You know those painfully loud florals that used to haunt your grandma’s living room, sticking to the walls like glue, wrapping themselves around sofas stiff as a board, and sparkling off disco-ball-level shiny pillows? Bonus points if they were Slavic or Balkan enough to make you question reality. Yes, the uglier the better. There’s just something about that objective, retro ugliness that the fashion industry can’t let go of, especially when it goes hand in hand with a pinch of nostalgia. Just give it a little time and you’ll start spotting grannycore florals everywhere. I’m confident that we’ll get the full trend package sooner or later, fits, kicks, bags, you name it. Even Demna gave Gucci a little taste of it on his debut.
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Over the past few days, I saw my wallpaper trauma in shoulder pads and printed boots. Fashion loves a bit of shame embossed into prints, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I loved it just as much. Ugly has never looked so intentional. Maybe it’s just me missing my grandma? But it could just be the grannycore effect. It’s not a hashtag for influencers anymore, it’s what people next-door choose to express themselves with, okay perhaps fashion-conscious people. Mix those florals, add stripes and a touch of tartan or military print and you’ve got yourself the 2025 streetwear uniform.
I need headscarves under caps, boxy brocade blazers and knee-high boots drenched in this print by Spring. Maybe a corset dress too after Suki Waterhouse’s appearance at the “Die My Love” NYC premiere.
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Call it grannycore, call it culty, doesn’t matter. And honestly, I don’t think flowers matter either. Maybe all of this is less about prints and more about permission. The permission to like what you like, embrace the weird and the ugly. Somewhere between my grandma’s home and Fashion Week’s runways, I’ve found a spot in my closet that’s been empty for far too long. A place for the messy, ironic and sentimental outfits, and I couldn’t be happier for that empty spot finally having a reason to exist.
