Over the decades, fashion trends have been born, evolved, buried, and resurrected. Rinse, wash, repeat. But today, pandemic-induced stress, isolation and subsequent tech reliance are pushing people to embrace themselves and stand out in new, bold ways. Online culture is driving mega shifts in the way people express themselves — especially for the younger crowd. In fact, 83% of adults 18–24 (vs. 39% of adults 25+) told us in December, “Expressing myself in social media is an essential part of how I openly express my identity. I can’t imagine life without it.”* Gen-Z’s self-empowered approach to identity is driving a movement toward high-volume maximalist and colorful style for all generations; A trend we call Maximally Me — an evolution of a macrotrend we’ve been tracking since 2019 called Over the Top.
