September has come and gone and with it, the last vestiges of summer. As the cooler mid-fall approaches, one must also be relieved by the fact that we are having actual seasons. It’s amazing to see when a temperate climate follows it’s temperate expectations and leaves us, not yet, shoveling inches of snow before Thanksgiving.
Meteorology aside, it is also the period closest to the end of 2010, the last year of the decade. The fact that there is no year zero, goes over the head of many. Colloquially, the ’10s have already begun (pronounced “teens” for those of you who were a bit unaware), however mathematically, it is impossible to start any sequence of numbers that hold any literal weight at zero. If it’s at zero there is nothing there. Which brings me to my next important point: this year has been a transition into newfound territory. Those of us who skid toward the future in a longing and nostalgic way, have an inkling of how the fashion climate will be. The ’90s have been something I’ve exploited, because of that old fashion formula I refer to time and time again. Fashion repeats itself every twenty years and if you read what I have to offer, my fellow citizens, when it comes to my governing style, you’ll know that style has everything to do with it.
Right now, it’s heaven for people who enjoy wearing clothes. Personally, if I can wear more clothes at once, I can definitely deal. That said, the past decade was more economically sound than it’s last goodbye and with that brings a period of prosperity that oozes into clothes in the form of impossible deconstruction and paranoid, uneven hemlines. It invited an air of expression where the adjective unique, as it has always been, was homogenized, packaged and sold for a vulgar profit. Many things have followed the same bastardized route but none have been more mass produced then clothes. The crisis we find ourselves in is one of utter destruction.
I went to a party this weekend and saw an old friend. I mentioned my candidacy for mayor and explained that I would try to abolish the sloppy aesthetic: no more Crocs©, no more outside sweat pants, etc. She, perhaps in a passive aggressive moment, declared her love for wearing sweatpants outside and turned to me as though I had the problem. This acceptance and outright defiance to be able to “wear what you want” is not expressing the freedom to express yourself, it’s the freedom to not think about it. It’s laziness, no questions about it. Our generation has so been connected with apathy that when someone actually calls out and does care about an issue, it is deemed by a vast majority of us as pretentious or overbearing when, in reality, the ignorance to how bad you look moves me to a fanatical fury.
Aside from the Uggs© and hoodies, I figure that there is a trend that will finally convert even the most unfashionable and the late-to-the-party trenders.
The minimalism look, in its defining color blocking, simple silhouettes and forthright expressiveness should come across not as stuffy but as practical. The reason behind that is that practicality is at it’s root. Its many reincarnations have extended an olive branch to each generations’ fashion followers and to their “fuck fashion” counterparts. There isn’t anything wrong with casual wear but the problem arises when that is all you wear. The minimalism look is androgynous and free of the normal pretense that requires rigid stereotypical conformities. It’s almost militant in it’s look, following along with the present time’s own military trend. It is rare that one could dislike the way this look both screams and whispers style without giving up substance and, most importantly, never compromising function over design.
The clean aesthetic lends itself to be chameleon-like, transitioning often from day to night, from school to club, from office to bar. Many who employ more complex items in their everyday wardrobe such as louder jewelry, colors and shapes can easily turn in the fiesta for a day and feel clean chic without compromising their own philosophy of fashion.
The last word on this incredible style should be taste. Prints are welcome, however, they cannot really be more than one idea at a time or too abstract. This complicates the look and misses the mark when it comes to what you’re trying to say. There isn’t a time nor a place for the minimalist look, it is a year long endeavor that many of you less literate sartorial enthusiasts can embrace and exploit. It is zero parts consumerism and, most importantly, all parts comfort.
Vote for me, nerds! And remember: don’t be a stranger, but do be stranger.
Hair and Makeup: Laura Bean
Models: Sonya Holmes and Lynn Marie Kummer
All Clothes except Black Leather Skirt purchased at Village Discount Outlet
Black Leather Skirt courtesy of The Sometimes Store
fabulous pictures!