Fashion trends are always shifting, and honestly, not everyone wants to try and keep up. This is where the fashion subculture of Normcore has found it's niche.

@normcore_fashion on instagram

Normcore has become a kind of inside joke for the fashion world, but is picking up as a real movement. Defined as a sort of unisex look, Normcore is made up of unpretentious fashion, with a lack of brand names, and is not based around keeping up with trending clothing items.

The thing about Normcore is that you probably already know people who typically dress in "Normcore" fashion. Someone who wears tee-shirts, jeans, sneakers, and non-flashy or non-"trending" items could easily fall into this style category. So why does it matter? Why is there this new classification that may seem unnecessary?

#normcore on instagram

There's been a lot of attention on this movement from popular news dismissing it and all of the "hipster millenials" who are interested in it. Despite what a lot of people say, the majority of people don't mind labels and want to fit into a group. This subculture came out of people wanting to be fashionable without sacrificing comfort and without being a slave to fashion trends. This label gives people a reason to dress how they truly want to without seeming like they don't care about how they look. Normcore doesn't mean unfashionable, it is just a minimalistic way to look at fashion. While it can change based on someone's individual style, the essence of Normcore is simplicity. This wardrobe takes all the guessing out of fashion: you can go into your closet, pick out nearly any clothes, and put them together for a complete outfit. This outfit will probably look sleek, classic, comfortable, and effortless. For this reason the majority of Normcore looks are monochromatic.

An Urban Dictionary Definition of Normcore

People can look at this trend and think to themselves, why is this a thing? What is happening? To understand that you have to look at fashion trends in history. People who weren't interested in the punk fashion movement wouldn't necessarily understand what it stood for, or care that punks were raging against mainstream culture. Normcore is not all that different. Normcore is about rejecting mainstream culture in a very different way but it is still a stand against excess, pretension, and traditional fashion culture.

Without the black outfits and spiked hair, it may not seem as radical for women to be wearing monochromatic outfits, with comfortable sneakers, and maybe even a tasteful pantsuit ensemble. However, the ability for women to dress in traditionally male attire in a unisex fashion can be seen as a huge step forward. Women who don't like heels, tight dresses, or don't even like paying attention to fashion are no longer disregarded as not feminine. Normcore supports the idea that people don't need to be obsessed with their outer image. This style is about standing out for things other than your outfit.

@normcore_fashion on instagram

If you've never been interested in staying up to date on every trend then consider diving into the Normcore subculture. Because of its growing popularity there are a lot of stores trying to capitalize on the trend. Invest in that, or don't, it's really your choice. The idea of Normcore as against fast fashion is valid, but at the end of the day it's your money and you can use it to dress however you want to. Don't let the haters get you down. You can choose to label yourself or not, but don't let anyone tell you what you can and cannot wear. Fashion doesn't have to mean investing endless time and money into making yourself stand out or having your clothes express your entire personality. Fashion can be whatever you want it to be, and Normcore can be an option for anyone.