there is beauty in simplicity

Ever since I got my iPad Air 2 and downloaded the Issuu application, I've been obsessively pouring over pretty much every and any magazine that I can get my hands on. One of my latest discoveries is Tribu, an art, fashion and culture magazine based in Geneva, Switzerland. While reading the first issue, I found an interesting article entitled 'Back to Basics', by Murray Clark that reflects on the state of men's fashion during the AW13 season. Although perhaps outdated (the article was written around two years ago) and limited in direct scope on the surface, I found that it had an interesting perspective on fashion that I could relate to, and apply to contemporary women's fashion. The article looks at the contrast between the classic appeal of contemporary menswear and current (or rather, AW13) trends.  In essence, it looks at how modern fashion trends tend to be 'busy': full of prints, and often complicated.

I'm not an expert on fashion, and I don't pretend to be. I don't have the credentials that numerous style bloggers out there have; I haven't attended any classes in fashion design, interned at a fashion magazine etc. But I do enjoy putting together outfits, and I love exploring different looks, through both personal style and vicariously, through magazines. I've often noticed that there tends to be a focus on outfits and clothing that are considered 'outrageous'; designs that defy the norm. While these are often exciting and provide us with new trends (and often, new trendsetters), they send a message that Clark sums up in his article: we attempt to overcomplicate style in a bid to be interesting.

 




Left and right: a couple of images from my August magazine reading that I felt show simple outfits with slight, but not obnoxious twists.

Left: Teen Vogue; Right: Atlas Magazine









What I found most striking within the was the ending, where Clark states the following:

A simple outfit is most often the greatest, and just because there isn't anything remotely avant-garde to your look doesn't mean it's not as relevant. Sometimes, a pair of blue jeans and a white t-shirt really does cut it.

Clark also states that good style requires some personal originality, which I whole-heartedly agree with. It's often the case that I see people trying to be 'stylish' by copying outfits entirely out of magazines, or attempting to copy a runway look. Good personal style requires mixing and matching; it requires uniqueness, but that doesn't mean that it has to be overcomplicated. I believe that it's important that while we experiment with our styles, there's no need to believe that just to be interesting and unique, we need to completely shun classic silhouettes and clothing combinations that are timeless. Simplicity can still be original. Instead of going all-out, mixing textures, patterns and prints, slight alterations can be incorporated into classic outfits and styles. Instead of using outrageous looks as sources of mimicry, use them instead as sources of inspiration.