need to work in person a little bit more.
This might be a super personal one, but I am getting cabin fever.
And I think a lot of people probably are who work from home.
It is really isolating.
And it is also very convenient.
And for some people, it might make more sense.
But for me, I gotta get out of here.
I gotta get out into the world a little bit.
And if I'm feeling this way, there's no way other people aren't feeling this way.
I think working from home is kind of out.
That doesn't mean that we're not gonna work from home half the week, if that's what makes sense.
But getting out a little more, working from home a little less, I think that's in.
And I think working from home every single day, it's out.
Even just going to a cafe, that could be the solution.
I'm not really sure what the solution is.
And this one, again, might be hyper personal, but yeah.
And last but not least, 40 part story times on TikTok.
Like short form story times where it's in parts unlike TikTok or Reels, but mainly TikTok.
I feel like
Being like, go to my page for part two, out, out.
No one's going to the page for part two in 2026.
Everyone's like, eh, I just can't.
I don't know.
I'm not even on TikTok, but I just for some reason again the spirit called to me and said this is out.
We're either telling the story quickly or we're not telling it at all, or we're making a YouTube video where we're just we're not doing a 40 part TikTok story time in 2026.
It's just not the aura.
It's not the energy.
Okay.
So those are my ins and my outs, but have no fear.
We're not done talking yet.
This year we have a bonus category. things that are still in for 2026, whether we like it or not.
These are things that I think a lot of us would expect to be out in 2026 because we were so obsessed with these things, but they're standing the test of time, either because they're genuinely timeless things or because they're just not over yet.
So without further ado.
This is my list of things that are still in in 2026, whether we like it or not because, I will say, some of these things are not necessarily good things.
I'm not condoning them.
I just think they're still in for better or for worse.
Starting with Pilates.
I actually love Pilates.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I enjoy it.
It's... a satisfying, enjoyable style of workout for me.
I don't love as much the Reformer, like that big, weird Reformer Pilates machine.
I don't love that thing as much.
I prefer like Matt Pilates vibes.
I love hot Pilates.
It's trendy.
There's like kind of a weird sort of culture around it that I think is at times kind of exhausting fatiguing, maybe even a bit toxic at times.
Actually, definitely a bit toxic at times.
But I think strip away the culture around it.
Strip away the cute aloe yoga outfits.
Strip away the obsession with the sort of body type that people say comes with doing Pilates.
Like strip all that away.
I know it's hard to do that because that's such a big part of the Pilates conversation.
But for just a moment, strip that away.
The act of doing Pilates, in my opinion, is enjoyable.
It's one of my favorite workouts.
I just like it.
It's slower paced.
It's satisfying.
It's challenging, but in a way that's not so cardiovascularly exhausting that, like you, can't get into a routine with it.
I just really love Pilates and I don't think it's going anywhere.
I think yoga too.
I think yoga might really have a moment in 2026.
I could see yoga and hiking being trendy in 2026.
That wasn't in my original list of things that are in, but we can plug that in now.
I think Pilates stays in and I think hiking and yoga have a more significant cultural moment perhaps.
Okay, moving on.
I do not condone this, but I don't think it's going out yet.
Cigarettes.
Cigarettes came back in 2025, and unfortunately, I don't think they're going anywhere.
Want to know why?
Because nicotine is addictive.
I know, trust me, I don't smoke cigarettes, but I've tried every other form of nicotine and I know how hard it is to quit.
So everybody who got addicted to cigarettes in 2025, that's sticking in 2026 because it's really hard to quit.
Hopefully by 2027, everybody's on their recovery journey and nicotine cigarettes are out.
Actually, nicotine will never be out, I don't think.
I would love for it to be out, but it's so addictive.
It's really hard for, like, I don't know.
Unfortunately, I think cigarettes are in.
Because it's not even just that cigarettes are addictive, but it's also become the cool, hot thing to do to go out on the weekends with your friends.
Stand outside a bar, smoke cigarettes.
It's also in the zeitgeist.
A lot of people are posting on Instagram smoking a cigarette.
A lot of pop stars are including cigarettes in their branding, marketing, imagery.
It's in the zeitgeist.
That, combined with the fact that nicotine is addictive, it's like we're not going to shake this habit in 2026, hopefully by 2027.
But this year, unfortunately, I think still in.
