The ‘Kidult’ boom. Are adult shoppers rediscovering their inner child this summer?

There’s a buzz of nostalgia this Spring/Summer season with kiddie cartoon graphics and toy trinkets, the playful trend has returned and is a hit with Gen Z this time around.

Enter the ‘kidult’. What was once just a term coined by 1950s TV producers for an adult enjoyed programs intended for children was later adopted to describe an adult whose style is characterised by child-like nostalgia. The aesthetic embraces plain old fun: a break from fashion’s homogenisation, a curiosity with bold colours and customisation, and really the ‘cartoonification’ of just about anything.

Reported by WGSN in their Top trends for 2025 & beyond forecast, “for adults who are ‘adulting’, there is a resurgence of cultural nostalgia”. Signs can be spotted in consumer lifestyles, from return of gaming groups, such as 1980s classic of Dungeons and Dragons, to the vast number of people seeking out and buying merch and toys from their childhood. It appears to be a hit with both US and European big kids alike, with 28.5% of Europe’s total toy market being made by Kidults and $1.5 million of toy sales being driven by kidults in 2024 alone and certainly shows no signs of slowing down.

Though the trend has popped in and out of our wardrobes since 2020 in varying capacities and under different sub- aesthetics, from the whimsy of cottage core and kidcore in 2021 and its illuminous knits, to the Sylvanian Families’s key chains and ‘Labubbufication’ of our handbags in 2025, its spread itself across multiple generations during this time. Gen X seemed to be the most infatuated with the trend during the dawn of the Barbie move back in 2023 and through 2024 however, Gen z are increasingly exhibiting signs of wanting to recapture their childhood.

“Gen Z don’t care if you think it’s ‘dumb’ they carry stuffed animals around: ‘Brings me a little bit of happiness’.” Brooke Kato in the New York Posts’ understanding of the generation of emerging kidults; an adulating adult embracing childhood and youth in its most unrestrained forms as they enter a hard to navigate adulthood.

When it comes to the Kidult aesthetic clothing and its social media presence, it’s still emerging in its summer phrase, with clothing suggested to be characterised by tactile appliques, such as plush and optimistic colour palettes. But its earlier signs with accessories have been crawling through since February and March 2025. The renound London Toy Fair, taking place in February earlier this year saw older kids and adults captivated by collectible accessorises, such as the Tik Tok famous cherub figurines, Sonny Angels, with Youth specialist research agency Giraffe insights saying how “In 2025, we are likely to see a continuation of this kidult trend, with more brands moving away from the traditional “children-first” product development approach and instead exploring ways to capitalise on the play and collectible needs of older audiences.”

Though clothing in line with the trend isn’t necessarily flooding our social media feeds compared to accessories in line with the trend yet, this youthful spirit is feeding through to the shop floors and online retail spaces, with styles trickling down from the runways Spring/ Summer 2025 shows during Fashion weeks globally last September. Take designer Florentina Leitner’s SS25 collection for Paris Fashion Week, showcasing pastels shades and cartoon graphic tops and tees with child-like illustrations of mythical animals.

These adorable graphics can also be seen in retail spaces, with juvenile cartoon illustrations featured in collections by apparel brands Truffle Shuffle and Blue Banana. According to Fanny Chow, WGSN’s strategist for Print and Graphics, design strategies for this trend and adjacent trends, such as #PetClub, #Parklife and #AnimalMagic, should be to place focus on “#CuteCharacter illustrations and doodles that incorporate pets and nature scenic.”

Paris-based designer, Chafar Tajer also tapped into the trend with his use of what Chow labelled the trends “energising summer brights” as part of its optimistic colour palette. This refers to Tajer’s use of neon colours, eclectic patterns and of course cartoonish illustrations of animals and miscellaneous sweet treats. This was all a part of Casablancas’s SS25 collection for Paris Fashion Week.

Speaking of Cartoonish animals, it would rude not to mention the the viral sensation that is the Pop Mart exclusive Labubu doll. Arguably the most sought-after toy turned bag charm this spring/ summer season and one which any kidult must incorporate into their looks this summer. Created backing 2015, the fluffy, big-eyed collectibles, dubbed “ugly-cute” have seen a huge growth in sales within the past few months alone. As per a report from Meltwater, “from January 1 to May 20, 2025, reach was up 76% and engagement was up 137% compared to the same time period (139 days) prior.” Its safe to say the plushie charm has a clear cult following but why? Well, Professor Carolyn Mair PhD, chartered psychologist and author of The Psychology of Fashion seems to understand this phenomenon roots to be, you guessed it, nostalgia.

“Labubus are part of the ‘kidult’ phenomenon, where adults find solace in toys reminiscent of their childhood,” she said. “We can’t deny they fuzzy figures tickle something within us.” This solace found in simpler times of youth is likely not just the driver behind the mass Labubu love, but also the driver of the Kidult trend’s whole resurgence and popularity with Gen Z.

With this yearning for pieces that ooze the energy of another time, it comes as no surprise that the Kidult aesthetic is booming in 2025, a year so far full of political tension, climate crisis and overall change, Gen Z just want to go back to what could be considered a simpler time and more optimistic time. Writer for Medium, Krish Maran discussed how “it’s not just about remembering your childhood—it’s about connecting with a cultural moment that’s been shared and reinterpreted through online spaces.” Its not simply just having these child-esc accessories and garments but rather their cultural significance and nostalgic feel which makes them so popular.

Nostalgia just hits differently.