Nancy Riley
The sun is finally out, and as I walked around Bristol town centre, I felt at home amongst a sea of chunky accessories, slouched bags and smudged eyeliner. As a long-time lover of anything bohemian, I was enlightened by what seemed to be the end of the aptly named ‘clean girl’ aesthetic. Now, I am not one to put down what other women are wearing, nor do I believe that the bohemian chic style is inherently superior, I was simply pleasantly surprised to see an array of outfits that I personally felt excited and inspired by.
The appeal of messy chic is not necessarily new; after the Saltburn rush of 2023, many people felt drawn back to the sequins and skinny scarves of the curated, early 2000s, indie sleaze. Yet here we are in 2026, and imperfect, free-loving styles are back in a big way.
VINTAGE FINDS AND SUN-DAMAGED LEATHER FEEL A LITTLE BIT MORE COOL AND A LITTLE BIT MORE LIVED IN
I personally go about creating my messy chic uniform with a thick, leather belt, stolen from the back of my mum’s wardrobe. A pair of brown, knee-high boots bought for £20 from Vinted. A sequin bolero found in a plastic tub at the back of a charity shop and finally, but most importantly, a slick of slightly smudged black eyeliner. 
It is not just clothes that are getting a makeover, imperfect homes, littered with an array of vintage finds and sun-damaged leather feel a little bit more cooler and a little bit more lived in, than the perfectly curated homes of whites and greys that have been dominating the interiors market.
If you are on the fashion and style side of Instagram, you will have likely seen this trend as well. A surge in people advertising their collections of deadstock Italian clothes and furniture, with the adventure to find unique pieces becoming central to being an online cool girl. Suddenly, candlesticks are back in vogue.
The treasure hunt is almost cool girl currency; the thrill of finding my maxi-length sequin skirt and gold-framed wall mirror (both for less than £10) certainly earned me bragging rights amongst my friends. This can also be summarised by the envy I felt when my friend procured the most gorgeous pink babydoll dress for 3 euros at a German Christmas market.
THE ARTISTIC FREEDOM OF MESSY CHIC BRINGS BACK A SPARK OF PERSONAL IDENTITY AND GIVES HOPE TO THE FUTURE OF SUSTAINABLE DESIGN
Style should be fun; we all should feel the freedom to wear and collect what makes us happy. The pressure to fit in with social convention should not come at the expense of being able to represent your true artistic self. The art you put on your walls, the stationery you bring to work or school and the clothes you wear on your body should be a representation of the inner you. I believe the messy chic revolution catalyses this freedom of expression.
Rebellion is here, and it is (hopefully) here to stay. As Instagram slowly pushes us all into a homogenised face, fashion and lifestyle, the artistic freedom of messy chic brings back a spark of personal identity and gives hope to the future of sustainable design, with charity shops and second-hand sites like Vinted often having the best, most sequinned finds.
The messy chic revolution heavily relies on inspiration from the pre-loved and the forgotten, its lack of rules and conventions takes the power away from fast-fashion giants, being infinitely more ethical and planet-friendly than trends of times past. Celebrating the imperfect can definitely bring more peace to our lives.
Here’s to a long-lasting future of fabulousness.
Nancy Riley
Feature image courtesy of Anita Hannon-Messer on Unsplash. Image license found here. No changes were made to this image.
In-article image 1 courtesy of Katie Mukhina on Unsplash. Image license found here. No changes were made to this image.
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