Since it’s a new year, fashionistas have been rethinking what it means to have style. Surely enough, it has given us time to rethink all those micro-trends that have been relentlessly pushed on us and decide -No, thank you.

The “coastal grandma,” “tomato girl,” or even “brat summer” eras are just another marketing ploy, and a lot of people are done with influencers telling them to throw away their whole wardrobes to embrace a new style.

So the question remains: What’s in?

This is a particularly interesting question as so many people turn their backs on fashion due to a lot of unethical behavior within the industry.

1. Back to maximalism

The clean girl aesthetic has lived out its boring vanilla-ish days. In 2025, maximalism reigns supreme, bringing unapologetic self-expression back to the forefront. Drawing inspiration from the 1980s and early 2010s, this new wave isn’t just about bright colors—it’s about grandiosity in form and detail. Think voluminous skirts, exaggerated shoulders, and rich jewel tones, as seen on the Yves Saint Laurent runway with opulent brocade skirts and high-neck lace blouses.

Practically speaking, this means you can wear your crazy patterns again, makeup that doesn’t match your outfit, and anything that reminds you of David Bowie and Cindy Lauper.

2. Back to Old Hollywood

Remember when Blair Waldorf from Gossip Girl had all these dreams about being in a black-and-white movie?

Well, this is the vibe for 2025.

Miu Miu continues to lead the charge with a nod to Old Hollywood glamour. Their Spring/Summer 2025 collection reintroduces the scarf dress, a staple of icons like Grace Kelly and Marilyn Monroe. This timeless silhouette, now paired with halter styles and delicate draping, balances elegance and drama—perfect for both red-carpet events and everyday sophistication.

You can bust out your grandma’s red lipstick if you want. Or M.A.C Russian red if that’s more your style.

3. Goodbye Y2K

While Y2K fashion has dominated for the last few years, 2025 signals its long-awaited fade.

Instead of neon brights and rhinestones and cheap matchy-matchy outfit sets like those seen on Euphoria, designers are embracing elevated fabrics, complex textures, and wearable opulence. Luxe materials such as velvet, silk, and metallic brocades dominate collections, showcasing a shift toward timeless investment pieces over fleeting trends.

This also signals people’s exhaustion from online shopping. We need to SEE what we’re going to buy. We’re no longer piling our closets with impractical crop tops or wide-legged pants we can’t wear at a formal dinner.

The time is to get rid of boring, overly-curated minimalism (once again, think of the “clean girl aesthetic” where influencers spent hours doing a simple bun and no makeup only to look like they spent 5 min getting ready) and the tacky Shein polyester hoodie and shorts faux Bella Hadid vibe.

4. My take – from a French woman

I am also predicting a revival of traditionalism – With more people than ever in America starting to wear lace veils at mass, as per Orthodox doctrine – I think it sets the tone for a cultural comeback. The latest fashion trends were all about universalism, to the detriment of embracing cultures. Therefore, people have been seeing their local culture fade away.

This is why traditionalism is making a comeback: I believe there will be more women wearing fabrics and garments that remind them of their country’s historical heritage.

I think the downfall of influencers is preparing us for a renaissance of styles such as tradgoth or Victorian fashion in London, Slavic embroidery styles in Ukraine, Romania or Poland, an increase in wearing sarees and salwar kameez in India, ruffled blouses in France, etc.

The trend for 2025 is letting go of TikTok brainwashing.

This was written by our contributing writer, Suzanne Latre.