Faced with a clean slate for 2024, we couldn't resist doing some crystal ball-gazing into the year ahead. What will people be wearing, eating, drinking? How will our digital habits evolve? What haircut will be everywhere?

We posed the question to a few of our expert friends and put our heads together to predict the big trends we expect to see in the next 12 months.

FASHION

The New York Times already predicted this but I agree: rosettes will be the new bow. Bows won’t be ‘over’ (they are a classic) but they won’t be as popular. - Zoe Walker Ahwa, Ensemble editor and co-founder

Assertive red will be the new Barbie pink. - ZWA

The perky nipple trend will see people sewing buttons or marbles into their bras à la Marilyn Monroe. - Lara Daly, Ensemble publishing coordinator

Everyone (myself included) will wear red crew neck cardigans this autumn / winter. - Tyson Beckett, style reporter

Baggy jeans are out, low rise capris and 3/4 tights are in. Think SJP in Sex and the City and her infamous ‘bad outfit’ where she is seen in tights, a bandana and Chanel blouse but for the club. Also dressing for the daytime but for nighttime, like one does when having breakfast for dinner. My prediction for men is a resurgence of Beckham-core (after the Netflix doco) men will be recreating the countless looks David Beckham served during his heyday. - Tom So, fashion stylist

I think in 2024 we’ll see more muted tones. A lot of black, white and grey and simple silhouettes. Feminine, cutesy and delicate for the girlies. Mens I think will be more classic - polos, shorts, schoolboy/suiting meets sportswear. - Zoey Radford Scott, fashion stylist

The rise of fashion challenges and outfit tracking – both as a way to encourage shopping of your own wardrobe rather than buying new, and a sort of gamification of style. TikTok style commentator Mandy Lee started the year with the 75 Hard Style Challenge – 75 days of “intentionally getting dressed, collecting data, and discovering what you naturally gravitate towards” – while sustainability advocate Aja Barber posted about the benefits of tracking her outfits, including having an index of ensembles to fall back on and learning about your buying and wearing patterns. There’ll be a lot more of this style tracking on Instagram and TikTok this year, a new version of the OOTD. - ZWA

I think we’re going to see a resurgence of animal prints like cheetah, leopard and snake, as well as classic patterns, such as stripes and polka dots. I’m also really excited to see more nautical-inspired fashion this year. It’s adventurous, enduring, and effortlessly chic - very deserving of its place in the limelight. - Estelle Schuler, fashion stylist

No purchasing of plastic clothing and footwear (polyester and ‘vegan leather’). - Constance McDonald, photographer and writer

Turquoise jewellery will be back, but in a minimal string-necklace kinda way rather than 2008 boho-chic. - LD

Excess will replace quiet luxury and minimalism. There won’t be a specific era referenced, but many – from the splendour of the 80s (as seen in Margot Robbie’s Balmain pastel pink polka dot mini dress, Carey Mulligan’s sharp shoulders also by Balmain and Kathryn Hahn’s Moschino pouf) to the refined maximalism of NYC socialites Babe Paley, Slim Keith, C. Z. Guest and Lee Radziwill, inspired by the upcoming series Feud: Capote vs. The Swans. Amanda Luxon wearing Adrienne Winkelmann on election night last year was another predictor of this vibe shift… - ZWA

BEAUTY

There are only three haircuts anyone is asking for at the moment. It’s either the world's shortest 90s bob, a long layered blowout cut or a pixie cut. - Henare Davidson, senior stylist at Salt salon, London

Shaggy edges! No blunt ends to be seen anywhere unless it’s a sharp bob on straight hair. If you have any movement in your hair at all then layers should be seamless and soft. Same goes for fringes and bangs - no straight lines thank you please. Also fake redhead (in). - Lauren Gunn, hair stylist and director of Colleen salon, Auckland

The red lip. I know this is timeless, but red accents are so in, and every new paparazzi photo I see of Taylor Swift and her beautiful red lips makes me believe more and more in the dream - Lyric Waiwiri-Smith, Stuff reporter

Iridescent lips like these chrome balms by Isamaya Ffrench will be big, as well as all frost-finish lip products in general. Unlike a lot of Y2K throwback trends this can be flattering on everyone! Also silver nail polish, I’m already seeing it everywhere. - LD

More men will be open about having plastic surgery and various ‘tweakments’. - ZWA

