The 2016 Product Releases That Will Shape the Future of American Style

Let’s be honest, there’s a lot that happened this year that we’ll be glad to leave behind. But 2016 wasn’t all bad, and you better believe we’re gonna prove it in a listicle.

There were a ton of notable product releases this year, products that may very well have lasting effects on the definition of American style. The most obvious are the tech-related releases, things like Oculus Rift and Snapchat’s Spectacles. These are products that are continuing to hammer on how we view and interact with wearables—an unfortunate name for a wide breadth of innovation that continues to challenge how we look and live.

But there’s another dimension to this category, which includes products like Uniqlo’s collaboration with Muslim designer Hana Tajima and Demna Gvasalia’s debut for Balenciaga. American style isn’t just evolving on the level of how technology is touching our lives, it’s also evolving on the level of how the people designing our clothes are thinking about a more inclusive future. Here, we’re breaking down all the products from 2016 that are most likely to shape the future of American style.

Say what you will about VR technology, self-driving cars, etc., what we really need in this world are some auto-lacing shoes, right? Imagine the places you’ll go with shoes that hug your feet just the way you like it. Nike was quick to identify this gaping hole in the shoe market, and now here we are, preparing for the onslaught of the Nike HyperAdapt. Of course, Cristiano Ronaldo was the first athlete to test-drive the new technology, and the shoes are headed for wide release on Dec. 1.

It’s no joke that this is Apple’s world and we’re all just living in it, and if Apple decides that headphone jacks aren’t cool anymore, well then, so be it. But if Apple’s own alternative, the AirPods, aren’t really your vibe, Beats by Dre has you covered with BeatsX. The company launched these new wireless earphones along with the iPhone 7 unveiling. Bonus point: They’re a lot harder to lose than the tiny new AirPods.

OK, fine, so this product didn’t technically release this year, but did you see the initial unveiling video?! Up until this point, Tesla has largely only been associated with uber rich San Francisco venture capitalists, but the Model 3’s starting price point ($35,000!) is aiming to change that scope in a big way. Hey, quick question: Is it still considered stylish if we’re all driving around in the same Tesla model five years from now?

A late entry to be considered a game-changing 2016 product release, but worthy nonetheless. Snapchat’s Spectacles—sunglasses that can record video—will undoubtedly unearth a few creepy Google Glass memories you’d rather forget, but the company is playing up the whimsy angle *hard* on the Spectacles to try to rebrand the idea of a wearable camera as fun, not shady. The reviews are optimistic so far, and at $130 per pair, the Spectacles are in the right price range for wide adoption, although you have to be lucky enough to live near a Snap-branded vending machine ( ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ) if you want to grab a pair.

The words “style” and “VR headset” are not a natural pair yet, and the Oculus Rift headset is undeniably not as whimsical and sleek as a pair of Spectacles, but the Oculus Rift VR headset has been a long time coming. It was definitely one of 2016’s most-hyped product releases. Will we all be sitting around with one of these strapped to our faces in the future? And what does that say about American style? Who knows! But get ready, because VR will only become more ubiquitous in the future.

It’s a standout piece in a standout debut collection by a standout designer. Gvasalia’s Balenciaga is not a delicate one (remember when he told W that fashion shouldn’t make people dream?) and it speaks to a larger sentiment this year, both on the runway and off, that fashion is meant to work for the wearer, not the other way around. Of course, the puffer is still a very non-accessible $3,250, but it’s the thought that counts, right?

Where were you on the day that Puma dropped a limited original Fenty Creeper restock this year? Clicking furiously on a shopping cart, screaming into the void? I still remember an interview I did earlier this year with a retired, veteran Condé​ Nast editor in which she recounted her morning spent shopping on Madison Ave., in her Fenty Puma by Rihanna creepers. WWD’s Footwear News crowned Rihanna’s creepers 2016’s Shoe of the Year—a formal designation for what everyone had already known for some time—and Rihanna has graced us with a velvet version (!!) just to top things off.

Designers have slowly been waking up to the world of Muslim fashion, but until this year there wasn’t a shopping experience that allowed you to walk into a giant fashion chain and browse the hijab selection. Muslim designer Hana Tajima partnered with Uniqlo and debuted a Muslim fashion collection in Southeast Asia in 2015 that was so successful, Uniqlo decided to launch a version in the U.S. this year. The 99-piece collection, and the hijabs in particular, are a stark reminder of how much potential there is within the fashion industry to serve Muslim consumers.

Yes, genderless clothing was around long before Zara decided to release its UnGendered Collection this year, but as a wise person once said, “a trend hasn’t truly gone mainstream until Zara has co-opted the idea and spun it out for less than $50.” In particular, the jeans were great because they were a pair of jeans cut the same for men and women without a ‘boyfriend jean’ label in sight! Of course, the launch collection was not without flaw, but it’s a step in the right direction.