While I love a good peacock as much as the next guy, there's something about embracing your basics that's rather liberating. I'm a big fan of dizzying prints and crazy textures — of stepping outside in a kaleidoscope of color and mix and matching in a way that would make Anna Wintour herself give a slight nod of approval (which, I imagine, is an amazing compliment).
But there's an upside of letting all of that go and embracing your inner Jerry Seinfeld instead. Imagine a morning that doesn't involve rifling through your closet and instead just grabbing a pair of jeans and a white tee, and going. Or stepping out on a Saturday night without having the whole contents of your wardrobe thrown onto your bedroom floor because you just chose an Oxford and jeans and were on your merry way.
With things like normcore and minimalism enjoying a moment in the sartorial world, we now have free reign to take out those Fruit Of The Loom shirts and basic white kicks and pass them off as wildly trendy. Basic is on-point at the moment, and I think we should take advantage of that. If you don't believe me, I'm armed with points: Below are 11 reasons to embrace basics.
1. You Can Be Lazy But Still Stylish
Not in the mood to run around in heels á la Ms. Bradshaw? That's cool. Just embrace your basics and channel your inner normcore star. Just pop on some boyfriend jeans, your softest tee, and the nearest sneakers and you're done. Street-style status under two minutes.
2. You Won't Feel Stressed In The Morning
A lot of us know this scene all too well: You're standing in nothing but your granny panties in front of the closet come morning, tapping your foot impatiently and wondering just how you manage not to own anything wearable. You see, the issue is that the options are overwhelming. You can wear print dresses or boho skirts, preppy tops or classic pants. Instead, just go basic. Grab a pair of skinny jeans and a cardigan and head downstairs for breakfast. You're done, boo.
3. You Won't Fidget Throughout The Day
When you have something complicated or wonderfully peacock-y on, there's a big chance that you'll have to fidget, adjust, check, and readjust throughout the day. It'll be hard not to glance into shiny surfaces and store windows to make sure everything is in place, and you'll be hyper-aware of what you're wearing. But when you're in a simple button-down? It should be smooth sailing.
4. You'll Let Your Personality Shine Through
You won't have your clothes doing the talking, so instead you'll have to express yourself another way: Er, as in with your words. And gestures. And actions. It might be pretty liberating not to be judged by your clothes, but by your character.
5. You Can Look Like Larry David
You can now head out in baggy jeans, sweatshirts, and trainers and be perceived as normcore-stylish, not Wednesday-afternoon-slobbish. Finally.
6. You Won't Have To Spend An Obscene Amount Of Money
If you embrace a basic wardrobe, you likely won't have the need to go spend a good portion of rent money on clothes because, well, you have your basics. Once you have one blazer or oatmeal-colored sweater, you have it all. Sure you can get a variation of it but... it'll pretty much be a carbon copy. Which just seems silly anyway. So yay for having more money in your bank now. It's pizza time.
7. You Won't Have To Suffer For Fashion
Because how could you possibly suffer in your cuddly sweater? In your cushion-y ballet flats? In your knit turtlenecks? Oh yeah, that seems like a rough ride.
8. You Won't Look Back On Your Pictures In Five Years & Cringe
You are now timeless: A picture of elegance and chicness. There's no way you'll look back on your black blazer or Chelsea boots in five years and ask what the hell you were thinking. That's very unlike the rainbow print tops and metallic woven belts of your yesteryear.
9. You Won't Have To Worry That "You're Trying Too Hard"
The first time I wore overalls outside, I wondered whether everyone was side-eyeing me and thinking I was a fraud. The first time I wore a vintage dress, I could just feel the rockabilly crowd begin to gather to stage a protest. The first time I went out in an Oxford shirt and a pair of jeans? I felt nothing. I felt carefree. Basic. No stress sweats, no fidgets, no nothing. Bliss.
10. You Can Finally Embrace Your Deep Love For All-Black
Black jeans, black shirt, black cardigan, black boots. You won't look like Wednesday Addams is your style idol, per se. Rather, you're just embracing the basics trend and are impossibly chic and on-point. Your time has come — embrace it.
11. Laundry Is Going To Be A Snap
No more crazy embroidery. Gone are the days of weird textures. You no longer have to look out for intense colors that will fade or delicate designs that require a hand wash. Just dump it all into the laundry machine, put in a couple of quarters, and go back to watching TV. You're done.
Can you just feel that sigh of relief that's around the corner? It's yours if you just give into it: Embrace your basics!
Want more fashion and beauty? Check out the playlist below, and be sure to subscribe to Bustle's YouTube page for more hacks and tricks!
Image: itsmekellieb/Instagram
