Last year my fashion proclivities morphed into something more minimalist. Fashion decisions became more considered, and whereas previously my ethos was to only buy what I loved; now, it was to buy only what I needed. To invest in quality over trends. It was a paring back of my stylistic impulses, in a bid to be more thoughtful in my buys and avoid waste (as much as for my bank balance as for the environment).
Having already expounded upon the virtues of the white t-shirt, black trousers and most recently, the common vest, my wonts became predicated solely by practicality. For some time I enjoyed the ease at which this enabled me to get dressed. There was no deciphering what made sense, items had an inherent synchronicity. White t-shirt, blue jeans and black jumper, or black t-shirt, black jeans and camel jumper. The only thing differentiating one day's look from another was a slight variation in colour and swapping between accessories.
Whilst on a five day trip with nothing but my carry-on as companion, I employed this means of dressing to much self-congratulation. Due to space limitation, superfluous clothing was not possible, instead items mandated multi-purpose capabilities. For this five day trial period, staple pieces aided in quick transitions between adventures. Come in from a long day of exploring, wash, change, head out for the evening, bed, sleep, wake and do it all over again. Getting dressed was a necessity not a priority and thus the accidental minimalism began.
Soon my fascination with minimalism spread to my instagram perusal too as I favoured more minimalist accounts (see Tar Mar, RosieHW and Matilda Djerf). Getting dressed was done with my eyes closed, which is not meant as a brag, more a consequence of complete boredom. Colour palettes were neutral, style was simplistic and cuts were classic. I was trendless, I was perfectly put together and I was stylistically stunted. There was no frantic flinging of clothing, squeezing into one thing, only to shimmy out of another. Instead, getting dressed was just a necessary mundanity. The excitement and frustration was no more.
The act of clothing myself had been cathartic, a preparation of body and mind before interacting with the real world. It allowed me to present an image curated at the behest of however I may have felt at any given time. The definition of minimalism suggests a moderate approach to dressing and dogged commitment to essentials and in adopting this, my wears had been whittled down to that of a uniform. The unexpected inspiration that often comes from no where and everywhere, no longer affected my proclivities. The formula was set and through the motions I went...
It wasn't until I discovered Maren Schia that my monotone dressing came into focus. I was inspired by her matryoshka layers, commitment to colour and unexpected silhouettes. It was 'out there' enough to be considered aspirational, but relatable enough that one felt could be recaptured. Classic pieces were featured but they were paired unexpectedly, colours were clashed and prints were the antithesis of boring.
I quickly realised that whilst figuring out minimalism, the purpose of staples had become obfuscated. They were pieces to be worn over and over again, they were often overlooked and they could be considered boring, but they were pertinent to a well-rounded wardrobe and were often the saviour of many a snoozed alarm. What began as an exercise in upgrading the quality of my current staples, unknowingly became a quest to reach the illusive status of chic, an aesthetic that I admire, but is not comfortably my own.
Though a whole outfit of basics is functional and some days do warrant easy, thoughtless dressing; not having that visual stimulus nurtured a feeling of bland within me. The epiphany made me realise that part of the function of staple pieces are their ability to provide a practical foundation on which can be built whatever the wearer desires: minimalist, maximalist and in between. A white t-shirt is only as exciting as the wearer and as such, only as boring. The key pieces from my time as a rookie minimalist will forever remain key pieces. However, now they will be the backdrop to offset whatever statement I intend to wear, and make. Consider it maximising your minimalist wears.
(Photos via: Unknown, @matildadjerf, @tarmarz & @marenschia)
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