Cute-Meets-Edgy: A Spike In Millennial Style

Youth culture has had a soft spot for metal spikes and a tough image for decades. As the style has become popular again in recent years, Millennials are putting their own spin on it. Sure, spikes and studs signify a badass attitude in general, but today’s teens and 20-somethings have found a way to soften the look with just a touch of toughness.

For example, we’re seeing spikes and studs on haute couture runways (for guys and girls) that are 100% badass, but the Millennial take on spikes is more subtle. A quick search on Etsy brings up thousands of spiked items, from clothing to jewelry to iPhone cases. But what’s striking is the variety of styles and colors. There are beautiful, natural spikes made of sea urchin and porcupine quills; colorful friendship bracelets speckled with metallic spikes; candy colored spikes fashioned into jewelry. Being tough has never looked so cute!

We recently had the chance to check out Tokidoki’s fall collection of clothes, accessories, makeup, and more. Looking over the most adorable characters wrapped in their spiky cactus suits, the trend became instantly clear. As rep Marla White showed us the line, she explained that the characters are cute-meets-edgy, with a balance of good and bad. Bastardino, one of the Cactus Friends, is tough enough to scare Spiderman in the brand’s collaboration with Marvel, but he cuddles up to Barbie as her pet. They wear their spikes to protect themselves from a tough world.

Like Tokidoki’s characters in cactus suits, Millennials adorn themselves with spikes to give themselves a strong external image. They’ve been protected and sheltered by their parents throughout their young lives, and when they strike out into the “real world,” they don’t want to come off as easy marks. They want to look a little tough and edgy, while still feeling like the bright, optimistic individuals they are. Hence rainbow colored bracelets with gold spikes, neon pink stud earrings, all colors of spiked and studded Converse, and even cute-meets-edgy studded nail art. They use this hint of badass attitude, along with their optimism, to meet the challenges of a tough world; one that they’re feeling tough enough to make it in.