It is difficult to wrap my head around all of the insane things that have happened in 2024 — the multiple assassination attempts on President Trump’s life, Kylian Mbappe leaving PSG for Real Madrid, my Spotify Wrapped — but even crazier is that Hot or Not! was started almost exactly one year ago. As we enter the new year (both 2025 and the second year of this column), it’s tradition to have new year’s resolutions. Mine are that I get many more poll responses and opportunities to talk about my favorite basketball players and never have to read the words low taper fade and knee surgery again.
With that, here is a special issue of Hot or Not!, our official unofficial guide to pop culture: the trends we see on campus, around Seattle, and through our phones. With a little help from Tatler’s poll-responding friends, here’s our 2025 ins & outs.
IN
The dab. I’ve been saying this. My life changed when I first found out what the dab was, and something shifted in me when I first did it myself. I think I’ve been chasing that high ever since. But it’s only fair that we go all the way. Bring back the “In My Feelings” dance challenge, Fortnite dance IRL, and Musically-era camera shakes.
Chopping off a lot of your hair. i.e. blunt bobs, pixie cuts, buzz cuts.
Utah soda (aka a Dirty Soda). Utah’s Dirty soda chain Swig has expanded to Colorado and Idaho, so really, it’s only a matter of time before Washington gets one too (hopefully this year!).
Modern hats. To be honest, I have no idea what this means, but this is a perfect segue to TikToks I’ve seen of people wearing a hat outside for the first time and saying “Everyone knows I’m not a hat guy. “He’s not a hat guy,” they all shout in unison.” I think that in 2025 we should all stop thinking about what people think about what we wear so much but, as a compromise, keep making funny videos about it.
Maximalism. Timothée Chalamet. While promoting the Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown,” he’s been everywhere from College Football Game Day with Nick Saban and Pat McAfee to podcasts with Theo Von and Brittany Broski. While he’s never really been “out,” he is appealing to so many different demographics and he is winning them all over.
Devious licks. Not endorsed by Tatler! Maybe stick to gags, pranks, laughs, and tricks instead, just to be safe…
Women in male-dominated fields.
Skinny jeans. I’m sensing that skinny jeans will likely become chic and trendy again, and so does a poll-respondent, so I guess it must be true :/ You have less than two weeks to get rid of all of your straight-leg or baggy jeans before you become to Gen Alpha what Millennials are to Gen Z (I just got chills). I don’t make the rules, just enforce them!
Fantasy League punishments.
OUT
Fast fashion & overconsumption.
“Stupid people in my life.” #Preach.
The Hawk Tuah bitcoin.
TikTok.
Literally. TikTok could be banned in the US as early as January 19, unless its China-based parent company ByteDance agrees to sell the app to an American company or the Supreme Court decides to grant TikTok its appeal of the ban. Just in case, maybe take the time to look back at the drafts you made over the years, relive watching all of your saved videos, and look forward to a more productive, distraction-free 2025!
