Some may say minimalism is the antithesis of maximalism. However, looking closely at the two lifestyles, you may have a different opinion. Maximalism isn’t necessarily excess or something full of clutter. Quite often, it refers to being bold and in some cases even eccentric. Maximalists may focus on showing off their antiques on the walls so that they’re within arms reach. Looking to include a variety of shapes, one will find triangles, circles, and squares to enhance the aesthetic visual appeal.
Admirers of this concept embrace color and don’t shy away from it. Maximalists tend to go for warm hues and enjoy a splash of color every now and then. Followers of this kind of lifestyle proudly claim themselves to be unapologetically maximalists. Broadly speaking, maximalism focuses on portraying a variety of items in the best way possible, letting them narrate a story of their own, giving each item the credit it deserves.
Minimalists on the other hand focus on the ideology of having a lot of free open space that acts as a breather. Believers in this kind of lifestyle believe, ‘less is more.’They may tuck away things in cabinets, and look out for clean corners and straight lines. Minimalist fashion consists of more neutral and cooler tones. However, having said that, one cannot generalize. Minimalism encourages the use of only necessary items that can be clubbed with a variety of other necessary items that never go out of style.
I’m a digital maximalist striving to live a minimalist lifestyle. What are you?
Kind of lifestyle:
Some may say that minimalism rebels against the consumerist lifestyle. It may be true for some. But for others it’s a different way of living altogether. Something that brings inner happiness that’s unexplainable at times.
Some minimalistic lovers may term maximalists as being borderline hoarders. However, if you enter a maximalist’s house, an example of such, could be, a traveller who collects souvenirs and antiques and puts them on display in every nook and corner.
In maximalism, this is where the real story behind the displayed items are conveyed. Maximalism is more than having a stupendous amount of stuff. Each item has a story to tell you and conveys a narrative that tells the bigger picture. Though minimalism is trendy, we do suggest going wild with shades of hues and different sorts of decor and patterns that can unleash the inner maximalism in you.
We assure you won’t regret it.
Fashionista thinking:
Many concepts come about as a consequence of things happening and not working out for most. Hence, people seek an alternative. Though fast fashion and minimalistic fashion took notice, with their own styles, during the 90s, fast fashion caught on quickly. However, minimalism was a bit ahead of its time. The capsule wardrobe as it’s commonly referred to, was only worn by famous celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow, Naomi Campell and Kate Moss. The capsule wardrobe commonly supports the idea of stripping away the unnecessary items while keeping only the necessary ones that bring you real joy and contentment.
When we think of minimalistic fashion, monotone and neutral colors come to mind and that’s true for many brands out there who sell this idea through their products. However, there are those who support the minimalistic idea and promote bright and vibrant colors.
Maximalism isn’t a new concept. However, only recently, it’s gained recognition as fashion that consists of loud prints and bright colors that have embellishments layered upon layers. The maximalist touches infuse hope through their exotic style of designs. We can attribute some amount of credit to social media platforms in promoting maximalist fashion to the world. The constant craze for such fashion is ongoing and one can’t be certain when this wave of maximalism will die down.
Once a clearly defined statement that claimed that minimalism was colder and monotone colors only and maximalism was all about warm hues has now changed. The lines have been blurred overtime and the two ideas overlap and change with each passing year, with each brand’s voice and each person’s sense of style.
It’s extremely difficult to put a person in one box and term them as a minimalist only, considering how the two concepts have evolved over time and how generalised they may seem now.
The digital sphere
Maximalism can also be attributed to the digital space. While some prefer to have pages of endless apps that they find useful and can access at the tap of a button, a minimalist on the other hand will go ahead and sometimes delete unnecessary apps, as they feel it leads to clutter or may add them in folders on their phone to avoid extensive scrolling and find everything of a similar kind in one place. It’s a way of feeling peaceful mentally.
As for me, I’m a digital maximalist striving to live a minimalist way of living. A paradox some may say. But maybe that’s how we achieve the balance we need in this fast paced world we live in.
