Maximalism has always made its way through the decades, in the 80s there were bright bold colours that dominated fashion, statement pieces like big chunky earrings, women's suits, acid wash jeans and so many more. The Y2K era was all about accessories, purses, belts, earrings, and sparkles. COVID had such an enormous impact on people, despite all the loneliness and irritability that the pandemic caused, it really brought everyone to turn to maximalism. People have started to look for different ways to express themselves and of course, the best way to do that is through fashion.
Maximalism has been a way of coping through challenging times, it makes its way back to people when things get hard. Starting in 2020 people have made their styles more adventurous and feel as though they could dress any way they would like in the comfort of their own homes and from there it just became the new normal. People that consider themselves maximalists create their own styles using vintage or second-hand clothing, pieces that can be utilized in many ways. Vintage clothing is such a big part of fashion right now and has created an ultimate style for everyone to love.
As maximalist fashion has taken over social media many people have decided to take on this extravagant fashion head-on. 31-year-old Anna Golka-Yepez is one of those people, Anna is very well known on Tik Tok with 129,000 followers. She loves creating new and fun outfits with vintage fashion, she shows you how to maximize your outfits by mixing and matching fun patterns and layers and like most influencers, she has inspired many people to be themselves and embrace who they are.
“More is more transcends all aspects of my life.” Anna is looking at the main idea of maximalist fashion it just “being surrounded by things I love, things that bring me joy and make me smile. And I think there can never be too much joy or too many smiles.” How she finds her muse is all about looking for that perfect place.
Anna considers herself a maximalist, she says “[Vintage] can make an outfit more unique! But the perfect outfit is the one you are most comfortable in. The one that makes you feel most like yourself.” Vintage clothing has transcended the feeling of maximalism. That is why Anna has chosen to base most of her outfits on vintage clothing “I think vintage is a great way to build a unique, vibrant closet.” she says. Vintage clothing really is timeless and will always be a place where people find comfort.
Fashion on social media, especially during COVID, was really taken by storm. As the economic questioning comes during the pandemic more people were buying old, including thrifting and online shopping through Esty and Depop. Anna has really curated her style since the pandemic “it was a time where we couldn't do what we wanted in terms of going out or things like that”. One of the many things we could really do while in the comfort of our home was play with clothes and really develop our personal styles “as I started playing, I realize that outfits, pieces, shapes, and combinations make me feel good and made me feel like me.”
Looking at Annas Tik Tok page you are overwhelmed with many different patterns and layers. “It is about mentality! I am always like ‘I need one more thing’” Anna really believes that more is the key to maximizing even if that means one solid colour or pattern after pattern. People are adapting to buying secondhand or vintage clothing, people see maximalism as so extravagant and enormous amounts of clothing areneeded, but it is a slow accumulation of pieces. Using what you have and going out to stores. “I love going to thrift stores! Especially when looking for those unique items. There is nothing quite like finding the perfect vintage piece that speaks to your soul!”
Not only does vintage fashion create a way for maximalists to come out of their shell and be themselves, but it also saves the environment. As I said before, the economy has gone downhill since 2020 and most of the maximalist influencers, today are creating their outfits based on sustainable clothing. . Almost 2 million tons of donated clothes end up on racks in thrift stores, this creates the perfect opportunity for many people to style their own clothing based on sustainability.
During this time, I think the best and most positive way to put yourself out there is to find that perfect vintage piece and create an outfit that makes you go “wow.” So, how has vintage elevated fashion? As it has made a comeback over the years it all comes down to confidence. As a teen who has had difficulties with looks vintage/secondhand fashion has really made me find my true self.
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