, fashion’s dominant mood has been excess: Balenciaga’s Triple S sneaker turned the “ugly” dad shoe into a status object, while logo-mania Gucci and monogrammed everything pushed visibility to its limits. Having reached saturation, that aesthetic now feels less subversive and more expected, opening the door to a counter-movement built on restraint. The new minimalism lifts heavily from the 1990s, when designers like Jil Sander, Helmut Lang, Calvin Klein and Margiela proposed clean lines, androgynous cuts and tight colour palettes as an antidote to 80s spectacle. Today, their influence is visible in the simplistic “elevated essentials” edit currently dominating e-commerce – where slip dresses, funnel-neck jackets, basic collared shirts and straight-leg tailoring is presented as a grown-up uniform rather than a nostalgic costume. TikTok-era “nonchalance” If original 90s minimalism was defined by a kind of spiritual looseness, its 2020s revival is filtered through the hyper-awareness of social media. Platforms like TikTok accelerate trend cycles so dramatically that consumers no longer trade one grand narrative (maximalism) for another (minimalism). Instead, they surf multiple aesthetics in parallel, swapping out micro-trends every few months. “Trends are evolving faster than ever,” Beginning Boutique founder Sarah Timmerman told Inside Retail. “With platforms like TikTok, we’re seeing multiple trends emerge and cycle through every few months, which keeps fashion feeling fresh and constantly changing.” In that environment, minimalism’s appeal is less about ideological purity and more about practicality: A calm base that can tether constant experimentation. Elevated basics as an anchor Timmerman described minimal, well-considered basics as “the foundation that makes everyday dressing feel effortless, versatile and timeless,” pointing to clean silhouettes and neutral tones as offering “that sense of ease many consumers are drawn to right now.” Beginning Boutique has leaned into this by investing in capsule-worthy pieces – collared shirts, funnel jackets, tailored pants – which can live well beyond a single season. But she’s adamant that her customer “isn’t looking to be defined by minimalism alone.” Instead, BB’s design and merchandising strategy is built on balance: “Our design approach balances trend-led styles that feel fresh, bold, and playful with curated staples customers can rely on season after season,” she stated. Those staples then absorb constant “micro-updates” in the form of saturated colour, one-off textures or directional silhouettes, allowing shoppers to nod to minimalism without surrendering the thrill of novelty. The 90s, “Love Story” and going analog The renewed fixation on 90s minimalism is also cultural. Ryan Murphy’s series Love Story has helped turn Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s unfussy slip dresses, oval sunglasses and straight-cut jeans into a new visual shorthand for understated chic. Editorial and social feeds are crowded with screengrabs of that era – Cher in Clueless, grunge icons like Kurt Cobain, and stripped-back campaign imagery where almost ‘generic’ styling now reads as the ultimate flex. At the same time, a broader “going analog” impulse – from flip phones to film cameras – underlines a desire to disconnect from the algorithmic churn that powers ultra-maximalist dressing. Minimalism, in this context, becomes less a strict dress code and more an aspiration toward clarity and intentionality: Fewer distractions, better fabrics, silhouettes that work in multiple settings. Timmerman noted that many customers “are investing in key pieces that form the backbone of their wardrobes,” even as they continue to refresh with expressive add-ons. Maximalism always returns Despite the current appetite for clean lines and capsule wardrobes, Timmerman is sceptical that maximalism is truly over. “Fashion has always been about pushing boundaries and moving between extremes,” she said. “Minimalism feels right for the moment and will always have a place in everyday wardrobes, but I do see it as more of a phase. Maximalism, on the other hand, always comes back.” Gen Z in particular refuses to choose sides, happily pairing a minimalist tank with a loud print skirt or an eye-catching accessory. “It’s about creating layers of expression,” Timmerman explained. “Someone might pair a minimalist top with an eye-catching accessory or a bold print… our focus at Beginning Boutique is on flexibility, so customers can express their personality.” This ability to toggle between poles – quiet luxury one day, “dopamine dressing” the next – suggests that the real story is not the end of maximalism but the rise of a more agile, mood-driven wardrobe. For brands, that means treating minimalism less as a new regime and more as infrastructure: a permanent, revenue-stable backbone of refined essentials that can support faster-moving, maximalist capsules on top. As Timmerman put it, “each piece… needs to have a clear purpose and versatility,” but the appetite for bold prints, colours and textures “never really goes away.”