“Messy Girl” aesthetic is a viral trend expressing individuality more than showcasing a polished interior style. This jibes with the Gen Z aesthetic as well as the curated maximalism that we have talked about in this blog.
The Gen Z Aesthetic: How Young People are Styling Their Homes
It’s all about making a home that expresses creativity, authenticity, and individuality, showing a carefree, lived-in style with layers of colors and textures, and lots of personal stuff or collections that bring comfort and good memories.
Characteristics of the “Messy Girl” Aesthetic
Courage to Explore
What is great about this style is that it shows an independent mind that defines what is beautiful and stylish, going with the gut instead of what style icons say. This requires courage and a willingness to explore to come up with something uniquely her own. In our wired world, and the world of AI, this is special. I would think that the more a girl spends time away from social media is time well-spent in learning more about herself, and about what she is willing to experiment with.
She absorbs the real world around her—the books she reads, the people she meets, the films she sees, the food she eats, the work she does, the places she visits, the conversations with loved ones, the lessons she learns, etc. She takes the time for her imagination to carry her forward to create a place she can call home.
American singer and actress Kenzie Ziegler had this to say to House Beautiful, “I was always so scared to make my own decisions with everything—I always needed a second opinion. Nowadays, I’m really listening to my brain and my heart.”
Curated Clutter
Don’t get thrown off by the word “messy” because there is curation going on here. In other words, there is a method to the madness.
The “Messy Girl” aesthetic is about life happening on the fly, and not a hotel-like sterility or the picture perfect interiors we see in magazines. Those journals you used to make of things and experiences that matter to you? Well, this is your chance to bring them to life!
You may have souvenirs you picked up from flea markets abroad, a beautiful shot of that aurora borealis you saw while shivering miserably under a mountain of winter clothes, a heart-shaped coral you got from an isolated beach that took hours and different modes of transport to get to…
This is what’s beautiful about the “Messy Girl” aesthetic. You can make a shrine out of your memories and each time you see an object, you are reminded of the exhilarating feeling of being on an adventure, and that your life IS an adventure, never mind if part of it is being stuck in traffic while getting home from work. Heck, even a napkin you kept from a restaurant could remind you of that special someone who made you feel like a goddess. Even if that person is gone from your life, that divine feeling could stay with you forever, if you let it!
