R.I.P. Maxis and Minis. Now All the Fashion Girls Are ‘Goldilocksing’

If you’ve been keeping up with the style set on social media (or peeping celebrity looks on the sidewalks of NYC and L.A.) you may have noticed the comeback of capris and kitten heels, the ubiquity of prim midi skirts and the reemergence of three-quarter sleeve tops. There’s a place and a time for sky-high stilettos and dramatic lengths—but apparently, it’s not here and now.

In 2026, all the fashion girls—including the likes of Hailey Bieber and Kendall Jenner—are doing something that I call Goldilocksing. That is, embracing those middle-of-the-road pieces that are defined by the fact that they aren’t too short, aren’t too long, too flat or too high. If Goldilocks were snooping through the closets of some very chic bears, she’d no doubt step out in these just right silhouettes.

Avoiding extremes in either direction, the look feels inherently minimalist in a very ‘90s way. After all, its rise can be traced back to this spring’s Carolyn Bessette Kennedy obsession, which we saw reignited in the wake of FX’s Love Story. Just like CBK herself, the aesthetic comes across as elegant and understated—not to mention perfectly balanced.

Not only do the proportions help the look remain seasonless, but it also makes this approach to dressing a universally flattering one. Three-quarter-length sleeves elongate the arms, kitten heels add a subtle lift and midi skirts and capris can make your lower half look sleeker (though in true Goldilocks fashion, it might take some trial and error at first—look for a hemline that hits just above the thickest part of your calf or just below it).

As it turns out, mid doesn’t have to mean “meh,” and these Goldilocks-approved picks from Reformation, Anthropologie, Quince and more are all the proof you need.

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