Millennials Flood Instagram With 2016 Selfies, Skinny Jeans Resurrected

KEY POINTS

•In early 2026, millennials and celebrities like Kylie Jenner posted nostalgic 2016 photos on Instagram and TikTok.
•Social media strategist Kar Brulhart attributed the trend to a desire for an analogue, less charged era.
•Fashion brand Reformation joined in, sharing images of celebrities wearing their 2016 collections with wistful captions.

This week, Instagram and TikTok turned into a time machine blasting straight to 2016, when skinny jeans were still flattering and Clarendon filters reigned supreme. Millennials, nostalgic for their thinner, less AI-policed selves, are flooding feeds with selfies thicker than their winged eyeliner. Celebrity selfies from Kylie Jenner, rocking Converse high-tops and that iconic Kylie Lip Kit, have racked up millions of likes, proving humans still worship questionable fashion choices. Even James Charles resurrected the 2016 cut-crease eyeshadow of nightmares with 5.6 million TikTok views. Social media guru Kar Brulhart claims this trend is a safe escape from today's 'charged' political climate, where posting is apparently harder than baking a soufflé. Meanwhile, LA brand Reformation wistfully posted celeb pics from 2016, missing a year that was apparently 'lighter'—much like their Instagram feeds before Reels and AI 'slop' took over. Millennials might not have houses or babies yet, but they've got nostalgia and fishnet tights—that's 2016 in a snapshot.