Our New Year’s Style Resolutions

Forget “going to the gym” or “meditating.” The truest New Year’s resolutions are all about what you wear. In years past, we’ve collectively yearned to wear suits more and buy things less. Looking ahead towards a new 365, here’s how the GQ staff is shaking things up in 2026.

Dress (even more) like Johnny Knoxville. The Jackass patriarch has subsisted on a steady diet of trashed Levi’s trucker jackets, fitted plaid flannels, vintage ringer tees, beat-to-shit Dickies work pants, and cooked Chuck Taylors for going on 30 years now. Whenever I do the same, I feel great. Expect much more of that from me (hopefully with far fewer nut shots) in 2026. —Yang-Yi Goh, senior style editor

Buy triumphantly. In 2025 I treated shopping as a form of personal bribery. Every time I had to catch a plane after a too-short stay at home, I would buy myself something new to throw in my suitcase. It turns out that another cozy vintage hoodie or a fresh pair of loafers makes it a little easier to get back in that cab to JFK. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with this and to be honest I will definitely continue doing it in 2026, but I also want to start shopping triumphantly, treating myself when I have something to celebrate. Isn’t a reward more effective than a bribe? —Samuel Hine, global fashion correspondent

Say the nice things out loud. There’s an old tailoring adage that goes “compliment the clothes, not the man,” and it captures what I wanna do more of in 2026. A nice word goes a long way, and gassing someone up with a quick “nice pants” or “love that sweater” just feels right right now. It costs nothing, makes someone’s day 7% better, and is a reminder that simply seeing someone is its own kind of kindness. —Michael Nolledo, commerce director

More in-person shopping. I’m not opposed to online shopping; in fact, online shopping is the bulk of my job. I mean, who else is going to spend an ungodly amount of their time looking for the perfect pants? But for my own personal style, I have decided to be more intentional with my clothing purchases. I want to go to more retail spaces and feel the clothes, try them on and engage with the design in a way that feels less disposable. Hopefully, I waste less money on impulse online buys I don’t need and fall in love with the in-person purchases I do make. —Jordan Bowman, commerce editor