What is normcore?

Jerry Seinfeld is a normcore fashion icon.

Find Out About the Non-trendy Trend

Those who keep atop of fashion trends would have heard of normcore. No doubt you are puzzled by this trend towards having literally no sense of style.

Normcore managed to be the most-searched fashion term on Google in 2014. This is quite impressive when you consider that it is not even a real trend.

But really, what is normcore?

Imagine doing all of your clothes shopping in the basics section of a discount department store. Plain white tees, blue jeans, flannel shirts, sweatshirts, track pants? your wardrobe would be lacking color, shape, and style. This is exactly the point of normcore. It is a backlash to the fashion cycle; a push for the basics and nothing more. It is difficult to get your head around the idea- normcore probably describes how you look on your least stylish days, but now it is supposed to be a pseudo-trend!

Should you wear normcore?

You probably already do wear normcore, to an extent. There is nothing wrong with dressing in an understated fashion. Provided you are not wearing a greying tee shirt with holes, or a sweatshirt with food stains, normcore can be your fashion inspiration on lazy days. The key is to take care of the small touches as you normally would. You may not be wearing a sleek and keenly accessorised outfit, but you can still look clean. Make sure your clothes are ironed and in decent condition with a good fit, and you will still look attractive in your deliberately plain clothes.

How to wear normcore well

Normcore eschews accessories, but you can show that you are fashionable in other ways. By putting together your simple outfit using a selection of brand name pieces, you can show a refined sense of style while still looking effortless. Vintage pieces go well with the normcore trend. If you can snag a sweatshirt with the old nineties Calvin Klein logo across the front, or an eighties denim jacket emblazoned with the Tommy Hilfiger logo, you will be well on your way to doing normcore in a stylish and curated manner.

Normcore pieces to avoid

Some items favored by normcore enthusiasts should never be worn by adults. It is hard to fault a plain tee shirt, but a bucket hat is in no way an acceptable accessory. Owing to its slight nineties roots, normcore embraces some downright hideous accessories.

The shoes is where normcore runs into real trouble. Frumpy Birkenstock loafers or Crocs sandals are a favorite among normcore wearers. These shoes are meant to be worn ironically- the wearer knows that their brown Crocs are an embarrassment to their feet. Unfortunately, not everyone will get the joke.

You may be able to get away with dressing ironically in the more bizarre aspects of normcore getup if you?re at a free-spirited festival or have the requisite hipster beard. For those wanting to be taken seriously, the uglier parts of normcore should not figure in your wardrobe.