Last year's sardine fixation has given way to mushrooms, flowers, fairy-like outfits, and "whimsical" finds marketed as a shortcut to personality.
In a recent video, zero-waste creator Kathryn Kellogg (@GoingZeroWaste) argued that for people trying to spend less and waste less, the bigger story is how quickly the internet can turn self-expression into another expensive starter pack.
What's happening?
In a recent video, Kellogg took aim at "whimsymaxxing," the latest online aesthetic trend centered on color, crafts, nature motifs, and curated coziness.
She said the trend makes sense in context: after a long stretch of beige minimalism and hyper-optimized living, people are looking for more color, playfulness, and personality in everyday life.
Her concern is that this impulse is rapidly being translated into mass-produced merchandise sold through Amazon, Shein, and Temu.
She said, "Because a real personality is built slowly through the things you love, the skills you learn, the places you go, and the stories YOU collect. It cannot be purchased as a starter pack."
TCD Picks » Good Store Spotlight
Get 10% off your next purchase with code TCD10
Kellogg also argued that once a "whimsical" life is constantly staged and posted for social media, the experience may start to lose its point.
Why does it matter?
Buying into every new micro-trend can strain budgets, clutter homes, and leave shoppers with items they never really wanted in the first place.
She argued that trends marketed as individualistic often end up repeating the same look and the same symbols over and over.
In her words, "What happens when these really positive practices become super popular on the internet is they kind of get absorbed into the system, repackaged, and then sold back to you."
It can also generate more trash, since inexpensive clothes, decor, and accessories bought for a short-lived aesthetic are often discarded when the algorithm shifts to something else.
Commenters echoed that frustration.
One wrote, "Every concept gets turned into a cash grab by the internet."
Another added, "Like what you like, incorporate new stuff if you want, but why tear down everything you have and start from scratch? What a waste and how limiting."
What can I do?
Kellogg's answer is less about shopping and more about slowing the whole process down.
That might look like working with what you already have, trying a low-buy or no-buy approach to new interests, and putting more effort into learning than impulse purchasing.
The upside is spending less money on trendy decor and fast fashion while building a style that actually lasts.
If a purchase or hobby would still feel meaningful once the trend fades, it is more likely to be worth the cost.
Rather than buying supplies for the image of a lifestyle, Kellogg recommended investing time in the activities themselves — making, repairing, baking, crafting, reading, or spending time outdoors.
She also pointed to repair culture as a better example of lasting whimsy, suggesting that something like taking shoes to a cobbler has more staying power than a themed shopping haul.
A useful gut check is whether something reflects your life or just your feed.
As one commenter put it, "The solution to all overspending is 'Know Thyself', always!"
"I don't think you need to buy anything to experience Whimsy," Kellogg said.
And as one commenter summed it up: "True Whimsy requires imagination, creativity, and risk. It cannot be packaged."
Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
