The year 2016 has been an eventful one—much like any other 12-month period, of course, only this year was one of those replete with highs and lows, wins and fails, and agreements and disagreements in various facets of life in general. And tomorrow, we will welcome a new one.
But before we bid 2016 adieu, we look back at the trends in food, fashion, beauty and health that were all the rage and that were placed on the back burner in the last 366 days.
Filipino food meets the world
While we are all used to our local food here at home, other countries only had the chance to fully appreciate Filipino cuisine in 2016. In fact, it was considered one of the global food trends even before 2016 kicked in.
In an article on forbes.com, food and hospitality expert Mike Thelin said Filipino cuisine “celebrates massive flavors and funky combinations, but with approachability, generosity and downright love.” Thanks to chefs in the US, Anthony Bourdain and other proponents of Filipino food, the world is now enjoying the taste buds delights that are adobo, lechon, halo-halo and more.
2016 has been big for beer lovers, too, as the revolution of local microbreweries—a couple of years in the making—paved the way for more craft beer labels to come to the local mainstream market. Metro Manila, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao all have their own craft beer offerings to the delight of “happy hour” warriors in the Philippines.
Meanwhile, bottled fruit and vegetable juice and kale chips were big in 2015, but looks like their fire was extinguished in 2016 as people started looking for more sustainable ways to lose weight and eat healthy snack that is not a pack of overpriced flavored leaves.
Active wear, off-the-shoulder and choker all over
Athleisure was such a hit in 2016, so much so that sneakers, varsity jackets and jogger pants were worn almost everywhere. The streetwear style has been embraced even by luxury brands, and updated it to make the pieces more sophisticated to attract the older market.
2016 has been the year we have seen more white sneakers in boardroom and athletic jackets during casual Fridays, not only on interns and young professionals—although it was millennials who have driven this relaxed standard of clothing—but even on executives, too. And it looks like the active wear trend is not going to end soon.
Off-the-shoulder tops, overalls and choker necklaces were also “trending” this year. We’re just not sure, though, whether these “throwback trends” can keep their hold for long, or at least for a few more months next year.
We thankfully said goodbye to sheer dresses which cover only the parts that need to be covered, hippie floral crowns that are worn other than at music festivals, and chunky shoes that were more uncomfortable than stylish in 2016.
Natural look is the way to go
Highlighting in, contouring out. That was the year 2016 in beauty.
Enhancing facial features and attaining that perfect glow through strobing with the use of highlighters was embraced, as natural makeup took over runways, red carpets and magazine covers. Goodbye, unnatural, Kardashian contouring.
Thick eyebrows, a la Cara Delevigne and Liza Soberano were also a hit this year—again, as women opted for natural look. Gradient lips were also a trend, thanks to Koreans. Red lips and nothing else was sported by many. But on the flipside, dark but “soft” eye makeup paired with dark lipstick was also worn by ladies in many parts of the globe—letting go of the old beauty rule that says one can’t wear dark makeup on both eyes and lips.
The “lob” haircut remained the preferred style among females. But long locks have made a glorious comeback. A number of men and women went to the salon to have their hair colored gray.
We no longer saw, or at least saw a less of, pastel colored tresses in 2016. Big lips, courtesy of fillers, were no longer an aspiration among girls. And this year also marked the end of impractical nail art: pompom nails, furry nails, bedazzled nails.
Less is more health mindset
To be healthy in 2016 meant less is more. Individuals opted for whole foods with less processing over food disguised as “diet food” which in fact laden with preservatives. People welcomed good bacteria in keeping the system healthy and functional as more became interested in probiotics and other products that improve the body from within.
The call to be more mindful has led to the rise of demand for meditation apps. Yoga and its new form, acroyoga—which is acrobatics and yoga combined—broke out in 2015 and is currently on the rise, perhaps the popularity will continue until the coming year.
Mass participation sports such as running remained a hit this year, as many competitive and non-competitive fun runs were organized in and out of the country. High intensity interval training or HIIT, wherein a person does an intense workout for a short period, was also big this year.
Juicing for the sake of cleansing has lost its appeal in 2016 as people became wary of the high sugar and low fiber content of fruits and vegetables that went through a juicer. Detox tea was also set aside in favor of green tea.