What is Normcore?

It’s time to take your fashion cues from some unlikely sources…

Whether you’re a die-hard label lover or you prefer to represent personal style over meticulously following trends, everyone cares about what they put on in the morning to some extent or another. But regardless of your stance on fashion, there is no denying that is has a tendency to be a little absurd. Just look to the likes of Jeremy Scott, Anna dello Russo and style blogger Susie Bubble if you don’t believe me.

I love to waste hours of my time on Pinterest checking out street style photos of magazine editors and stylists milling about outside Somerset House in full catwalk looks, but it’s hardly a look that the mere mortal can pull off.

Alice Goddard

The thing is; the absurd ensembles that make the wearer look as though they’ve been on an acid fuelled jaunt through Toys R Us are getting a little old. Minimalist looks have begun infiltrating the runways more and more whilst the look on the street has become a beast unto itself.

In an article written for the New York Times magazine, journalist Fiona Duncan explains the growing fashion phenomenon described as ‘Normcore’. The idea behind normcore is that rather than standing out in the latest Kenzo tiger head jumper or Christopher Kane print sweater it’s about blending in with the crowd.

Duncan argues that Normcore is all about rejecting the showiness of fashion and instead going under the style radar, think unbranded jeans, plain trainers and logo-free T-shirts and you’re on the right lines. Anything that your dad might have worn circa 1990 is good to go.

Leeann Duggan of Refinery29 describes the trend as ‘the aggressively generic clothes worn by Time Square tourists – and increasingly by the 20 something intelligentsia in New York and other style capitals.’ Basically what hipsters have been repping on the streets of Hoxton but swap 80s spirit animal tees with unmarked basics.

But the New York based trend forecasting agency, K Hole, who coined the phrase claims that Normcore isn’t a fashion trend, despite what the hundreds of newly posted articles might state. K Hole tweeted an explanation of the non-trend; ‘#Normcore finds liberation in being nothing special, and realizes that adaptability leads to belonging.’

The LA based journalist Christopher Glazek further explained; ‘Normcore means you pursue every activity like you’re a fanatic of the form. It doesn’t really make sense to identify normcore as a fashion trend – the point of normcore is that you could dress like a NASCAR mascot for a big race and then switch to raver ware for a long druggy night at the club. It’s about infinitely flexible, sunny appropriation.’

What do you think of the idea of Normcore? We definitely like the idea of not having to fork out over the odds for on-trend designer items and instead hitting up Sports Direct for some Nike sliders and a curved baseball cap.