Next, Stanley Cup.
People try to say that it's out right now.
It's already out.
No.
It's become a household item.
It's out because maybe it's cultural relevance has dimmed a bit.
Like it's not like people aren't collecting them as freakishly as they were before.
But Stanley cups are such good cups.
I'm sorry.
I just don't like it's now it's just like everyone has one and uses it every day.
And it's a great cup.
Stanley cups are in.
Yeah.
Next, elaborate skincare routines are still in.
Using a bunch of different facial devices, using 15 different serums, going to sleep with your face all taped up.
This is not going away this year.
Like, I don't think in 2026 we're going down to a simple skincare routine.
You know what?
Maybe like the trend of like the morning shed, if you've never heard of this.
It's this trend where people put on 10 different skincare products and then put on like a face mask you know, like some sort of squishy face mask and then put on a lip mask and then put on a jaw brace and then put all this stuff on their face and then in the morning they sleep in it and then in the morning they wake up and take it all off.
That might be out in 2026.
I think that's a little too high maintenance.
And I think no one is getting a good night's sleep like that.
And I think 2026 might be a little bit more lighthearted.
So I think that trend might be out.
But I think like elaborate skincare routines using a bunch of different serums and products and things like that, and having you know glowy, serum-y skin.
I think that's still in.
I think we're sort of moving away from the trend of like beauty treatments being like Botox and filler and, you know, spending a lot of money on facials and stuff.
And I think doing it all at home is going to be in.
Okay, moving on.
Microtrends.
I think microtrends are still in and I think they're going to continue to get more micro this year.
Microtrends are trends that are hyper specific and don't last very long, right?
It'll be something like Hanes white tank tops, or like clipping you know things to your purse, to your bag, like clipping key chains and jewelry and all this stuff right.
That's an example of micro trends, I guess.
I think the trends are going to continue to get more micro and more niche.
They're just going to keep getting smaller, shorter, smaller, shorter, smaller, shorter.
And then I think in the next few years they will eventually just disappear where there's just no definable trends anymore because there's so many subcultures on the internet.
There's so many niches on the internet.
There's so many people posting about so many different things on the internet that it'll get to a point where it's like wait, there is no trend anymore, because it's just everything is happening all at once.
Everything is in and everything is out all at once.
But I think we're not quite there yet.
And I think in 2026 there will continue to be micro trends and they're just gonna get smaller and shorter, smaller and shorter, smaller and shorter.
Next, the bowl.
OK, I'm talking about like a sweet green bowl, a kava bowl, a chipotle bowl.
I'm talking about making at home like a quinoa bowl with like veggie roasted veggies and like a protein, like the concept of like a bowl.
I feel like we're all kind of getting fatigued by the bowl because it's been such a major food trend for so long.
Being able to customize a bowl with a bunch of different types of individual ingredients.
Throwing them all together into one bowl, that's very you.
Whether you go to a restaurant, fast casual sort of restaurant, or you do it at home.
There is sort of some discourse around like, are we sick of these bowls?
I think in 2026, we're still gonna be eating the bowls because you know what?
They're nutritious and they're easy.
And well, they're not really that easy when you make them at home, to be honest.
I find them to be kind of hard to make at home because you're making like a bunch of different ingredients and then putting them all together in one bowl.
It's like easier to just make a soup in one big pot.
But I think 2026, the bulls are still in.
We're not done with those yet.
What could replace them?
What could replace them?
Tell me.
Exactly.
You can't.
I think they are a staple food for at least the next 10 years.
I don't know what could replace them.
They're so well-rounded.
They're so healthy.
They're so balanced, or at least they can be depending on what you choose.
They're so customizable.
I don't know.
I think we would think that they'd be out because they've been so popular for the last few years.
But I don't think they're out yet.
Speaking of something like that, avocado toast.
Avocado toast is not going anywhere.
I don't care that it's trendy.
I don't care that it has basic bitch status.
I don't care.
Avocado toast is delicious.
It continues to get better.
Restaurants continue to improve their avocado toast recipes, adding more flavor.
This is now a breakfast staple like Eggs Benedict.
It's like yeah, eggs benedict's not like a thing.
Right now, nobody's talking about eggs benedict, it's not having a moment, but it's always on breakfast menus.
I think avocado toast might be a new classic.
