"Best moment of 2015: Rick Owens' 'Human Backpack' spring 2016 runway show! Worst moment of 2015: graphic phrase tees! Anything that says, 'FANCY,' 'FEYONCÉ,' 'SORRY NOT SORRY' has gotta go!"—Ragen Fykes, West End Select Shop, westendselectshop.com

"The best cultural touchstone of 2015 was when the US Supreme Court ruled that same-sex marriage was a fundamental right, and my favorite style moment from the year was the Afropunk festival."—Amanda Smith, photographer, aleighsmith.com

"The one thing I was most inspired by this year is the rise of Afropunk and African fashions. I'm super into 'lady loafers'—meaning the newly designed version of those chunky two-inch heels your grandma used to wear in the '60s and '70s. And I want to come clean and say that I am completely over ugly, huge five-inch-plus heels for women. On the other hand, I am still totally into them for men!

Designers are starting to listen more to what women want—we want to move our bodies, and we want a closet that lasts."—Christine Taylor, photographer, art director, and creative producer, happyplayground.com 

"Don't get me wrong, I'm excited for the new Star Wars film, but with numerous high-fashion brands giving their literal interpretation of Star Wars-themed fashion, the idea begins to feels a little (forgive the pun) forced.  

It was a nice change of pace to see some retailers taking a step back from the shop-on-Thanksgiving/Black Friday madness that's been building over the past few years."—Jason Calderon, West Daily, westdaily.com

"There are definitely still humans in Portland who embrace a unique personal style, those who carefully curate their wardrobes, who have a talent for dressing quite effortlessly with an 'I don't give a fuck what you think' attitude. I noticed several more of these people this past year, which makes me happy.

I have always adored Marjorie [Skinner]'s style. I will miss reading her endless support and criticisms for/of Portland fashion in the Mercury, but am happy she isn't going anywhere. This brings me to what I'd like to say farewell to: '80s giant plastic eyeglass frames! They're so fucking creepy.

The truth is, we are all judgmental and are sometimes appalled by others' choices. If you feel good, that's what matters.

Women: Respect each other, encourage each other, and unless asked (technically, I was asked here!) don't give dirty looks to your fellow female, no matter how much of their private parts are showing... just breathe."—Katie Guinn, designer, artist, and writer, katieguinn.com

"Adam Arnold definitely captured my heart this year. From getting to tour his studio barefoot back in April, to his psychedelic, fart-spray-infused show at Canton Grill, to his conversation on 'shock' for Creative Mornings, he's constantly redefining what it means to be a Portland-based fashion designer.

I'm hoping that after the chaos that was Portland Fashion Week, people here and elsewhere don't see that as the best representation of our local fashion."—Krystal Gaynor, Mercantile, mercantileportland.com

"For me, the worst aspect of fashion in 2015 is the prevailing attitude that fast fashion is okay. Speaking of fast fashion, I'd love to see the end of 'blogger style' in 2016: No more cheap trend-driven Americanized versions of French dressing, please."—Allison Burt-Tilden, Votre Grande Soeur, votregrandesoeur.com 

"For all the discussions it sparked, I think my favorite was seeing Caitlyn Jenner on Vanity Fair in a very tiny corset looking amazing. It opened up conversations about what it means to be a woman, ageism, how women are treated differently in the media, and what role fashion plays in a person's identity. My least favorite are any/all 'festival fashion' spreads."—Anna Reed, betsy & iya, betsyandiya.com

"Best of 2015: socks over shoes as seen during Alexa Stark's collection at the Residents show. Bodysuits."—Rachel Turk, Frances May, francesmay.com

"I'll say this every year, whether it's a trend or not, but I LOVE all of the woven and embroidered textiles that have been taking center stage. Traditional Southeast Asian and Guatemalan textiles are always glorious and exciting to see in a modern light."—Anna Margaret, Le Souk Le Souk, lesouklesouk.com

"I have been watching American Horror Story: Hotel and I'm obsessed with every last detail. Set design, costumes, casting, music... can't get enough of that gore and '80s goth vibes.—Jenny Czinder, Strange Vacation, strangevacation.com

"For shows, always Fade to Light and Alley 33. One of my favorite things of the entire year was the Socality Barbie Instagram. I am so ready for the look and aesthetic they hit on to be a thing of the past."—Alyson Clair, designer, alysonclair.com 

"I heard someone say in 2015, 'Backpack cuture is the new sneaker culture.' I'm middle-fingering that statement, but I'm totally interested in seeing more backpacks that can do rad things."—Justin "Scrappers" Morrison, Stay Wild, staywildmagazine.com

"Best: FashioNXT launching the city's first fashion accelerator, with cash grant and business-loan program for the winner with the support of financial development entities Wells Fargo Bank and Mercy Corps. Seth Aaron's collection showing the world the breadth of his superb skills like never before, and one of the most skillful designers of the time, Mondo Guerra, premiering his collection for the first time in Portland at FashioNXT.

Worst: Some misguided efforts to be seen as 'supporting the fashion industry' continue to mock the intelligence, and more importantly the trade, that's the livelihood of many of us."—Tito Chowdhury, FashioNXT, fashionxt.net

"Best fashion moment: The CFDA awards being focused on more independent-minded designers. Worst fashion moment: Yeezy."—Gretchen Jones, designer, theneutralterritory.com