Jellyfish Are Set To Inspire Our Beauty & Fashion Looks In 2024, According To Pinterest

In 2023, we learned that animal prints are the new neutrals; they're ubiquitous, and they're not limited to one animal. We see cheetah, zebra, and leopard prints everywhere. However, thanks to the newly released Pinterest Predicts 2024 data, the general animal print trend is honing in one specific animal, and it's not quadrupedal. Enter the jellyfish.

You read that right: Jellyfish are taking center stage not only in fashion but also in the hair and home decor arenas. Pinterest releases data for the coming year every December, and 2024's trend report shows that searches on the platform for "jellyfish haircut" rose by a whopping 615% during the September 2021 to August 2023 analysis period. While slightly less profoundly, "jellyfish hat" rose by 220%, "jellyfish umbrella" rose by 195%, "blue jellyfish" rose by 155%, and "jellyfish lamp" rose by 95%. One thing is clear: This ocean-dwelling creature is not only beautiful (and scary) but also incredibly inspiring. 

The jellyfish haircut made waves as early as 2022, which is during Pinterest's data analysis period, but they could experience not only a big renaissance but also a transformation in 2024. Typically, the jellyfish haircut's goal isn't to look like an actual sea creature; rather, it's all about layering to create a more bulbous top portion of the hair with straighter strands going down the back. It's a loose interpretation, but "it's definitely for a niche, artsy, and experimental group," as salon owner and stylist Dan Williams told Glamour in 2022. "This look is trending because it's a gender-neutral style and it's very edgy, artistic, and creative."

In 2024, the haircut might glean more inspiration from its eponymous animal. TikTok can establish wide-spreading trends, and 2023 has already seen some folks getting their jellyfish haircuts done in more intriguing ways. For example, one of hairstylist sinsister.elegance's clients asked for a more convincing 'cut and ended up with a more lifelike look thanks to exaggerated layers, bobbing, and colors. Though it's a more adventurous style, we could see this style really take off among the influencer crowd in 2024, especially if the 615% rise in Pinterest searches is anything to go by.

Important to distinguish here is that the jellyfish duds of 2024 seem to be unrelated to early 2023's jellyfishing fashion trend, which centered on evoking the aquatic animal through puffy tops and straight bottoms rather than wearing items that directly show jellyfish imagery. Jellyfish hats themselves date back to at least 2018 when Valentino models stomped Paris' spring 2018 runway in various forms of puffy hats with tendrils hanging down from them like jellyfish. While some looked more like the sea creature than others, they were all much more jellyfish-like and colorful than the everyday clothes worn during 2023's jellyfishing period.

It's unclear why the jellyfish trend is just taking off after being on runways as early as 2018, but what's even more interesting is that the trend seemingly contradicts other notable movements in fashion from Pinterest's 2024 report. The social platform's report denotes that people are moving toward honing in on their individual style, pursuing sustainable clothing through thrifting and investing in high-quality pieces, and generally moving away from flashy, quick-moving trends. From this, we can glean that fun trends aren't dead; they might simply need to be extra exciting to truly catch the public's eyes moving forward — at least in 2024.

Jellyfish items might seem obscure, but that couldn't be farther from the truth. This fall, Hourglass Cosmetics released a six-panned Jellyfish Palette for $90 — we didn't say they'd be cheap — though TikTokers are torn on the product's price and effectiveness. Other brands, like Black Moon Cosmetics, have shades of their products named "Jellyfish" rather than featuring actual jellyfish imagery like Hourglass' palette. 

Outside of products, TikTokers like _dessbeauty have been showing off how to create entire jellyfish-themed makeup looks for a while now. Destanee's video was posted in May 2022 — inside Pinterest's data analysis period like the jellyfish haircut — and features aquamarine eyeshadow with white and blue "tentacles" spiraling downward toward her cheeks. Of course, her blue lipstick, hair, and outfit also help set the scene — and are perfectly on trend, as blue beauty is predicted by Pinterest to be huge in 2024, too.

In addition to jellyfish makeup products and look inspiration being available, hyper-realistic jellyfish hats not too dissimilar from Valentino's can be found from fashion makers like Y3KShopCorp on Etsy. Meanwhile, Amazon offers cheaper alternatives that look more cartoonish, which isn't a bad thing; these would be perfect for kids or children's birthday parties. And who could forget about the myriad jellyfish tops out there? Fashion retailers like Gizia offer blouses and other items that feature jellyfish prominently. We haven't tested these products and can't recommend them outright; rather, take this as inspiration for the year to come because jellyfish aren't going anywhere.