Trend Alert: Nan Aesthetic

Knitwear, plants, crochet, knickknacks and tea, are we just getting old or is this a trend made for us? Written by Rae, Imagery by Tim Walker.

Imagery via Tim Walker, Granny Alphabet.

It’s no secret that we’re all nans at heart - once you hit 20 the honeymoon phase of clubbing dies down, your energy disappears and you’d pick your bed over socialising any day - but when did we start dressing like nans too? The nan aesthetic includes comfy knits, grandad collars, formalwear made casual with the rise of the shoulder-padded suit, sweet cardigan-cami combos and extra af accessories including Summer hats, glamourous glasses and dainty silk head scarves, with many more characteristics, prints and loose silhouettes making up the trend. While we see the mass love for oversized knitwear and crochet garments, we can’t help but wonder - what was this trend influenced by? We can draw similarities with the recent art hoe aesthetic, cottagecore trend and skater culture in terms of characteristics, loosely 70's inspired fashion and oversized silhouettes; our societies obsession with being 'different' pushing us to circulate back to old-fashioned trends and characteristics, and thus the true nan aesthetic was born.

Of course, we love our nans and her aesthetic brings us a sense of home in itself, so why would we not revel in this trend? It may just be the end of our youth and a new beginning of adult or OAP-hood, I guess, but the fashion element and use of materials and props is sickening. If this is our new way of life and fashion, sign us up!

Sources: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Granny-Alphabet-Tim-Walker/dp/0500544263