Ruffles, Ribbons and a Tiara Triumph: How Dressing Like a Princess Is About to Become Spring’s Biggest Trend

Welcome to the Gen Z Mood, where I—Who What Wear UK's 27-year-old social media editor—keep you updated with my mood of the month and the most exciting things I’ve spotted on the scroll. I'm always looking for new and thrifty ways to shop trends, and I'm taking you with me.

The Mood: Princess treatment

I want to be more of a princess in 2026. Not in a damsel-in-distress kind of way and not in a Disney kind of way (despite my excitement for production being well underway on The Princess Diaries reboot). But in more of an Olivia-Rodrigo-tiara-wearing, Laufey-performing-from-a-gilded-castle, Gabriette-making-"succubus-makeup"-a-trend kind of way.

Let me explain. All things medieval, witchy, and fantastical have been bubbling up for a while in fashion circles. Remember Chappell Roan’s VMA’s Henin hat? Or Matthieu Blazy's breathtaking fungi fairytale in Paris? Or those candelabras at Yuhan Wang’s spring/summer 2026 Show? Between Wuthering Heights making us all yearn for Victorian corsets—amongst other things—and cool girls styling everything from capes and bonnets to brooches and tiaras on the streets of East London, I can’t help but think this whimsical, princess-coded aesthetic is about to have a moment.

For some time now, Gen Z fashion trends have been shifting away from the "clean girl" capsule wardrobe that defined the 2020s so far, and towards a more eclectic, thrift-oriented, crafty sense of style. It’s messy, it’s thrown together and it doesn’t take itself too seriously. And more than that, it loves a reference and a theme. This plays perfectly into the nostalgic, childlike art of cosplaying as a whimsical princess, or at least letting this idea inspire elements of your wardrobe.

This is something TikToker and trend commentator @notbriannaly believes is so on brand for Gen Z. " yearn for the freedom and the joy of childhood and the 'good ol’ days'. We’ve realised the hardships and discouraging obstacles that can come with actual adult life, so why not make life whimsical?"

So far this year, Brianna has amassed over 1 million views on her "whimsy" content, pointing towards her theory that there is an appetite amongst Gen Z for the fantastical things in life and channelling this into our wardrobes. From crafts to outfit inspo, the content creator is defining whimsy with her advice and shopping picks. "Why not turn every day, every outfit, every activity into something fun and magical and exciting?" she says, alluding to the idea that whimsy doesn’t just mean a princess-coded wardrobe; it can be a lifestyle, too. "I like to make content about making life itself and the act of living more whimsical. Clothes can only take you so far, but being whimsical is, in a way, spiritual."