Feature image credit: Photo 1 by Gregg DeGuire / Stringer via Getty Images; Photo 2 by Joe Maher / Stringer via Getty Images; Photo 3 by Rich Fury / Staff via Getty Images; Photo 4 by Frazer Harrison / Staff via Getty Images
Hayley Kiyoko knows how to dress big and bold. She rocks what I like to call queer maximalism: mixing different patterns, bold colors, metallics, and textures in a way that eschews standard rules about “matching” and cohesion. She’s playful and risk-taking in her fashion — whether on the stage where she tends to rock looser, casual clothing that still conveys a strong sense of personal style or on red carpets, where she experiments more with sequins, dresses, and very structured looks. She makes me want to embrace a little more fun and creativity in my own fashion choices. And her go-to color palette (BRIGHT AS HELL! NEON! FLORALS! ETC!) is extremely on-trend right now. I feel like she used to be known mainly for her slouchy, patterned short-sleeve buttonups, but she has recently really been bringing a lot more variation and drama than that. If you want to figure out how to dress like Hayley Kiyoko (whose relationship with Becca Tilley was recently confirmed btw!) and incorporate a little more queer maximalism in your closet, you’ve come to the right place.
The Pink Gaydies
Tie-dye, mesh, patent leather, and sparkly fringe might seem like a lot of once — but that’s exactly what we’re channeling here! Too much! Over-the-top! Drama! Queer maximalism is all about mixing playfully, clashing boldly, basically becoming a walking disco ball and/or galaxy. A black mesh shirt is surprisingly versatile, so it’ll do a lot of work outside of this truly unhinged outfit I’ve put together with Hayley as inspo. Tbh the next time I’m on a dance floor, I hope it’s in this exact look. The pink boots linked above are less expensive, but I’ve been coveting Intentionally Blank’s boots for so long now (I can’t decide between white or pink!), so if you’re wanting something from a smaller brand and that will probably last longer, price up to those.
Sparkle Suit
So you will notice with some of these I am not coming up with EXACT replicas of Hayley’s looks, but to be fair, Hayley is wearing a lot of designer clothing, and I’m not trying to put $800+ items on here. So while this is not exact, I do think the name of the game for this particular look is BOLD sparkly suiting with some structure to it. The two patterned pieces here are going to be eye-catching. And these sparkly shoes could absolutely be a fun look for a wedding — either if you’re a guest or even with your reception look if you’re the one getting married! Also, while we’re here, this glittery blazer I also found is on sale for $54. Also, an alternative option here is to do a sparkly romper moment instead of the suiting but still keep the booties and chunky chain necklace.
Bowl of Fruit
Just dress like a walking bowl of citrus imo. Bright orange! Lime green! Lemon yellow! Citrus is the best style of fruit — who wouldn’t want to dress like it? This dress would do the trick, too. And then pair it with an orange heel.
Business Bodysuit
Sometimes you just gotta put a plunge-necklined bodysuit under a suit!!!!! Dress like the Business Slut of your dreams!!!! The only plaid suits I really found when Googling around were hella cropped or in dull colors, and dull colors is not what we’re doing here! Colorblocking seems to be the solution! I found this colorblocked set of a blazer and pants, but it’s sold out in a lot of sizes.
Casual Alien
We love a slouchy dyke uniform! Here’s how to dress like Hayley Kiyoko at her most casual. There’s still a ton of individual style to this look! Maximalism but make it casual! I for one have been thrilled to see so much tie-dye in the world again. Especially because I basically swapped out my all-black wardrobe I used to wear in New York for an all-white wardrobe I now wear in Miami and have decided that if I stain anything I’m just going to tie-dye (a solution I’m happy to report has been working out very well!!!). I found lots of alts for this look, too, including $20 Old Navy sweatpants, $9 plus size gradient joggers, and $36 doodle sweatpants. And here’s an alt alien shirt, too.
Coming in Clutch
So, we don’t quite have the floral detailing of Hayley’s sheer top here, but this black sheer shirt with the lace detail sleeve is very fun, especially if you do a pop of bright color underneath it like this neon bandeau bra. I’m also realizing Hayley is king of the clutch, and it’s making me want a bedazzled clutch!!!!! Honestly, when in doubt, just throw some neon or a rhinestone moment into your accessories.
Fuck It Let’s Power-Clash
PAISLEY ON PAISLEY!! Now, this was one of the more challenging outfits to put together, because “silky paisley tracksuit” does not yield many results (especially under a particular price point). I decided to just go full chaotic maximalist mode with this set, mixing patterns and colors wildly. Tbh, into it. Is the bomber I picked expensive? Yes, but it’s also reversible, so it’s KINDA like you’re getting two jackets in one. And while a plain white tee doesn’t exactly scream maximalism, with the power-clashing pants and bomber situation, no one’s really going to be looking at your t-shirt anyway. Finish it off with these truly over-the-top sneaks, and you’re definitely going to make some heads turn. Also, if someone wants to snag this $90 vintage paisley windbreaker I found while researching this look, there’s only one so get it before it’s gone.
As a bonus, here are some other queer maximalist pieces I found while doing fashion research for this post that didn’t necessarily correlate with a specific look but can still help you figure out how to dress like Hayley Kiyoko and turn heads in the process! You could combine any of these to your heart’s content to create a queer maximalist look. Get 🤪 with the textures, prints, and colors! And if you’re wanting to baby-step into maximalism, experiment with accessories!
Obsessed with her look. Thank you.
great article, I think one of the things about her style is that many of her outfits aren’t super form fitting!!
also loving all these gentleman jack ads on the site
This post inspired me to wear a no bra neon green/yellow large mesh shirt around the house this morning so thank you for that
omg i was JUST talking about how i find Hayley Kiyoko’s style very affirming of my comfortable & colorful ‘what is matching for?’ approach!
This post inspired me to wear a no bra neon green/yellow large mesh shirt around the house this morning so thank you for that
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xxxtentacion hoodies
Best upcoming residential development.
I love Hayley kiyoko so much
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️