When thinking of minimalism or normcore, I think a lot of us might think of, well...boring outfits. When I first came across it I was looking down at the picture of the smiling brunette in the magazine, wearing nothing but a gray sweater tucked into cigarette pants, with simple bluchers on her feet. And all I could think was: "This looks like my mom, just twenty years ago." Back when she was too busy with chasing me down the hallway and forcing me to take the pants off of my head to really care about what she put on in the morning.
It's simple and down to its bones, which makes it easy to overlook the elegance. It's interesting but in a quiet way, each piece assigned to say its own word. A well tailored pant says "grace", a structured cross-body bag on the hip says "taste", a pair of fringed oxfords quip in "panache". I started to slowly fall into the style because I liked choosing only a handful of pieces and making them tell my story, in four words or less.
That's not to say I'll wear it every time. I mean, I don't have the heart to break up with my wildly patterned, Miami-inspired '60s dresses. They would just suck me right back in, anyway. I'm weak when it comes to love. But I now really enjoy taking a slight detour on a Wednesday or Thursday and choosing a simple polka dot column skirt and a string of simple necklaces. It gives you a different feeling than the more frou-frou pieces, doesn't it? You feel understated, but in a knowing way. You feel quietly chic but still get your charm across. Sometimes, it turns out the less words you use, the stronger the message.
Let's discuss: What's a new style you recently tried and were surprised you liked it?
PS: Want more minimalist styling ideas? Why don't you read:
- A New Way to Layer Your Sleeveless Dresses
- An Outfit That'll Really Make You Want to Layer Your Jumpsuits
- A Sweater Layering Trick That Might Change Everything
Skirt: thrifted (vintage similar: here)Crop top: thrifted (store similar: here)Jacket: thrifted (vintage similar: here)Booties: TJ MaxxNecklaces: H&M
