You’ve just received a little moolah for Christmas, and a shopping spree is on the horizon. But before you let loose, you might want to have a think about what you’re spending your cash on.
There was once a time when owning a Victoria’s Secret bra mattered more to me than life itself. I was convinced that my social status relied entirely on a black push up bra.
Now though, times have changed, and many of the must-haves we once coveted have officially fallen out of fashion.
But if you find yourself reading this article while sipping on a personalised ‘Love Island’ water bottle, you can at least avoid making the same mistake in future — we’re here to warn you what not to waste your money on now.
Personalised number plates
Having a personalised number plate used to be incredibly chic.
Catching a glimpse of a fabulous 19-year-old zipping down the high street, S0PH1E taking pride of place on the front of her Fiat 500, or hovering by the bus stop as B0YZ4LF came tearing round the corner, were once pinch-me moments.
In 2025 though, spending hundreds – if not thousands – of pounds to make sure the entire world knows G4RY is in the driver’s seat feels quite ostentatious.
This isn’t to say people aren’t still buying them; in fact, private registrations are more popular than ever. According to DVLA data, sales have more than doubled over the past decade — more than 1.2 million transactions took place in 2024, up from about 500,000 in 2014.
But that in itself proves they’re no longer fashionable, as the market has become too oversaturated for any sense of individuality or prestige.
Talent manager Blaise Kelly, 26, tells Metro: ‘They just feel so flashy, and everyone has them,’ while Asset Manager Sophie Alcock, 26, adds: ‘I personally see a personalised number plate and immediately think “that person’s a wanker”.’
So, if there’s one thing you remember going into 2026, it’s that finding ways to use 3s as Es for your ‘totally unique’ vanity plate idea is not the vibe.
Personalised… anything
While I have your attention, let’s also cross all things personalised off the list for the year ahead.
I’m not denying that at one point in time, it was super fun to have your name embossed onto every water bottle, notebook, tote bag, and perfume. But now, I think it’s best we all move on.
For one, the personalised market has become terrifying. Some Etsy businesses are charging upwards of £50 for an unbranded tumbler with a vinyl name sticker on it, or more than £100 for a machine-engraved bamboo charcuterie board.
Then there’s the question of why anyone needs their name emblazoned on everything they own. Are they unable to remember who they are unless their tote bag reminds them? Will they forget they’re in their own kitchen without a plaque proclaiming so?
It’s all very ‘Facebook mum’ (particularly when combined with that swirly script font), and in a couple of years, landfills are guaranteed to be chock-a-block with personalised tat.
Obnoxious sinks
In 2019, Kim Kardashian unveiled her basin-less sink, with a sloped countertop and a slit for a drain. A sink so fancy, experts estimated it could have cost the businesswoman at least $25,750 (£19,084).
And while it’s alright for some, I think it’s fair to say that in 2026, we should scrap the idea that your bathroom sink needs to perform the entire Wicked soundtrack while you wash your hands.
There are ways to jazz up your kitchen or bathroom without spending thousands on a sink carved out of the Himalayan mountains.
What happened to good old-fashioned white ceramic basins, with easy-to-use taps? If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. And if you’re buying a sink that requires you to clap to switch on the hot water, you might just be unfashionable.
Spending £20,000 on a Tiffany Marble Pedestal sink might sound like a flex, but we’re living in increasingly unequal times, and as Kourtney Kardashian famously told her sister, ‘People are dying, Kim.’
That’s not to say you can’t make a statement; even though having more money than sense is not in for 2026, what is cool is making something memorable on a budget.
High-tech homeware
Josie de Kock, 26, tells Metro: ‘Anything too automated is embarrassing. Automated salt and pepper shakers or voice-activated lights definitely feel unfashionable these days.’
For context, Josie actually owns a set of automatic blinds, but she did recognise her own participation in this growing trend, noting: ‘There have been a few times where I’ve pulled the remote out mid conversation, and have then felt immediately mortified as I’ve watched the blinds slowly go down.’
And she has a point. While advanced technology should be exciting and forward-thinking, a lot of these products are fairly pointless for most, ‘solving’ problems that don’t exist and coming across like unnecessary displays of wealth.
Unless you have mobility issues, you can get up to switch the kettle on, and you can start a load of delicates far quicker by twisting a dials or pushing a buttons than trying to connect to a WiFi-enabled washing machine.
Adarsh, 27, agrees, telling Metro: ‘over-engineered “smart tech” with touchscreens like kettles, toasters, fridges, all feel quite cringe to be honest.’
Hot tubs
Fancy hovering in a bubbling bath full of your own germs? I didn’t think so.
2026 is not about to be the year any of us get Legionnaires’ disease, a lung infection you can get from inhaling droplets of water from things like air conditioning or hot tubs… there’s nothing fashionable about that.
Plus, hot tubs might have been a vibe a few years ago (remember when Aldi’s inflatable middle aisle one would sell out within minutes?) but now they feel a bit like a toxic boyfriend – far too much maintenance and upkeep with very little reward.
Similar to silly sinks, buying a hot tub feels a bit like an empty status symbol – pouring money into a pretty pointless material possession when those funds could’ve been used far more effectively.
Plus, no one looks good sipping Prosecco, red-faced and trying to stay above the water.
Leave hot tubs in the past, we’re onto bigger and better things.
And if you find yourself in January browsing the web for personalised, automated blinds with a massage jet function — stop yourself, take a deep breath, and redirect those funds elsewhere.
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