I have a distinct memory that runs through my mind when anyone says whimsy: Delightfully baby-chubbed and rosy-cheeked me running through my garden in fairy wings, my best sparkly dress, and a magical wand in hand, (alongside 20 other fairy princesses and magic mermaids). At age four, I was ahead of the trend, and now I yearn to recreate that same feeling in my everyday life. It seems the internet is onto this, too.
What is whimsy?
Whimsy is a word that plainly means “unusual, funny, and pleasant ideas or qualities,” and let me tell you, 2026 is the year for normalizing all particularly delightful and fanciful behaviors.
Achieving peak whimsicality means learning to reconnect with one’s inner child and forgetting the difference between childishness and adultishness by just enjoying the frivolity of life. To each person, this may look different, but in essence, it looks like color, glitter, creativity, joyfulness, and sprinkling silly little habits only you notice throughout your inner and outer life.
Wearing Your Whimsy
My closet is like a whimsy dress up box. Marie Kondo once said, “If it doesn’t spark joy, get rid of it”. My view is similar but slightly less financially viable: “If it does spark joy, you must purchase it and wear it.” This has led me to a bubble gum pink puffer coat, seemingly useless (absolutely necessary) star sunglasses, and turquoise shiny cowboy boots. When I bought them, I wondered if I would ever find a reason to wear them, and I have since realized the only occasion I need is waking up with a spring in my step and a smile on my face!
I think wearing your whimsy on the outside is one of the most important steps of becoming whimsical, because it means you can amplify the whimsy in our all too serious world. Take, for example, my blue bedazzled boots; I was wearing them on a day trip to Crail when I walked past some fabulous older ladies, and they did not disappoint. One of them shouted, “Oh my goodness! THOSE BOOTS!” and the others chimed in discussing how they wished they had the confidence to wear things like that. Obviously, this led me to teach them the power of wearing your whimsy, therefore spreading a little bit of sparkle in the world.
Whimsical Activities
The wonders of whimsy do not stop here. In fact, for most, whimsy has become a daily addition to people’s hobbies, giving people the power to be deeply childish in a very serious adult way. Coloring has become a daily part of my life, but others do things like taking adult ballet classes, making fairy houses, or simply chatting with the inanimate objects around their house. There are a plethora of Reddit channels discussing these small ways people add joy and magic to their everyday lives.
This trend has quickly become my favorite because it’s not promoting fast fashion or putting anyone down; it is simply being more joyful for the sake of making life a little bit less serious and a whole lot more lovely. This year of whimsy is quickly turning into a lifelong commitment to exploring the little joys of life and finding occasions to break out my sparkle boots and fairy wings.