Stop wearing this immediately (try our expert picks for 2021 instead)

What's in for 2021 and definitely out with 2020 may surprise you.

Are you still wearing bright colors? It could be leaving your look terribly outdated. It's been a weird year for style to say the least, and with many of us relying on seeing and interacting with other people for style inspiration and confirmation of trends social distance has all but halted our personal style evolutions. We spoke with top fashion experts and celebrity stylists about what to wear to look current in 2021.

No more neon, move to mauve

Wearing head-to-toe brights will make you look outdated in 2021, but soft new takes on neutrals like mauve, beige, and the ever-constant gray tones will only grow in popularity. "While neon colors may have made 2020 a little brighter giving us some fashion joy in quarantine, many of us are ready to move on from 2020 all together," shares Kahlana Barfield Brown, a leading fashion and beauty expert who was formerly the Beauty Director at Instyle Magazine. "This means leaving behind the neons and embracing new seasons ahead.

Photo by Kristina Petrick on Unsplash

"Neon is ultimately timeless, so while it may not be the focal point of our fashion in 2021," she says. "It’s something that can continue to be used as a pop of color or accessorize a neutral look – even fun to be reserved for tropical vacation.

Fussy fabrics are very 2020, knits make you look modern

"I expect to see knits EVERYWHERE in 2021," tells Kahlana of this easy-to-nab trend. "Knits have quickly become a favorite for me and many others since we’re spending more time at home. One of my favorites at the moment is this cozy Cable Knit Sweater from Marshalls.

EN SAISON Mock Neck Cable Knit Sweater $24.99, Marshalls.com

The most inspiring part of this trend is how accessible it is for everyone. With price points ranging from under $10 through the thousands, every segment of the fashion-loving market is able to participate.

Skip the skinny jeans, go for wide legs

"Loose-fitting clothing has become a work-from-home staple and I’ve love seeing loose, flowy trousers on the horizon for 2021! It's a trend I hope is here to stay," Barfield Brown says of this 90s-inspired trend. "My favorites include these Wide Leg Side Slit Pants from Marshalls."

Splendid Wide Leg Pants

You can still wear your skinny jeans with on-trend neutral, pale fabric knits to update the look, but 2021 is about forgiving silhouettes.

Collar necklaces are out, layering charm necklaces is very in

Ali Levine, a celebrity stylist, says to stash those collar necklaces for another day, because 2021 is all about making the most of a jewelry trend from a few years ago in a brand new way. "Gold is especially big this year and will continue to be everywhere," she says, adding that, "Layering diamond charm necklaces as well, super fun and pops your look. You can mix vintage charms with modern day for a whole switch-up."

Image courtesy of Au-Rate

You can layer a favorite charm necklace with diamonds with enamel pieces, and basics in every metal type can be combined for a fresh take on an old classic.

No more stiletto heels, add practical lower-heeled boots to your look

We can all breathe a sigh of relief knowing that stiletto heels are leaving with 2020, and more practical and comfort-minded lower heels are making a major comeback.

"Say goodbye to your stiletto booties," Levine says of this polarizing heel style. "They had a minute, and now you won't see much of them! Boots are going to come out with lower heels and a slouchier fabric."

Heavy overdrawn eyebrows are done, opt for natural brow texture instead

Those bold, overdrawn, too-dramatic eyebrows we all got used to seeing on Instagram and YouTube? Thankfully they're a thing of the past, and are making way for pandemic-friendly natural brow textures that make grooming a breeze.

Photo by Joseph Pérez on Unsplash

"Heavy boy brows are on their way out with 2020," tells Ramy Gafni, celebrity brow artist to Taylor Swift, and owner of Ramy Brow & Makeup Studio in New York and RAMY Cosmetics. "The pandemic has made us all go back to basics in so many ways, and that includes our eyebrows. Many of the crazy brow trends we saw in the last couple of years like dragon brows, glitter brows, and wavy brows will disappear as people focus on keeping themselves together during this difficult time."

Ramy also offers virtual brow coaching sessions for quarantined customers and far-flung celebrity clients to help them groom and maintain current-looking brows.

Dressy looks are on their way out, cozy is here to stay

Astar Davidson, a fashion veteran with 15 years of apparel experience and a current store director for Athleta, says anything other than cozy is putting out trying-too-hard vibes. "Women are working from home now more than ever. Whether she's a stay-at-home mom, teacher, or business professional on Zoom calls, comfort continues to dominate the bottoms-up trend."

Athleta Cloud Fleece jacket

She suggests cozy, elevated essentials to get through the next several seasons, noting that they'll pair well with other wardrobe staples like denim if and when the time is appropriate. "Fabric is key, with the right cut to follow. Soft textures including fleece, and even our old friend from decades ago, velour, are driving up sales."

Forget complicated highlights, opt for cool-tone hair colors

If you found yourself loving complex, multi-tonal hair colors and rainbow ombre looks in 2019 and 2020, you'll be glad to know dimension is still important, but the winds of style are clearly blowing in a lower maintenance direction for 2021.

Photo by lexie janney on Unsplash

"Going into 2021, cool-toned blonde and brunette hair colors are going to be seen more than their brighter counterparts. Low-maintenance color like highlights or balayage are going to be more common," explains Vivian Bastos, brand manager for John Frieda. "These styles allow for longer time between salon visits." She suggests using a product like John Frieda Violet Crush for Blondes Purple Shampoo to keep cool blonde hues bright and true-to-intended color.

Image courtesy of Ulta

Stop adding the Thong Song to your shuffle, it's time for hipster underwear

As much as we all love a good 90s jam, and we do, 2021 is about to be the year of sophisticated hipster-cut underwear. "Comfort is now at the forefront of design," explains Vanessa Dusold, SVP of Merchandising and Design for Soma. "Everyday underwear styles are becoming more elevated with innovation and technology, and lightweight, no-show panties like hipsters that don't roll or ride are what you'll see trending in 2021."

Soma Vanishing Edge Microfiber Hipster

These smaller shapes and cuts, Vanessa says, "Work well well for the new diverse casual wardrobe." She expects color palettes with silvers, pinks, parchments, and greys to set the tone for the next several seasons.

Toss your heavy highlighter, bold eyeliner is the makeup trend to watch

Sure, you can keep your treasured slight-shimmer staples, but overall expect makeup trends to move toward long-lasting clean skin and more subtle enhancements, because the eyes are everyone's focus for 2021. Sophia Porter, a celebrity makeup artist at Exclusive Artists in Los Angeles, expects graphic eyeliner to take on bright notes and hints of pastel colors.

Photo by Taylor Heery on Unsplash

"Graphic liner seems to be consisting of bright or pastel colors, and a lot of them being cake liners that are making a huge come back into the beauty world," she says of this trend that can be worn by women of all ages and styles. "Cake liners are great since you activate them with a touch of water and they dry down for a long-wearing look."

Don't worry if you don't want to swap your whole existing wardrobe

If you're looking for one simple way to tweak your existing wardrobe for 2021, Astar Davidson says to stick to comfortable clothes in the right color tones. "Palettes are less optimistic," she says, encouraging anyone to update their look by focusing on, "Washed out colors, beiges, browns, mauves, grays, baby blues, and other softened neutrals."