What the new fashion and beauty closet icons look like today according to Madé Lapuerta

Popularly known as @databutmakeitfashion on Instagram, Madé Lapuerta is the fashion and beauty oracle we all look to for what’s trending in culture. While the concept of wardrobe icons has shifted with the advent of platforms like TikTok and the worlds of pop culture reigning supreme, for the next generation, new fashion and beauty must-haves are an interesting mix of ironic, vintage, modern, and hype. You only have to look at Lapuerta’s Instagram account to understand how social media is driving the contents of our shopping carts. With a little help from her elaborate analysis method (she is after all a Harvard engineering grad) on the intersection of pop culture and commerce, we round up what the new fashion and beauty closet icons look like today. Trigger warning: A lot of it will remind you of your Facebook photo album.  

THE RETURN OF THE HEART BRACELET

We’ve all exchanged these—with friends, lovers, and partners alike. That chain link bracelet, seen on the wrists of everyone from Serena van der Woodsen [played by Blake Lively] in Gossip Girl to Marissa Cooper (portrayed by Mischa Barton) in The O.C., Tiffany’s Heart Bracelet has linked our collective childhoods. 

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when Tiffany & Co. became cool again, but when Ariana Grande decides to put the brand front and centre in her lyrics, it’s a tell-tale sign. The bracelet is back, spotted on new age celebrities like Emma Chamberlain bringing back the 2000s accessory that punctuated television’s teenage dramas. We certainly have our hearts set on this one.

Madé’s Take: “So many trends are making a comeback at the moment—low-rise and skinny jeans, the very-Kate-Moss Balenciaga City bag, and now the Tiffany & Co. charm bracelet. It’s one of those pieces that’s suddenly rising in popularity as consumers are nostalgic for ’90s and ’00s-era trends.”

NEW BALANCE  

Trains, tubes, Euro-summer holidays, dinner dates, or Diwali nights—New Balance sneakers are everywhere. Some might even say that they are having an Adidas Samba moment. With a history dating back to 1906, New Balance evolved from orthopaedic shoes to must-have sneakers like the 990, 574, and the newly coveted 550 and 327. Pop culture icons like Kendall Jenner, Hailey Bieber, and Timothée Chalamet (we’ll wear anything he owns), along with collaborations with Aime Leon Dore and Jaden Smith, have revived New Balance as a trendsetter in today’s sneaker culture.

Madé’s Take: “I’ve always been a fan of New Balance shoes. I post a lot about the big, chunky ‘dad’ sneaker on my page, which is a look New Balance has really repopularised over the last five years. Regardless of what people say about it—because a lot of people don’t love the ‘dad’ sneaker look—every time I look at the data, they’re always trending.”

WHITE TANK TOP

There’s nothing, and I say it again, nothing, quite as iconic as a white tank top with the Loewe symbol sprawled across its neckline. You know exactly which one I’m talking about. Something that has been an underlayer, standalone, take-your-dog-out-for-its morning-walk throw on tee, has somehow gained enough traction to define an entire summer season of 2024. Or as Lapuerta encapsulates in the caption of her slideshow Instagram post on the meagre, yet momentous, white tank: “The popularity of white tank tops increased by 14% from June to July.” How does she know? “I pulled thousands of online posts and articles referencing the white tank top and ran a sentiment analysis to find that it’s seeing its highest popularity since summer 2020 (!!!).” That’s all.

Madé’s Take: “The white tank top is a very simple, staple piece. What I found was it is currently the most popular it’s been in the last four years. So many designers have started slapping their logos on a simple white tank top, which has given consumers a simpler, more affordable access point to be a part of the brand. Loewe, Prada, and Miu Miu have done this well, and clearly, it has helped the white tank top reach a new level of luxury status.”

VON DUTCH

‘Hey Siri, is Von Dutch cool again?’ (Plays 'Von Dutch' by Charli XCX on repeat). Known for the cargo pants, graphic tees, and streetwear, the brand with edgy vibes is back in time for the nostalgic trend on the rise. Those winning extra aura points for wearing the cult classic? Kylie Jenner, Billie Eilish and Charli XCX, who are all wearing the iconic cursive logo on everything—from denim jackets to logo tees. And somehow this time, it looks vastly different to when Paris Hilton wore it in 2003. 

SUMMER FRIDAYS LIP BALM

Call it the Mean Girls effect, but starting last summer, the only make-up essential on vanities everywhere was the humble lip balm. Since then, it has seen its reincarnation as lip oil, tinted lip balm, and even lipstick-meets-lip-balm hybrids like the one by make-up artist Violette Serrat. But what makes this eternal hydration must-have a new-era cult icon is its pop culture references. The omnipresent tube has gone from a night-stand amenity to the perfect addition to your morning ‘deskie’ or attached as an appendage to your phone (thanks very much Hailey Bieber and Rhode). Instinctively swiped on, it’s the perfect punctuation to conversations with friends.

Madé’s Take: “There are so many great lip glosses in the market right now, and I was curious to discover which was objectively the winner among consumers. For this analysis, I assessed sentiment on hundreds of online articles and posts on each lip gloss—from the Dior Lip Oil to the Rhode Peptide Lip Treatment. This helped me understand the quality of posts and press, instead of just the quantity. I found the Summer Fridays butter balm had an average popularity score nearly 120 per cent higher than the other lip glosses. I’m personally a huge fan of the product, so I was not surprised by the data.”

LOW-RISE JEANS

That classic hardworking material that never (ever) really falls out of fashion is back again, courtesy the Gen Z uniform of low-rise jeans, shoulder bag, claw clips and tank tops. Reupholstered in patchwork, sparkles, crystals, and beads, it’s giving modern-day The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants. Our favourite? Rkive City X PDKF’s special capsule collection of blue jeans with couture level embroidery. 

Lead image credit: The brands, Instagram, and Getty Images 

Also read: Could the viral ‘very demure’ trend be a reminder to not take things too seriously?

Also read: Underconsumption is on trend!