The year of Personalization
Written By : Hannah Corbett
I was sitting on my couch, coffee in hand, scrolling aimlessly, I decided to put on Emma Chamberlain’s podcast. She was talking about trends for 2025, and just as I was about to convince myself that trends are exhausting, she said something that stopped me: the biggest trend of the year—maybe even the decade—is personalization.
And she’s right. This year isn’t about buying the latest ‘must-have’ piece. It’s about taking what you already own and making it yours. Embroidery, pins, knitting up a hole in your sweater with a different color yarn. Purse charms, bandanas tied around the strap. It’s not about newness—it’s about uniqueness.
If you’re anything like me, you have a junk drawer full of trinkets—old keychains, bandanas, little charms from past vacations, bracelets you once loved. I have this old basket of little trinkets that have somehow stuck around through the years. So, I went into my little basket of memories, pulled out a few things that felt like a mix of old me and me now, and threw them on my everyday bag. And just like that, something I already loved became even more me.
I have this thing about not switching things around too much. I have a winter bag, a summer bag, and a going-out purse. That’s it. If I switched my bags all the time, I’d constantly be moving things back and forth, and honestly? It’s exhausting. Same with my earrings—I’ve worn the same pair for two years unless there’s a special occasion. My stack of bracelets never comes off. My favorite sweatshirt? Worn at least six times a week, sorry not sorry. I like things to feel like mine, lived-in, familiar.
And that’s what personalization really is. It’s not just about making something look different—it’s about making it feel like you. Keeping your phone case because it’s scratched in all the right ways. Wearing the same pair of sunglasses because they’ve been with you through a million sunny moments. Not replacing your necklace just because there’s a newer trend—because this one is yours.
Personalization isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s about attachment. Sentimentality. The things you own aren’t just objects; they’re extensions of you. When you embroider your initials on a sweater, add a charm to your bag, you’re not following a trend—you’re creating something deeply, uniquely you.
This year isn’t about trends—it’s about you. And honestly? That’s the best trend yet.