In the after-effects of events such as the Covid-19 pandemic, everyone has (joyously) come to realise that life is just too short to not wear what you want. Now, that clearly seems to take the form of indulging in and pushing the boundaries with our fashion; leaving the ‘greige’, monochrome and more conservative styles behind – because who has the time to waste in grey when you could be wearing hot pink?
Designer brands such as Gucci and Versace have always been known for their more maximalist tendencies, but in recent years, this idea of ‘more is more’ has filtered down to the high street styles that are accessible for the everyday fashion consumer. This is available in chains and charity shops in the form of new textures, bolder designs and colours, and prints we thought we’d left behind on the wallpaper of the 80s and 90s. Influencers have of course been a driving force behind this approach too, and two I particularly recommend following for inspiration in the maximalist vein are TikTok influencers Wisdom Kaye (@wisdm8) and Eve-Lily Charlotte (@evelilycp).
You cannot deny that it is just so much more fun to see more boldness in the fashion on our streets.
They have a number of videos on how to experiment with style and choose different pieces based on the way certain textures and prints interact to help you out, but even if their style isn’t your cup of tea, it’s fascinating to watch how they think about fashion and layering with a “no boundaries attitude”. So, as much as we university students might poke fun at trends such as the brightly coloured Adidas Sambas or Spezials, a stripy print jumper, or the pop of colour in the addition of a skinny scarf or scrunchie, you cannot deny that it is just so much more fun to see more boldness in the fashion on our streets.
Even if you’re not quite as ‘out-there’ with your style, but still want to lean into the rise of maximalist fashion, why not try adding in either one bold colour, or one piece with a print into your next outfit – start small, leave the grey behind, and by 2025, you could be the next maximalist icon!
