Maximalism is a lifestyle that tends to reflect in clothing, home decor and life in general. It features bold and bright colors and designs, collections and a unique assortment of clothing and items.
On the other hand, the ‘sad beige’ aesthetic features tones of browns, white, cream and beige, very minimalistic furniture and decorations, and neutral-colored clothing.
This style has become increasingly popular, especially among millennials and influencers. As more and more people shop for beige and cream items, stores begin to lose their colorful and unique items to cater towards the ‘sad beige’ style.
Wanting people to hop on this trend is an example of capitalism at its finest; people are encouraged to get rid of their current items and buy all new ones to fit a fad. This creates a lot of waste, which clogs up landfills and ends up in oceans and other locations that these items have no business being in.
When this trend eventually fades, these new beige items will land in landfills too.
With an uptick in trends such as this, maximalism has become an act of resistance. Maximalism features keeping items for a long time, adding to collections slowly, thrifting, and a lot of DIY, or do-it-yourself, items.
This way of life creates less harm for the environment and doesn’t feed into the capitalistic mantra of ‘buy, buy, buy.’ Maximalist homes and outfits show off the owner’s personality, passions and interests.
Maximalism is a very easy style to begin decorating your space and self with. Start with bright, fun colors, whichever ones you like. You can decorate your space with your own art or posters you can print off at office supply stores. Collections of anything, such as books, Funko Pops, stuffed animals, glass animals and really anything you love are great to add personality to your space.
Thrift stores are a great place to begin looking for fun, unique clothing items and decorations. Bracelets, necklaces, earrings and rings aren’t hard to DIY. Tie-dyeing is easy to do at home. Clothing items in irregular colors, such as purple pants, or with odd patterns, like a jacket with apples and bananas, can add a fun spice to your wardrobe.
Maximalism is about being unique and creative in a society where conformity is seen as inherently better. It’s a fun way to express yourself, and a way to combat societal pressures associated with capitalism.
