When a trend picks up steam, you can expect its antithesis to follow shortly after. Skinny jeans brought on wide-legged jeans, logo-mania brought on the old money aesthetic, and now the clean girl has led to the messy girl. Bold prints, colours, and layers you never knew were possible, the messy girl aesthetic takes curated chaos and nails it down to an art form.
Not to be confused with being messy, instead, the messy girl aesthetic is about blurring lines, being carefree, embracing maximalism, and most importantly, not worrying about imperfection. It was the latter that ruled the clean girl aesthetic, slick buns with not a hair out of place, crisp white linen, and everything toned down to be simpler, and, well, safe. And there’s nothing wrong with being safe! The clean girl aesthetic had its advantages; it made us scale back and reflect on what we really needed in our lives. It also gave a platform to beauty rituals established in black and brown communities and made us look at the beauty of being subtle.
But with its neutral colour palette, the clean girl aesthetic also compromised creativity and the individuality of dressing up. After all, there’s only so much we can do with creams and beige. Hence, the birth of the messy girl, where there’s no such thing as too many colours, too many prints, and too many accessories. The messy girl makes each outfit feel like expressionist art in human form. It can be sporty, masculine, feminine, and of course, modest as skirts are layered over pants and multiple shirts are being worn at once.
Amidst all this, the runways are not too far behind. SS26 saw a burst in colour as fashion houses like Valentino, Chanel, Prada, and Fendi made room for experimentation, with Fendi creating a kaleidoscope between their clothes and set design. With FW26 approaching soon, we can only expect the same in a deeper colour palette to further cement that the messy girl is here to stay.
Between the fashion-forward and fashion insiders, the clean girl is taking a humble step behind as the messy girl enters loud and proud. As fashion further democratises, both will soon coexist without one trumping the other. Maybe that time is now as Cloud Dancer pulls the clean girl back in a subtle way. But for now, the creams and beige are being set aside for chartreuse, candy pink, and eccentricity, and we absolutely love it!
