These 9 Pieces Ruled 2016

The fixation with Loewe's Puzzle bag showed the style set's continued preference for subtler ways to show their insider status. No flashy labels or oversize totes, but the specific pattern sends a wink to fashionable women everywhere and you know it when you see one.

From slides and heels to the iconic horsebit detail, Gucci's loafers were the flats to have.

J.W. Anderson's bag blew up with bloggers and fashion insiders, again proving subtle statements reigned supreme in 2016.

The celebrity and blogger-loved label continued to make waves in 2016, this time with a range of sheer silhouettes that went beyond its first-popular fit-and-flare silhouette. Need further proof that the brand went big this year? Both Kate Middleton and Michelle Obama are fans.

We should have seen the comeback coming — athleisure and nostalgia collided in a perfect storm, bringing the pants you wore in grade school back in a big, high-fashion way.

With bold buckles and grosgrain ankle straps, Miu Miu's sweet-meets-edgy silhouette was the newest iteration of the lace-up flats trend. If you didn't see them all over your Instagram feed, you probably weren't paying attention.

Gucci dominated the fashion world with its bold collection of bags, sweatshirts, and red-carpet-worthy gowns. Its runway pieces seemed specifically crafted to turn heads on the streets, but the item that first caught our attention was a simpler, wear-with-everything crisscross sandal that took over at Fall 2016 Fashion Week.