Is Quiet Luxury dead? Yes. And at its very boring funeral, you can meet the newest aesthetic we’re obsessed with: Loud Expression.

Let’s be real — “Quiet Luxury” was just a rebrand of minimalism and a ploy to get us to pay exorbitant prices for plain clothes. Loud Expression is all about unapologetically being yourself and letting your authentic personality influence your fashion choices. It’s where camp and couture meet and have a martini together. It’s where Barbiecore and grunge have a sleepover.

We’ll walk you through what defines the Loud Expression aesthetic and how you can embrace this fun trend.

Fashion, But Make it Personal

We’ll dare to say that a plain white T-shirt and khakis doesn’t embody your truest self. Quiet Luxury shushed our exuberance, but this new aesthetic wants you to boldly and beautifully be you, which makes it so fun. It’s all about “radical self-expression” as Brooke Bobb from Harper’s Bazaar so eloquently put it.

Expressing yourself authentically means not looking to any format or template to follow. It means going with your gut and breaking the rules. For you, this might mean wearing four shades of orange in one outfit. Or it could mean wearing tights that peak out from the bottom of your Levi’s. 

Do you feel more comfortable in pants that are a size too big? Have you always wondered why you have to wear matching socks? Do you like how your T-shirt looks when it’s wrinkled? These are the kinds of rules you can and should break.

Make your look personal by dressing for yourself. If you’re putting together an outfit and think, “This might look funny to people,” wear it anyway. It’s not about what other people think or what looks “right.” It’s about exploring who you are through what you put on your body.

Dressing With Emotion

If Quiet Luxury had a pulse, it was faint. Even a trained doctor would need a minute to find it. Let’s inject all our emotion into our outfits as we move away from the soulless, plain clothes. 

This ties into expressing yourself, as you should choose clothes that feel right to you. If that checkered dress in your closet is screaming at you to put it on, don’t fight the urge. Dive into it. 

Beyond embracing how a certain garment calls to you, you can also dress according to your mood or harness a specific emotion. If you’re feeling romantic, dramatic, and enigmatic, choose an outfit with elegant draping and rich, ostentatious colors. If you’re feeling pissed off at the world, go with leather and zippers and sharp edges. 

Most importantly, don’t let us tell you what clothes go with what emotion. Let your feelings take over when you look in your closet. And don’t hesitate to wear something that might be out of place or unorthodox. 

We All Want to Be Special

Something about Quiet Luxury felt like a uniform — the bright white shoes, the long grey coats, the solid-colored tees. But we don’t want to fall in line anymore. This new aesthetic is more about standing out than fitting in. 

We want to highlight the daring fashion and beauty choices in the HBO show Euphoria. These characters’ personalities and emotions are intertwined and inseparable from their looks. And their clothes and makeup are part of what makes them such special, memorable characters. 

It’s not easy to curate a personal brand™. But the Loud Expression aesthetic is a fabulous place to start. Define yourself through your clothes and you’ll stand out from the crowd. We all want to be unique, right? Well, wearing the same black leggings and Under Armour sweatshirt as everyone else isn’t the way to do it. So ditch the societal uniform and remember that being special means taking risks and going solo sometimes.

Independent and Distinct Designers to Know

If you’re looking for some Loud Expression inspiration, these are some of the fresh designers we’re head over heels for right now:

Jawara Alleyne

Jawara Alleyne is one of Rihanna’s favorite designers, and for good reason. His recent collection daringly mixes boho vibes with sharp patterns, like stripes. The looks are messy yet intriguing in that you don’t know where to look, but don’t want to look away. His experimentation with texture is unparalleled and invigorating, so take notes.

Dries Van Noten

Dries Van Noten is another designer who loves to mix funky textures, from beaded tops to fluffy skirts. He proves you can be unusual in black and white, or look classic in neon. He has a knack for taking simple, familiar silhouettes we all thought we know, and flipping them on their heads. But more than anything, he’s not afraid to shed his past self and try something completely new.

Susan Fang

If any designer is inspiring us right now, it’s Susan Fang. She is a visionary, using strange fabrics and details that feel over the top yet come together alluringly. Her most recent collection mixes metallics with frills and florals for a compelling contrast that demands a double-take. She’s also working with fascinating geometric silhouettes, refreshingly bringing 3D vision to clothing.

Rachel Scott

Rachel Scott’s designs are dripping with the emotion we love to see. Her silhouettes feel effortless but are endlessly complex. If you want to express yourself loudly, but aren’t the frilly, neon type, her work exemplifies how to be special and subtle simultaneously. These stunning designs prove that being soft can make you powerful, and edginess can also be vulnerable.

Meryll Rogge

For some fiercely modern designs, check out Meryll Rogge’s work. You’ll see outfits curated with staples you probably have in your closet, but they’re profound. Heels with socks, silk blouses, and track jackets have never come together so beautifully. Her ideas are provocative, yet familiar, giving you an idea of how to stand out even when wearing basics. She’s the queen of pizzazz.

What This Means for Your Wardrobe

When you look inside your wardrobe, you should see yourself. If you don’t, maybe it’s time for a closet refresh. But before you break the bank on a shopping spree, we encourage you to play around with your wardrobe. Look at old pieces in a new light, and wear items in ways you never thought possible. 

From layering to going commando, oversized fits to skimpy looks, create styles that fall anywhere but the middle of the road. You’re on the right track if you think it might look “weird” or “funny” but still vibe with it.