The minimalist wardrobe : Support/progress thread

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#121
I actually really like fashion. And while I wanted to minimize I find myself just checking trends again and trying to see what I could buy that fit my style, and the trends for years to come, so not too trendy...just analyzing the whole spectrum so I can carefully select and curate.
But really, Most trends are there every year in rotation.
So I’m watching what comes up on vestiaire collective (second hand) even better if vintage.
All my underwear and basics is black or white.
Summer color palette was beige, cream, earthy Light tones. With a bit of summery patterns.
Winter is black, grey, white, navy, with a bit of colors like purple or red.
 
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#123
Looking into shoes for fall...
Here a basic (but stylish cool) badly made pair of shoes made in China will easily retail at 200€...but just found this local brand who only does classic loafers, handmade in portugal for 200€
Otherwise looking into Doc Martens. The quality like for many other legendary brands has also been going down but it´s still quality for 190€....and if I spend a bit more I can choose to get the Made In England. 2 timeless styles I´m thinking of getting for the next season.
Actually, I would be ok paying that money to go towards factories in China, it can be just as well made...if I was ensured the factory workers were paid decently and treated with good standards. but its just become synonymous for low wages, low prices...It´s the margins that brands take that p*sses me off.
 
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#124
Relodie said:
I’m so intrigued on the polish coat designer if you could share!?

I’m in love with a YouTuber based in Oz who is super minimal but very much has her own sense of style.

This is something I’m working on as well, owing less but better and key classic pieces that I love and have always been drawn to.

I stumbled here to this thread randomly but I’m happy I did!

I find hard with work (law) is blending in too much and not being myself, while still being professional..
Click to expand...

May I ask who this youtuber is? Im in Oz and havent found any local bloggers talking about minimalism/capsule wardrobes or quality over quantity.
 
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#127
So I´ve been watching "a small wardrobe" videos, and the video about the different archetypes of minimalists is very interesting, as I often see on fb groups, women saying they´re not into neutrals and jeans...and it´s not about style it´s about quantity and having few.
I myself am struggling with the boredom and neutrality of blue jeans and stripes shirts and beige blazer...it´s great you cannot go wrong, but what if you need more?
So her categories are :
the essentialists : owning the least amount of items possible.often practical.
the traditionalists : classic capsule, basic formula
the anti-fashions : inspired by original 80-90s anti fashion, mostly about shape, cut, material. Comme des garcons, maison martin margiela. expensive, each item being part of a story, extreme uniform dressing
the avant-garde : opposite to anti-fashion. currated wardrobe of only statement pieces. mix colors patterns, style persuasion of it-girls.
 
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#129
mellecyn said:
So I´ve been watching "a small wardrobe" videos, and the video about the different archetypes of minimalists is very interesting, as I often see on fb groups, women saying they´re not into neutrals and jeans...and it´s not about style it´s about quantity and having few.
I myself am struggling with the boredom and neutrality of blue jeans and stripes shirts and beige blazer...it´s great you cannot go wrong, but what if you need more?
So her categories are :
the essentialists : owning the least amount of items possible.often practical.
the traditionalists : classic capsule, basic formula
the anti-fashions : inspired by original 80-90s anti fashion, mostly about shape, cut, material. Comme des garcons, maison martin margiela. expensive, each item being part of a story, extreme uniform dressing
the avant-garde : opposite to anti-fashion. currated wardrobe of only statement pieces. mix colors patterns, style persuasion of it-girls.
Click to expand...

That sounds like a useful breakdown. The last seems the hardest, or with the most churn, as any statement piece will lose its drama after one's seen it every week.

I know that for myself, I don't necessarily want it to be obvious where I got something. Either it should be so generic (plain knit top) that any shop at any price point has carried it in the last ten years*, or so unique that only I know where it came from. It's my own form of snobbishness, I admit.

Somewhere in between are the pieces that are of neither extreme, but just so perfectly Platonic form of whatever that I adore it as an object. Like maybe the Fjallraven Kanken backpack. You know exactly what it is and who made it (even after taking off the huge logo) and it does exactly the job that needs to be done. Cayce's instance of that, IIRC, was the platonic ideal of the WWII bomber jacket.

* I love the character Cayce Pollard from Gibson's Pattern Rcognition - much more memorable than the rest of the book!
 
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#130
FizzyWater said:
That sounds like a useful breakdown. The last seems the hardest, or with the most churn, as any statement piece will lose its drama after one's seen it every week.

I know that for myself, I don't necessarily want it to be obvious where I got something. Either it should be so generic (plain knit top) that any shop at any price point has carried it in the last ten years*, or so unique that only I know where it came from. It's my own form of snobbishness, I admit.

