Doing The Most: To the maximalist

Last week we went over minimalism, where it originated from and what it translates too. You know a little bit, but not a lot. Not too much. Well this week we are gonna do the absolute most. The antithesis to minimalism… Maximalism. Basically if you think your outfit is doing the most … do more. Maximalism is a fun and vibrant aesthetic with loads of room for creativity. Actually it’s highly encouraged. But where did it start? Well let’s find out.

Remember back in early 2000’s, when there was this really out there pop artist who went by Gwen Stefani? Yeah you remember her. If you remember anything about her image she attached herself to a notable subculture in Japan at that time. Harajuku. Thats right, just like minimalist fashion got its roots in Japanese culture, so did maximalism. Would you believe me if I told you they got their start around the same time? Crazy isn’t it?

The Harajuku district in Japan became the ground zero for the youth to start rebelling against mainstream societal norms and fashion. No better time to rebel than the 1880s, am I right? Okay, back on topic, during this time the more rebellious youth of Japan would would create violent Brant, colorful outfits with heavy emphasis on accessories and layering. The subculture promoted strong individuality and nonconformity. Although Harajuku was such an incredible start for maximalism the aesthetic began to grow and evolve as fashion does.

Diversity in textures, colors, patterns, and if you think you have enough layers .. you don’t, add more. These are the more notable characteristics of maximalism. More is in fact more. The inverse of minmalism’s “Less is more”. And this over the top extravagance is on the rise. An exciting time to love to do the absolute most. A long standing opinion of mine is that deeper richer skin tones absolutely THRIVE in this particular aesthetic for sure. The bright, vibrant colors and out there patterns really have a beautifully pop which is what fashion is all about. Looks like literal art.

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Funnily enough Maximalism is a trend that comes and goes throughout time. It has the stigma of promoting materialism due to the over-the-top, heavy layer, eccentric looks. Maximalism ebbs and flows with the status of the economy, which doesn’t help with the stigma. As when the economy is in a high point, that's when people are more willing to embrace their creativity and inner selves. What I find very interesting is that the trend of thrifting is a sort of subsidiary of the more extravagant version of maximalism. Its not typically seen in that way however. But when you think about it, a lot of thrifted clothes are thrifted for either the uniqueness of the garment, or the eccentricity of the accessory.

Minimalism is typically very popular when the economy is at a low point, and everyone is trying to work with less. Simple. This doesn't allot for a lot of room for creativity and expression, which you could assume isn’t particularly a focal point at this ebb in the economy. For some reason no one sees the rise in thrifting and how eccentric and out there thrifted outfits have become. Thrifting became a subcategory of maximalism in my book, because it was a more affordable way to be equally as expressive. You don’t have to break the bank to do the most, and when you’re thrifting it already costs less so why not do more? I believe, personally at least, that this creates a more interesting rivalry for minimalism and maximalism.

The main point of maximalism is to express yourself. With no restrictions and full freedom, maximalism encourages you to decide that if you like it together it goes together, and add a few more rings while you’re at it. A beautiful hodge podge of vibrant eccentric colors, and funky prints, and lots of layers and lots of accessories, and you have yourself a maximalist. Remember though you dont have to break the bank to achieve this style, yes its associated with higher points in the economy, but thrifting is a completely viable and sustainable alternative to still get the same vibe. Get creative. Find yourself. And express yourself.

Thanks for joining us! Talk again soon!