Welcome to the Gen Z Mood, where I—Who What Wear UK's 26-year-old social media editor—keep you updated with my mood of the month and the most exciting things I’ve spotted on the scroll. I'm always looking for new and thrifty ways to shop trends, and I'm taking you with me.
When Coco Chanel famously advised, “Before leaving the house, you should look in the mirror and remove one item,” she clearly didn’t see 2025 coming (or Kylie Jenner’s latest accessory-adorned head-to-toe Chanel look for that matter). Over the last year, we’ve seen a full-on accessory renaissance, a rebellion against the pared back, minimalist quiet luxury appetite as of late perhaps, or just another trip down memory lane (remember when any Sienna Miller look wasn’t complete without a belt, a chunky necklace, a bag and a hat?)
But this time, it isn’t just celebrities opting into this more is more attitude. From kitsch tights and serious ties to bedazzled shoes and bonnets, 2025 looks to be the year the fashion set’s passion for adding a little something extra to an outfit reaches fever pitch. Even our bags now have bags—see the Who What Wear team's new favourite bag charm below for evidence.
This embracement for accessorising or, in some cases, over-accessorising isn’t exclusive to one fashion-loving generation. It’s attracting shopping of every demographic; for every nostalgia-loving millennial reaching to the back of their wardrobes to dust off that '00s boho Chloé belt, there’s a thrifty 23-year-old curating their Vinted likes via pinpoint specific search terms. Taking a look at the app's search bar, ‘00s sunglasses’, ‘Y2K baguette bag’, ‘knitted bonnet’, ‘bag charms’ are just a few with tonnes of search volume behind them, supplying accessory-curious Gen Zs like me, a wealth of affordable purchases at their fingertips.
The lure in accessorising, and why I’m making the case that it’ll reach new heights in 2025, lies in its accessibility as a trend. The idea of accessorising a look in order to elevate it, works very well for a money-conscious generation, along with style seekers tiring of the micro-trend cycles and desperately trying to curate a more personal personal style.
Collectively we’re bringing a wink and a nod back to getting dressed via an accessory of our choice. Throwing on an accent hat, (a La Chappell Roan’s hennin at the Grammys) or a pair of chic framed glasses (see Doechii’s recent street-style wardrobe) is just a bit of fun. And to me, there’s nothing more fun than walking around Anya-Hindmarch-style with a mini can of Diet Coke attached to my bag—aside from the £295.00 price tag, of course, but a girl can dream! Read on for more fun, Y2K-inspired accessory trends I have pinned to my mood board for the year ahead.
Framed Glasses
Opting for a chic pair of framed glasses seems to be the fashion set's favourite way to elevate a simple outfit right now. Look to the feeds of celebs like Bella Hadid and Hailey Bieber and you'll notice several spectacle-clad chic 'fits. And, the best news is, you no longer need a prescription from the optician to try this one out, a surge in the popularity of blue light technology means you can style up as many chic glasses styles as you like, all the while protecting your eyes from those pesky screens! My favourite point of reference? Giselle Bündchen's character in The Devil Wears Prada, need I say more?
These have been a fan-favourite in the Who What Wear office!
Hats (of All Descriptions!)
From big fluffy bucket hats (think that pink Pamela Anderson look in the '90s) to berets and every kind of bonnet (crochet being my personal favourite) the eclectic line up of hats I've spotted out and about recently might mean 2025 might be the year they brush off their rep as novelty thrills and become the new accessory you simply won't be able to leave the house without. It's been a while since we've embraced such a range of headgear, but right now nothing feels off limits–we even spotted Kendall Jenner in a Kiera-Knightley-esque baker boy this week. Here are a few of my favourites for spring.
So cute!
Bangles and Cuffs
Now this one feels straight out of the '00s cool-girl playbook. For most of us, the sound of bangles clanking on everything from your belt buckle to the tube handles takes us back to when flip phones were a tech break-through and Joss Stone was number one. But 2025's iteration of this trend looks chicer than ever with bold mixed-metal designs and contemporary tonal plastic iterations fast becoming the easiest way to make a simple outfit look more expensive. These are a few I think we're going to see a lot more of over the coming seasons.
Skinny Scarves
Made famous in the early oughts by party girls like Kate Moss and Lindsay Lohan, back then the skinny scarf felt like a crucial piece of the indie sleaze uniform. The latest version of this trend might be cooler still. We've seen loads of longer, knitted skinny scarves debuted by the coolest city dwellers this year, often paired with a matching cardigan or jumper to give ultimate cosy chic. The best part of this trend? it's so easy to shop second-hand, see below.
Bag Charms
It's no news flash that bag charms have taken the fashion world by storm this year, but as more people grow to love the idea of personalising their already most personal possession, a flurry of new styles and iterations from designers have kept this nostalgic trend feeling fresh. There are already trainer charms, glasses charms and phone charms, so who's to say the bag charm trend won't extend into more niches this season? These are the cute additions I'll be decorating all my belongings with until further notice.
Coloured Tights
If you were a child of the late '90s like me, the term 'fashion tights' might conjure up a disdain for all things glittery, low crotched and nylon. But lucky for us, when certain trends come back around they come out fighting. This season we've seen a plethora of chic coloured tights outfits from fashion's finest. Whether it's a bold print off set with a monochromatic look, or a pop of colour that seems to tie everything together, adding a statement pair of tights has become this season's accessory of choice–and I for one am all for it.
Ties
If you've had Bella Hadid's Saint Laurent oversized suit and tie catwalk look tattooed to the inside of your brain since last autumn, you'll know exactly what I mean when I say ties are the coolest way to accessorise your wardrobe in 2025. From my Instagram feed to the streets of London I've seen so many fashion people having fun and playing around with this trend–with every new look comes fresh styling inspo. Whether you're into an Avril Lavigne-inspired low-slung casual tie and tank top situation or want the full suited and booted impact, shopping this trend has never been easier and the thrift shops are full of vintage styles too!
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