Somewhere in between are the pieces that are of neither extreme, but just so perfectly Platonic form of whatever that I adore it as an object. Like maybe the Fjallraven Kanken backpack. You know exactly what it is and who made it (even after taking off the huge logo) and it does exactly the job that needs to be done. Cayce's instance of that, IIRC, was the platonic ideal of the WWII bomber jacket.

* I love the character Cayce Pollard from Gibson's Pattern Rcognition - much more memorable than the rest of the book!
Click to expand...
That’s so interesting, I didn’t know cayce pollard. Invented normcore before it was a thing.
In the video she’s referring to the wardrobe of the traditional minimalists as being one of items you can find at any price point. High end or low end.
Letting go of trends for style. I love old school long standing brands and their iconic items...I get that from that backpack. It’s iconic and as much as other brands try to copy it even offering « personalization » (the customer chooses patterns and colors) I’d go for the original in its purest form.
Same with doc martens.
 
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#132
mellecyn said:
So I´ve been watching "a small wardrobe" videos, and the video about the different archetypes of minimalists is very interesting, as I often see on fb groups, women saying they´re not into neutrals and jeans...and it´s not about style it´s about quantity and having few.
I myself am struggling with the boredom and neutrality of blue jeans and stripes shirts and beige blazer...it´s great you cannot go wrong, but what if you need more?
So her categories are :
the essentialists : owning the least amount of items possible.often practical.
the traditionalists : classic capsule, basic formula
the anti-fashions : inspired by original 80-90s anti fashion, mostly about shape, cut, material. Comme des garcons, maison martin margiela. expensive, each item being part of a story, extreme uniform dressing
the avant-garde : opposite to anti-fashion. currated wardrobe of only statement pieces. mix colors patterns, style persuasion of it-girls.
Click to expand...

When I think of the Anti-Fashions I think of Carolyn Bessette Kennedy. Everyone called her an It girl, but she wasn’t in that way. She was elusive and a big fan of shape/cut/material, Comme des garcons etc. I think of Diane Keaton as the poster child for the Avant-Garde, but you’re probably too young to think of her that way. But what about 1 and 2? Is there a well-known essentialist? Traditionalist probably isn’t hard but I can’t think of anyone at the moment.
 
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#133
Etriers said:
When I think of the Anti-Fashions I think of Carolyn Bessette Kennedy. Everyone called her an It girl, but she wasn’t in that way. She was elusive and a big fan of shape/cut/material, Comme des garcons etc. I think of Diane Keaton as the poster child for the Avant-Garde, but you’re probably too young to think of her that way. But what about 1 and 2? Is there a well-known essentialist? Traditionalist probably isn’t hard but I can’t think of anyone at the moment.
Click to expand...
Many many actresses with great styles, I need to think about it.
For the other ones its funny I tend to think of youtubers, not famous people, who with access to everything, don´t come to mind in minimalism let´s see...Avant garde could be the bold choices of Iris Van Apfel or Alexa Chung.
The traditionalist would be french actress like Charlotte Gainsbourg who literally has had the same wardrobe since the 80s lol...Same with her mother Jane Birkin.
The brand Rouje is entirely inspired by Jane Birkin the style icon. Very much part of our french culture. The reason why speaking french with a british accent is soooo sexy, also the ultimate tiny boobs icon
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#134
BTW I absolutely love Carolyn Bessette´s style. I was researhing all I could find already back in 2008, when the 90s minimalists were definitely not in!
I remember back in 1997, being like (from across the pond) who is this Carolyn Bessette magazines keep mentioning? I have a profound nostalgia for that time, for the late 90s minimalism with Prada shows...I was living in Paris for the first time and being a poor student I only had like 2-3 key outfits & 3 pairs of shoes...but got access to see my first fashion show which was Carven.
 
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#135
Etriers said:
When I think of the Anti-Fashions I think of Carolyn Bessette Kennedy. Everyone called her an It girl, but she wasn’t in that way. She was elusive and a big fan of shape/cut/material, Comme des garcons etc. I think of Diane Keaton as the poster child for the Avant-Garde, but you’re probably too young to think of her that way. But what about 1 and 2? Is there a well-known essentialist? Traditionalist probably isn’t hard but I can’t think of anyone at the moment.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure about a style icon for essentialism, but I could pretty much live in Donna Karan's "7 easy pieces"... https://www.notorious-mag.com/article/the-90s-giorgio-armani-and-donna-karan-style-is-totally-now

I remember that ad campaign - a woman president seemed so possible... 28 years ago :sad:

Along similar lines, a closet with a dozen Diane von Furstenburg's wrap dresses would be pretty complete.

While not high style, in my head Martha Stewart wears the same chambray or blue-white-stripe blouse + jeans every day of the year and looks perfectly high-WASP at all times.
 
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