'Take it from me, the coolest outfits have one thing in common right now.'

When it comes to getting dressed at the moment, the coolest women in the world are following the 'so wrong it's right' theory.

It's all about adding a touch of nuance to your outfit: think a deliberately mismatched piece, clashing accessory, or embracing an all-out genre-defying look.

The fashion flex is that it shouldn't work (and perhaps doesn't), but that's the beauty of it.

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Germany-based stylist and fashion editor Anastasia Symiriotis wrote about this tactic on her Instagram recently.

"Being slightly wrong is chic," she captioned her post.

"Sometimes you just want to have fun with an outfit… add a bit of personality, a twist, something that makes it feel less "perfect" and more you."

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A post shared by ANASTASIA SYMIRIOTIS (@ana.symiriotis)

Symiriotis' advice? Don't labour over it.

"Usually it's not about doing more — it's about doing one thing slightly off, on purpose. That's where outfits get interesting."

She suggests doing this via an unexpected piece of jewellery, an ironic sock, or shoes that don't match the vibe — but "somehow make it better".

It's the reason the humble thong (the type you wear on your feet) has had such a glow-up this past year. What could be more objectively wrong than pairing flip-flops with suiting or evengingwear? And yet thongs are one of the biggest styling trends to reach the mainstream in recent months.

It's the contrast that gives the look character, where a pointy shoe might just read as boring.

As Symiriotis writes, "perfection is safe. Wrong is interesting."

In the early 2000s there was a name for dressing slightly wrong to court the fashion gaze: "man repelling".

The concept was coined by former style blogger and New York tastemaker Leandra Medine Cohen, who still embodies the same offbeat methodology in her daily style, albeit without labelling it in quite such gendered terms.

For Leandrea Medine Cohen, the touch of "wrong" is what makes it feel right. Image: Instagram/@leandramedinecohen.

These days, you might just call it getting dressed for your own enjoyment.

If one city encapsulates this approach best, it's Copenhagen, where Autumn/Winter Fashion Week just wrapped up.

The streetstyle crowd — known for their artful take on dopamine-dressing — aren't letting the snow slow down their looks.

Influencer Manon De Velder and friends attend Copenhagen Fashion Week. Image: Instagram/@manondevelder.

Guests at Copenhagen Fashion Week. Image: Getty.

There's all the quirky layering you'd expect, and also furry outerwear, textured bottoms, knitted hoods, embellished gloves and several sightings of Margiela's cult Tabi heels (quite possibly the most "fashion gaze" shoe to ever exist.)

The outfits don't make sense — but they're not meant to.

An attendee at Copenhagen Fashion Week. Image: Getty.

So why are we suddenly craving looks (and shoes) that feel deliberately off?

In the era of AI-generated perfection, people are finding comfort in the authentic.

Experimentation and self-expression are resonating in fashion right now, because these things can't be copied or churned through an algorithm — they're individualistic.

We've learnt a thing or two from the Quiet Luxury movement, where beige ruled, and neat and orderly outfits signalled good taste.

The thing is, you can't buy taste. And as the cookie-cutter outfits quickly filtered through the social media machine, what once looked expensive started to wash over us all until it was so watered down, you could buy a 'quiet luxury' beige top on Temu for five bucks.

Now, we want to feel liberated from prescriptive style tropes.

In 2026, the best outfits have a little chaos. They're disorderly.

Red carpet fashion is reflecting this shift, as celebrities aim to stand out this awards season with less predictable style choices.

Emma Stone in Louis Vuitton at The Golden Globes. Image: Getty.

Think Emma Stone's custom Louis Vuitton two-piece at The Golden Globes: the skirt that sat lower than usual; the mismatched textures of her co-ords.

At the A-list level, with all the eyes of the world on their every sartorial move, playing it safe is no longer rewarded.

It's happening on the runways, too. At the recent Haute Couture shows, Valentino and Dior showed artisanal looks offset with playful styling details that questioned the haughty expectations of what Couture should look like.

Dua Lipa wears Chanel. Image: Instagram/@dualipa.

In the front row at Chanel, Dua Lipa wore a cartoon-bright skirt suit by the brand. An icon of the house, reenvisioned in a garish (yet fabulous) print.

It was a far cry from the pastel tweed twinsets you might expect to see at the show.

And that's exactly what made it the best outfit on ground.

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Feature image: Getty.