Festival fashion all year round: American Eagle Outfitters

Minimalist or maximalist? It’s like deciding between a mini skirt and a maxi, but bigger. When it comes to this trend you can’t sit on the fence. You’re either in one cult or the other, but when there are brands like American Eagle Outfitters, you’ll find it hard ever to look in the face of maximalism (technically not a word) again.

This brand is yet to step its foot into the UK but has recently added UK shipping. They’re one of the fastest growing youth fashion brands, aiming at 15-25 year olds, and are also in competition with Hollister and Forever 21, who also dipped into the UK market after growing too big for their boots in America.

They were established in 1977 with the ambition of aiming to an outdoors culture, and the brand has certainly grown from then, with over 900 US and Canadian stores, international stores, and now they’re also on the hunt for a home in the UK too, all still keeping with the same original message.

You will instantly fall in love with their easy-going style, and with an added bonus of prices ranging from £10-£40 for tops, £20-£45 for sweaters, £25-£40 for dresses and £25-£45 for anything on the bottom, the prices are not out of the way for the quality you get in return.

They also masterfully craft vintage-like accessories to match the simple style of their clothing. So if you find yourself easy-going enough and you want to match your love for Bastille with your fashion, then AEO should be your first port-of-call.

The fashion world is evolved around mixing as many patterns as you can and pairing that with as many buckles, necklaces and rings as possible, and now that it’s September and everyone is going to be even more reluctant to get out of bed in the morning (when it gets to January it’s almost impossible), you’re not going to want to be fussing around making sure the tartan goes with the floral. AEO is the perfect remedy and it’s a breath of fresh air to have a brand that wipes the slate clean, and goes back to basics.

Tamara Massey

To look at the whole collection, click to American Eagle Outfitters.