How to ace minimalist styling?
Have you observed how powerful or influential people always look elegant and impressive? How it is easy for us to focus on what they’re saying and doing? The secret is in the styling! Minimalism is widely appreciated and followed trend, from Audrey Hepburn to the Olsen twins, from Jen Aniston to our very own Posh (Victoria Beckham), they are as minimalist as they can get. Minimalism isn’t just a fashion fad it is rather a lifestyle choice and those who dare to explore, reap the understated benefits. Let us try and decode the minimalist style!
Filter out your wardrobe
The minimalist fashion movement boasts of classic and timeless pieces put together to create a monumental ensemble, without over styling it; one which never goes out of fashion. The first step towards assembling a timeless wardrobe is to get rid of anything that has too much to say, for example, a printed ruffle top in bold colors. It has too much going on at the same time, with the ruffles adding textures and the print creating a distraction with its vibrant colors; it turns out to be quite the opposite of minimalism. Once you’ve filtered out your wardrobe to only classics and essentials you can start creating interesting looks with the pieces at your disposal. The very first look could be a classic white shirt with a pair of blue denim jeans, and you can start from there. If you are absolutely new to minimalism, don’t worry, you can always start by collecting items that look chic and never go out of fashion. Karl Lagerfeld was a big fan of the classic white shirt which is the inspiration of the label’s new collection #TributeToKarl.Pick up timeless pieces
A pair of blue jeans, one LBD (little black dress), a beige trench coat…and so on, devour these classics and come up with outfits that compliment you and bring out your creativity. If you think minimalism can be boring, think again! Even the Royals, from Princess Diana to Meghan Markle, adhere by minimalism and bear a testament to the versatility of minimalist style. The advantage of owning such pieces is the mere fact that they work well in every season, one can simply never go wrong with them. The major philosophy behind minimalist style is that the person wears the clothes and not the other way around. Your apparel should reflect your aesthetic and that is when you seem in harmony making you look tall and confident. Besides, minimalism is cheap, since you don’t go hoarding every time a collection is out for sale rather you collect clothes that compliment you and reveal your style and those can’t occur in every collection of every store.
Layering to the rescue
Layering 101
If you’re worried about repeating your outfits or you simply don’t have the time to prepare another look, you can always add a little mystery by layering your outfit. Lift up a boring apparel with the final touch of a blazer or cardigan both of which add a tad more seriousness to the outfit and work well with almost anything you choose to wear. A blazer helps you look sharp and assertive with a no nonsense vibe whereas a cardigan seems softer hence being seen as more accessible. Always wear a blazer to an important meeting or event since it speaks professional and is the best way to try structured clothing.Embrace Structured Clothing
Structured clothing is a term used to define tailored clothing or well fitted garments that give an organized look. It shows that you’ve put an effort into your look and you seem presentable even at the end of the day. Tailor made clothes make you look comfortable yet chic but you don’t always have to wear the monotonous checkered shirt and a straight fit pant. Don’t shy away from non-traditional clothing like pant suits or wide legged trousers. They add an element of flow to your ensemble and make you look (as well as feel) comfortable and interesting. A line dresses and skirts always do the trick; go high waist with a shirt tucked in or a plain, round neck t-shirt. You can replace the boring dark colored pants by pinstriped pants or bow tie high waist trousers. They accentuate your waist and increase the length of your legs ending with a wide legged bottom making you look lean and tall.Play with textures and shades
Experiment with materials
The world has really become a small place presenting us with almost every option at our disposal. With the rising competition and ease of access to materials all around the world, it is easy to find a clothing available in a myriad of different materials like sheer, lace, velvet to different colors and shades like neutrals, monochrome and pastels. If you want to add more layers to a simple pant-shirt combination you can always experiment with textures. A cotton shirt with a corduroy trousers or a lace blouse with a denim skirt would make for interesting combinations but remember not to wear print over print, which could undermine the simplicity of the ensemble. Of course, simplistic styling is an integral part of minimalism as it is subtle and chic when adorned correctly and is fundamentally effortless.Neutral is the new cool
Embrace neutrals, earth tones and pastels; from burnt orange to olive greens, everything is in fashion. You can spot people shifting from the monochrome palate and trying different shades of grey and brown and green. The effect that makes neutrals so desirable is that they bring out the statement pieces and other bold colors in your attire. Pastels and earth tones have a certain kind of versatility; they work with almost everything in your closet and would never fade from season to season which gives. Even head to toe neutrals is a growing fad as they provide a serene look and shift the focus from your body structure to your height.