Ah minimalism. This non-execs trend takes its shape in restaurants, on social media, and recently, in branding. For many millennials and Gen-Zers, the proper use of this trend can make or break a brand. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve come across a store or website and wanted to buy a product simply because I thought the succulents in the window were really cute or because the number of products displayed was aesthetically pleasing and approachable (think reformation, The Beauty Chef, and herbivore)

Gone are the days when a great shopping expirence simply meant the store had a lot of cute clothes; never have I ever been excited to face the trauma that is the piles upon piles of clothes (not to mention long lines) at stores like Zara, LF, Bloomingdales, etc. While I often find some of my favorite pieces at these hell-hole retailers, I’m also often reluctant to enter these stores to begin with (“can’t we just walk around Tribeca and go to the cute little shops with the essential oils instead?”) 

Enduring these blood-pressure raising shopping experiences takes a lot out of me. Even if I’m with my best friends, massive stores always make me weirdly depressed: sifting through an abyss of never-ending fabrics for some semblance of hope in the form of a blazer or some cool track pants kind of kills the joy of shopping. 

Enter retailers like glossier, Solid and Striped, and Dreams on Air. These brands are not only aesthetically pleasing (I love me some white walls, natural lighting, and green plant accents), but also impeccably edited. Although the selection isn’t as vast, the products these stores carry feel— for the most part— unique (or at least it seems that way because your eyes haven’t glazed over from looking at racks and racks of patterned pants that all look identical). They gain individuality and a certain quality of specialness because you’re not comparing them to a hundred other pieces in the vacinity that more or less do the same thing for you. 

Gen-Zers stare at beautifully (and meticulously) edited content day in and day out. Apps like facetune (don’t judge me), VSCO, Perfect 365, etc. have conditioned us to believe that perfection is not just normal, but necessary for social acceptance. If brands want to keep up with us, they need to edit and refine (and for the love of god give us succulents!)