Normcore

Normcore is gaining a lot of notoriety. From Birkenstocks to athletic socks, choosing to appear as if you couldn’t be more “normal” is lately becoming more fashionable. It seems to be everywhere, even gracing the cover of this month’s “W” magazine, with a spread they titled “Banal Plus“. But after confusing readers when they featured nearly $365,000 worth of high-end items in the spread, (so very un-normcore,) conflicting ideas of what the trend truly is started to arise. So with a full moon and a little research, I’m here to get the facts straight.

Normcore is everything average, casual, non-flashy, utilitarian or, well…blank. It is “blending in” or simply, “wearing what you’ve got.” But what does that look like? Think sneakers instead of heels, backpacks instead of designer handbags, cargo shorts instead of your printed skirt, and a practical sweater in place of your embellished leather jacket. Vanity Fair points out, “Normcore is not about disappearing into a crowd, it’s about standing out from a community of people dressed to the nines in designer wear.” (Sounds pretty Portland if you ask me). And in case you’re still confused, think Seinfeld, your parents in 1989 as tourists in New York City, or just have a look at these examples…