Gen Z maximalism reflects the unique ways in which this generation seeks to express their individuality, creating unique content that stands out in the crowded digital landscape. This aesthetic encourages personalization and unabashed exploration of various styles and modes of expression.

For this burgeoning generation, maximalism means affordability and utility—saving items to repurpose rather than spending excess money on an item that may go out of style in two to three years. Rather than buying a $200 dress brand new, Gen Zs choose to thrift a $2 dress found at a local thrift shop instead.

Others claim the shift toward maximalism is a generational war between Gen Z and millennials, where Gen Z is countering the millennial minimalism trend — an aesthetic that focuses on looking clean, decluttering spaces, and owning very few items of clothes — in the loudest and most colorful way possible.