I still take a look at The Sartorialist, blog of a professional street fashion photographer most days, to keep up with what's happening out there, outside of this Oklahoma bubble in which I find myself marooned. Not much fashion goin' on here! Mom jeans, dad jeans, tee shirts, sweat shirts, ball caps, some biker gear here and there, some cute dungarees, with the occasional Stetson for special occasions is best I can hope to encounter out in the wild.
But wait....what's this I read about something called "Normcore"? Wow! Is Oklahoma going to be abreast of - or even ahead of, real hipster fashion now?
A more "in depth" piece - if Normcore has any depths to plumb that is - is from April in the New York Times:
The New Normal
Normcore: Fashion Movement or Massive In-Joke? By Alex Williams
It becomes unclear whether the whole Normcore thing began as some kind of in-joke or ironic wotnot initiated by some bored New York hipsters. Then the internet caught wind of it and spread the word rapidly, possibly in the process getting the wrong end of the fashion-stick. Maybe. Stripped of its hipster links though, Normcore can be seen as A Good Thing. Eschewing fashion "labels" and dictates of billionaire fashion moguls and corporations cannot be bad - wearing what's handy and comfortable: hand-me-downs (or ups), re-cycling old clothes, buying from thrift stores, Goodwill etc. Being anti-consumerist, anti-corporate. If it lasted it could be the beginnings of a political movement!
Could it catch on in a big way though? With the help of the net anything is possible. The hipsters will no doubt peel off soon, if they haven't already, and find something else with which to define themselves as individuals by all looking the same - let 'em get on with it!
Well, Twilight, normcore is a bit too dressy for me...it's what I might wear for a doctor or dentist appointment...maybe eating out, which I don't do. I dress myself for the de rigueur requirements of yardwork, biking errands, and general duties of a dirty life...LOL.
ReplyDeleteI have lots of decent clothing. I don't like to wear jeans, because of the three seams that come together in the seat of the pants...hurts my tailbone. I employ running pants for every-day-wear...elastic waist and ankles (elastic ankles will keep the fire ants from crawling up my legs). I have scads of new T-shirts that I don't wear, because they are too good...better to wear a well-worn T-shirt, as tending to my yard has often reminded me with tears and stains. Gobs of dress and casual shirts, but I despise ironing and I'm not into that type of super-wrinkled grunge look. It's difficult enough for me to unload the dryer and fold clothes when the cycle ends...thus, more wrinkles in my T-shirts (they unwrinkle, given several hours of wear!). I do bathe every day and don clean undies daily, so no smells to accompany the view.
I dressed nicely for my last jury duty...upon returning home, one of my neighbors asked me what the special occasion was...another asked why I was in civies.
I'm a completely utilitarian, functional, practical, non-zeitgeist type-o-guy. It's very good at repelling potential admirers, too...they will HAVE to look beyond the surface for my inner beauty. My dog, GiGi, has never complained about my choice of attire.
mike ~ LOL...LOL! But you do represent Normcore - you are at the cutting edge of it to my mind!
ReplyDeleteHusband follows much the same pattern as you, dress-wise - even more so when he was a few years younger and did more yard work himself. His "uniform, when leaving the house for whatever reason is dark or tan jeans, tee shirt (from the many we have collected on our travels or from Goodwill, and long sleeved shirt of varying quality depending on purpose of his exit.
He will, under no circumstance wear anything with a logo or maker's brand name in view. No patterns, no western style shirts - ever. Limited choice but remains adamant about what he will and will not wear! :-/
He's kind of Normcore but choosey with it.
ReplyDeleteJeans, tights and tee's for me too,all year long/ short sleeve in warm weather,
long sleeve in cold weather.
I have gads of fake jewelry, hats,scarves and shoes to turn 1 tee n 1 pair of jeans/tights into 20 to 25 outfits lol.. my friends call my style Gypsy :) Just as a for instance-- I bought several long silky skirts at goodwill for 1.00 each and use them as scarves or belts. I have never worm them that several women didnt come over to me and say " omg where did you get that?" and then tell me the scarves they find even at expensive
prices are too Thin... I smile and say-- ya just gonna know where to shop..I think this coming winter I'll wrap one around my head like a turban:)
Sonny ~ Your style sounds like the kind of thing I admire. :-)
ReplyDeleteI don't do tights, but live in trouser style or slightly flared dark jeans. Hard to come by sometimes, so I buy 'em when available and keep 'em for ever hoping I don't put on more than a few pounds before I get to wear them.
I'm only a fraction Normcore, if that. My mother used say about me "champagne taste and beer money". I have this longing for quality, classic quality, which is a pain in the ass because mostly I simply cannot afford it. I annoy even myself! I'll drool over a Ralph Lauren jacket then go to e-bay to see if anybody wants to get rid of one.
Love a good Jacket! But in Okie land during many months it's too hot for jackets, so tank top and shirt short or long sleeves is the alternative. And scarves light or heavy-weight - I love scarves!
Haven't worn high heels since I retired, haven't worn a skirt of any length since I came to the USA.