Big hair. Blame the Priscilla movie, and my 2024 equivalent of the Barbie movie, Feud: Capote vs. The Swans. - ZWA

Getting free SPF 50 sunscreen and retin-A on prescription from your GP. - CM

Thanks to the influence of Pamela Anderson, we’ll see more celebrities going makeup-free on the red carpet. She will probably launch a skincare line soon after. Jennifer Coolidge will be the antidote to this and launch an ultra-glam makeup line. - LD

Bleached eyebrows are sticking around, otherwise eyebrows are getting thinner with a 90s look and feminine arch. - LD

CULTURE

Bright yellow roses. I’ve been seeing them everywhere, from the Burberry boutique to the W Magazine Best Performances party at the Chateau Marmont, where they filled the bathtub with a whole bunch. - ZWA

A complete change of heart with the ‘Girl Trends’ (Girl Dinner, Girl Math, etc) - online discourse over what empowers women and what doesn’t will suck the joy out of these fads, and some kind of Gross Girl aesthetic will come into style. - LWS

In: Eggnog, writing letters, no expiry dates on vouchers, idioms e.g. “spare someone's blushes” - save someone from embarrassment, miso soup singles - “would you like a hot drink? tea, coffee, miso soup?” Out: Pretending not to know someone when you have followed each other on Instagram for ages, being disagreeable (try “yes, and”), blue ballpoint pens. - CM

Addison Rae’s recent posts using throwback Instagram filters – like Valencia – flash photography and what looks like an iPhone5, will influence the look of social media. Just like it’s 2014 on Tumblr again. - ZWA 

Threads won't exist anymore. Digital detox retreats will become a huge industry. - LD

Given the lack of arts and culture policies shown by our new government, NZ’s local creative scene (though always brilliant) will have to fight for itself (again) this year.  - LWS

The vibe shift in practice. Last year I ranted a lot to everyone in my daily vicinity (mostly Tyson) about this ‘vibe shift’ that I was observing here and overseas — basically, just a regression back to conservatism following years where socially progressive perspectives became the norm. The vibe shift is Ozempic and this societal obsession with thinness creeping back in. It’s the return of fine dining, snark, and other exterior signs of wealth. It’s Jo Koy’s lame sexist jokes at the Golden Globes. The vibe shift is NZ’s shift to the right. Just to be clear: I hate this! And reject it wholeheartedly. But we joked, particularly post NZ election, that it was actually a vibequake, vibe-collapse or a vibe-sinkhole - whatever you call it, 2024 will see it play out in real time. - ZWA

Tennis will replace surfing as the new it girl sport. - LD

Cakes will get even kitscher, replacing tiers and sheets – think of lamb cakes and the absurdist creations from The Australian Women's Weekly Children's Birthday Cake Book. - ZWA

Cocktails will go small format - think teeny martinis. - TB

Retro party food will come back in a big way - cheese fondue, shrimp cocktail, pigs in a blanket. - LD

Full on honesty, with celebrities ‘exposing’ truths about fame and the fame industry – and 2024 has already come in hot, from comedian Katt Williams’ recent ‘scorched earth’ interview, Lil Nas X’s promo for his new comeback song (“Me knowing I’m about to expose the industry next Friday and realising I need to watch my back for the next seven days”) and Taraji P Henson’s ‘candid’ New York Times interview. It's important to note that these are three Black creatives; I think it reflects frustration at the status quo which people thought was changing, but has not. - ZWA

A rejection of cringe. This is inspired by this tweet, which I co-sign wholeheartedly. - ZWA

PEOPLE

Taylor Swift will release the rest of her re-recordings - Reputation TV in the first half of the year, then self-titled in the second, both announced while she performs the international leg of the Eras Tour. I also have a good feeling about a new album… - LWS

Kanye West and Bianca Censori will divorce, and it will be a “Good for Her” moment. - LWS

Two capitalist mastermind queens will come together: Taylor Swift will do something – a collab, a photo opp – with Kim Kardashian, as part of her Reputation reclamation. - ZWA

North West will release an album. - LD

Lorde will release a new album and it will be closer in vibe and aesthetic to her Pure Heroine 2013 era than Solar Power. - ZWA

Madonna at Glastonbury. - TB

A really good bio-pic of Leonard Cohen will be announced. - CM