To be honest, i think it's in in 2026 and in maybe even forever next.
Okay, i know that there's been a whole protein craze this year.
This year has been the year of protein, Seems we're always obsessed with one sort of food group as a culture.
When I was a kid, everything was low fat.
Low fat Cheez-Its, low fat yogurt, low fat, low fat, low fat, low fat.
Then fat kind of came back into style.
And then sugar was out.
Sugar's been out for a while now.
Everything is sweetened with stevia, with monk fruit.
There was also a phase when I was a kid, too, with fiber, actually, now that I'm remembering.
If I were to think about chronologically the food group trends, it was like low fat was trendy.
High fiber was trendy.
Then high fat like keto was kind of trendy, like high fat, high protein was trendy.
Then low sugar or maybe low sugar was before.
I don't know.
Maybe low sugar.
You get what I'm fucking saying.
I can't remember, okay?
But the trend this year was high protein.
Everything is boosted with protein these days.
And you wanna know the truth?
I don't think that's going anywhere in 2026.
I think that's going to continue.
I think our protein obsession is going to continue into 2026.
I think brands will continue to protein boost everything.
I think at a certain point, protein will go out of style and perhaps fiber will be in style.
Perhaps being vegan will come back in like who knows?
I can't predict, but i think we're not done with protein.
Last but not least, this one's a little bit personal.
I would love to tell you all that for me, dating musicians is out.
Dating men in music is out.
2026, we're not doing that.
I don't know.
I simply don't know.
I tried to say for a while, I'm done with that.
We're going to go.
I can't make any promises.
I can't make any promises.
And there's just something about me and men in music.
Every time I have a crush on a guy a little bit, I'll find out that they're actually in a band on the side.
I don't know what's going to happen for me.
I'd love to say confidently that dating musicians is out for me, but I don't think I can say it.
I don't know that I'm ready to let go of this category of men.
And let me tell you, I'm exhausted.
I want to be done.
It's really the added layer of like, oh my God, are they writing a song about me?
Like, what is it going to say?
Is it accurate?
Is it not accurate?
Is it kind of like a theatrical thing or is it like true to life?
Like, do they really feel this way about me?
I'm exhausted.
I'm exhausted.
I don't want to do it anymore.
But there's something about a man who can pick up a guitar and strum it a little.
They just, I don't know.
And I think it might still be in for me in 2026.
Maybe I shouldn't say dating musicians is in, but rather having crushes on musicians.
You know, like maybe I won't end up with one, but maybe I'll just have crushes on them.
Stop.
I need to stop.
You know what's in this year?
Maybe hypnosis.
Maybe I need to get hypnosis this year to stop me from from just perpetually doing this.
I mean, listen, it's only happened twice and twice can still could be a coincidence.
Once we hit like three times is like we need, you know, therapeutic intervention.
Because this is a pattern.
And it might not be a good one.
With all due respect, of course.
That's not a reflection of them.
That's a reflection of me.
You know?
Anyway, that's what I'm thinking.
That's 2026 through Emma's eyes.
We'll see.
We'll see what this year brings.
And I really hope it's a wonderful year, a lighthearted year, a fun year.
I feel that and I hope for that.
And I manifest that.
Let's knock on wood real quick as to not jinx it.
All good.
Thank you all for listening and hanging out.
As always, it's a pleasure.
I hope that you have the most beautiful year this year.
I'm sending you all warm hugs and warm energy going into this new year.
I'm excited for another year of Anything Goes with all of you.
This year is a little bit different though, because last year, in the two years before that, I was doing two episodes of Anything Goes every week Thursday and Sunday.
This year, we're going down to one a week every Thursday.
I think 2026 for me is about quality over quantity.
And I also think it's about giving myself more time and energy to put into a bunch of different types of entertainment for all of you, rather than just the podcast.
I'd rather have more time to diversify the types of entertainment that I create.
And so it's not like, oh, Emma's doing one podcast episode a week, she's gonna be disappearing.
Hopefully it's the opposite.
And it's like, Emma's doing one podcast episode a week so that she can do other stuff too.
So tune in Thursdays, anywhere you stream podcasts, anything goes on social media, anything goes.
I'm on the internet at Emma Chamberlain.
My coffee company is Chamberlain Coffee.
I love you all.
I appreciate you all.
And I'll talk to you next week.
Love you.
