Twee is back – here’s how to wear the trend the grown-up way

Kelso tartan silk palazzo trousers, £310, gracewears.london; Cordelia tiered midi dress, £270, cefinn.com
Worn at the same time, the twee can look a bit like a costume from Little House on the Prairie or Bunny MacDougal, Charlotte’s stepmom who loves twinsets and beads in Sex and the City. The key to taking everything to the real world, as opposed to Instagram, is moderation.
“The way I would make it wearable as an adult is to pair it with much more structured pieces,” says Roe. “So if I want to wear a dress with small flowers, I will tie it up at the waist with a black leather belt with a simple gold buckle in the style of Princess Diana in the 1990s.
“If I’m wearing a Peter Pan collar blouse, I’d probably pair it with skinny leather pants or high waisted skinny jeans. Likewise, you can throw a tailored blazer over a twee piece. I also like to wear ballet flats with something very girly and twee – maybe a black patent loafer. I recently bought a pair of white and brown loafers that look a bit like the 1940s, but in a unisex way. The idea is simply to balance the twee with more streamlined classic pieces throughout the rest of the outfit.
Of course, the twee won’t be for everyone. I know plenty of people who will be unable to separate the new twee from the overly sweet, sentimental, quaint associations with the word they’ve known their whole lives. And I can understand that. They certainly won’t go out of fashion to discard it in favor of other mainstream trends like Estate chic or utilitarian-luxe.
But for those with a thing for all things pretty, feminine, and vintage-inspired, the twee gives you the right to indulge — and it shows no signs of going anytime soon. It’s time to let your ruffled flag fly.