Outdated Trends Erika Kirk Wore Long After They Went Out Of Style

One thing seems clear about Erika Kirk: she moves to the beat of her own drum. This reality has earned her praise as well as criticism. The most evident example of this is her approach to mourning following the untimely death of her husband, Charlie Kirk; netizens have called out Kirk for not behaving in ways typically expected of a grieving widow, apparently focusing more on taking the helm of Turning Point USA rather than lamenting her late husband. But Kirk continues to do it her way, in spite of such online backlash. 

While this might be a more macro point of contention, Kirk has also proven time and again that she does her own thing when it comes to style. Namely, she continues to wear trends that have long since gone out of style. From dated sneakers to shredded skinny jeans, Kirk doesn't mind wearing pieces that peaked 10 or 15 years ago. She's been guilty of other fashion flops, too. On one occasion, Kirk overloaded a TPUSA Tour outfit with too many outdated trends at once. At other events, Kirk has been guilty of wearing outfits that totally missed the mark, meaning she stepped out in something that struck the wrong tone for the gathering. Beyond this, Kirk has also worn some outfits that were outright controversial, and it has been hard for her to live these down. While not controversial, Kirk has still missed the fashion mark with these looks that are undeniably outdated. 

When Erika Kirk and JD Vance enjoyed their quizzical hug on stage during a Turning Point USA event at the University of Mississippi on October 29, 2025, people couldn't get over it. While the hug itself might have been the strangest part of the event, Kirk's skin-tight, shiny leather skinny jeans were a close second. The pants were a curious choice for a conservative event geared around grieving Charlie Kirk. Secondly, the pants were seriously outdated. Skinny leather pants were hugely popular in the late 2000s and 2010s as part of the "emo" and indie sleaze scenes, but lost traction later. So in 2025, they looked so out of style. 

Shredded denim has been firmly out of style for a few years, now. And shredded skinny jeans have long been on the back burner when it comes to favored denim choices. So when Charlie Kirk posted a photo of himself and Erika Kirk on Instagram to honor Mother's Day on May 12, 2024, he accidentally showed his wife in an outdated fashion look that didn't do her any favors. Distressed denim became a fashion staple in the 2000s and continued to be popular until around 2010. The style shifted to favor sleeker, more refined jeans that weren't so distressed. Kirk seemed to miss this memo. 

Erika Kirk stepped out in leather jogging pants with gathered ankles on an outing to the zoo with her daughter, posting a video of the event on July 18, 2025 to Instagram. Obviously, the point of the video was a touching experience of a mother and daughter enjoying a day together, but it was hard to ignore Kirk's baggy, shiny joggers. This particular look, especially a leather version of joggers, peaked around 2010, so the fact that Kirk was wearing them 15 years after their high point made her look outdated. 

Erika Kirk posted a sweet photo on Instagram on August 29, 2025 with her child at Chase Field, a large stadium in Phoenix, Arizona. She wore a pair of Louis Vuitton Boom Box monogram leather wedge sneakers in white and silver with a Velcro ankle strap. The sneakers became very popular in 2021, but quickly receded into the background in favor of sleeker, more retro style sneakers. The fact that Kirk's exact sneakers are now for sale on second hand sites like Poshmark and The RealReal show that these kicks have run their course and other folks are getting rid of their pairs. 

Erika Kirk wore a short, boxy black and white striped dress while speaking at a Bloom Conference, a religious conference for women, in March 2025. The dress cut off high on her thigh — a surprising choice for a religious event that typically endorses modesty — and featured puffy sleeves. Kirk paired the dress with high-top sneakers. It was the overall styling and cut of the dress that looked outdated and unflattering. Per Vogue, the biggest dress trends of 2025 involved draping and longer hemlines. The fact that Kirk's dress made her look boxy and frumpy proves that she would have been better served by following the trendier styles of the year. 

Erika Kirk shared another carousel of photos to Instagram on January 9, 2026, and one shot featured her in a black sweat suit, a black ball cap, and a pair of Golden Goose sneakers. These specific sneakers, with the gray star and silver glitter heel tab, retail for $595, and feature a pre-distressed finish. Golden Goose sneakers are notoriously pricey, and many have started wondering if they're worth the hefty sum. They became popular around the 2010s and reached a peak of popularity around 2019. But in more recent years, a love of quiet luxury has made heavily branded items less desirable, and these sneakers have receded.