Ozempic, fiddle-leaf figs and Lululemon activewear all feature in a new verdict on what counts as “common” in 2026 — the latest instalment of a list that has run, and sold out, since 2018.
The annual tally is the work of British interior designer Nicky Haslam, 87, once called “the most stylish man in the world” by Andy Warhol. His “Things Nicky Haslam Finds Common” list, printed on a tea towel costing £50 (about $95), still sells out each year. The 2026 edition, published alongside a Sydney Morning Herald column on the subject, was released on November 6, 2026.
What made the 2026 list
Haslam’s just-out list takes aim at stand-up comedians, car mirrors that fold in, and birthday cakes for anyone over 14. Also judged common: beards, torches, posh dog food, being thin and pity. Saying “nuanced”, “humbled”, “good morning to you” and “no-brainer” all make the cut — the last because, Haslam said, “you wouldn’t say it’s a brainer”.
The SMH column adds its own list of common items, including wellness, gender reveals, capsule wardrobes, barrel jeans and Ozempic, while a friend’s list condemns Teslas, logo slides and Lululemon.
Why it matters now
Haslam has produced the viral list since 2018. Past editions named jet lag, nostalgia, “loving your parents”, Stephen Fry, Bono, airline pyjamas, bamboo, unpeeled tomatoes, Wimbledon and saying “bye bye”.
His choices are “mostly cliches”, he told The Times. “It’s nothing to do with class. It’s common in the sense of being universal.”
The man behind the verdicts
Haslam’s credentials are aristocratic: his mother was a goddaughter of Queen Victoria, his father a diplomat and Aertex heir. He hung leopard-print curtains at Eton, worked at Vogue in New York and designed for Mick Jagger, and has worked for the King. Yet he wears Primark trackies, adores mauve and watches The Chase — and doesn’t spare past clients. His 2023 list included “The Wales Family in Blue”, and he said last year the royal family risks being common except Camilla: “Too parochial. They need to be grander.”
What the next list will name — and whether Haslam's own habits, from Primark to The Chase, will one day disqualify the judge — is not yet known.
