Colour and minimalism – can you have both?
Wearing:
Plum Silk Slip & Plum Neck Tie – Silk Laundry | C&M by Camilla and Marc Military “Manhattan’ Coat (on sale!) – Jaz + Alex | Lace up “Talulah II” boot – Senso
There was a time when a pair of ruby red pumps was my most prised possession. Purchased for about $10 from a Japanese second hand clothing shop, they were worn relentlessly until their inevitable demise. If this confession makes you question my devotion to minimalism, then you must be in the anti-colour camp.
The numerous comments on this issue I’ve received on Instagram may well indicate that the colour and minimalism clash (forget Britain leaving the European Union!) is the controversy of our times. There is clearly a perception that sees ‘minimalism’ as a caricature of black and white ensembles against a concrete wall. If this really were the case, then I completely understand the assumption that you have to abandon colour to fall in with the minimalism movement.
But here I’m going to attempt to put this controversy to rest. To be absolutely clear, minimalism is an attitude towards life that is so much more than a colour scheme or a dress code, or desaturated backgrounds on Instagram. In particular, the Beige Renegade brand of minimalism is defined by a simple manifesto: keep that which makes you happy; leave the rest behind. The delightful fuzziness of subjectivity and preference in applying such a principal may result in colour being rejected in one wardrobe, while zealously assembled in another. Colour and minimalism are not antonyms.
My penchant for red shoes had more to do with the thrill of standing out than an affinity for red (I cannot deny the Wizard of Oz influence either). Even as a first grader, the question of ‘what’s your favourite colour’ gave rise to a 500 word essay, with the rationales including ‘it’s what we’re told to colour the sun in, and the sun is very warm’ etc.. Needless to say that I can rarely relate to a feeling of ‘liking’ for a colour, nor do I believe that an attraction to a certain colour can be wholly divorced from its societal context and memory cues, for example, that muted pink warmly reminds me of a beloved My Little Pony toy of yore, and that a deep plum or burgundy in beautiful washed silk is the epitome of luxe – both, being equally my cup of tea.
So go forth, be it shades of beige or highlighter pink, wear what you love and scrap the rest.
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Amazing look – that dress is gorgeous!
xx. Mirjam // http://www.miiju.ch
You are slaying in this look! Love it x
http://www.fashioliezta.com
Such is the culture of minimalism today. Gucci may as well make a ‘minimal capsule’ and it will sell out.
Haha I am not sure sure that about! I think Gucci has historically been so much about that lush floral motif, and it seems that going back to their roots has been a commercial success for them. The point I’m really trying to make is that what’s popular at the moment is just a red herring. The best personal style comes from knowing who you are and expressing yourself bravely and authentically. So in that sense Gucci staying true to their DNA while other brands are tending towards minimalism makes them more appealing, not less.
I finally got to reading this and I love it Jiawa! Your comment about the Beige Renegade style of minimalism is bang on! In the last year or two, I have started to streamline my wardrobe (and what I add to it) by only adding the things I love. For years before that I used to get far too excited about new things that I wouldn’t think carefully enough about whether or not I actually wanted to add it to my wardrobe. You can most definitely see the difference in attitude towards my wardrobe reflected in what is currently hanging there (and how little I have to send to the op shop). While I have managed to master the ‘only wear things you love’, I still have a somewhat eclectic style – jeans and a t-shirt one day, and then a pretty, lacy number the next. I can’t say my outfits are as clean, polished and consistent as someone like yourself, but that is the beauty of personal style and your own take on fashion, right? 🙂 Anyway, loved this piece and love the outfit!
Aw thanks for reading Mon, and your insightful comment! I can definitely relate to getting excited about new and shiny things, and then buying and not really wearing. However, I realised at some stage that that didn’t really add anything positive to my life. Getting new shiny things made me happy for about 5 minutes, and then I would look at my wardrobe everyday and not only feel really stressed out about the clutter, but also that despite all the clothes I still wasn’t confident about my personal style. People just assume that if you don’t wear colour and dress simply you’re chasing after the minimalism trend, but for me it’s really just a side effect of being discerning about what I add to my wardrobe. I favour pieces that are versatile and can go with everything else I own, so naturally that ends up 9 times out of 10 being basic pieces in neutral colours. Sometimes we buy and wear things to follow trends or impress others, which are completely fine reasons by the way, but it’s easy to let that distract us from what really matters. One of my core beliefs is that personal style should be there to enhance your lifestyle. At the end of the day it’s all about figuring out what really makes you happy.