Yes, It’s Normcore And It’s Contagious
Getting Ready Time: 8 minutes. That’s the secret behind normcores success. It’s fast.
In the last few years, normcore and sport style slowly took over our lives. It’s everywhere. Every blog, every magazine, every traffic light is filled with women dressed in black, white and grey versions of 90s tracksuits. And Adidas three stripe sneakers of course. But as fun and comfortable as this trend can feel, I have always been a non-believer. Call me crazy, but to this day I admire pulled together stylish women. The type of women who would not be caught dead underdressed. Think Grace Kelly and Elisabeth Taylor getting off the plane in Cannes. Think Marilyn Monroe walking on the streets of New York.
However, even I must admit that since we no longer live in the 1950s we can’t expect things to stay the same. Especially since air travel changed drastically in the last 6o years. After all, getting off the plane in Cannes is all nice and well, but let’s face the sad truth: long haul travel no longer feel like a three-day long party. Once it might have been all countless cocktails, three-course meals and landing on the islands overnight to shower and sleep[1]. But with every year commercial airlines squeeze passengers tighter and tighter together. The seats are getting smaller, the air more pressurised and on a few modern planes there is not even enough space for a person to stand up straight. I would say that with each day we resemble sardines in a can more and more, but to tell you the full truth: I am actually starting to feel jealous of the sardines.
It’s probably fair to say that my love of travelling in a pencil skirt and a pair of heels is no longer an option. Oh, you can of course, and on some business class journeys you might just be fine, but I wouldn’t bet on it. On the shorter flights the only difference between business and economy classes is the empty seat in the middle. So, this is where the normcore trend comes to your advantage.
Outfits that would have been entirely unthinkable five years ago, no matter how comfortable are back in play. Brands that have only recently been off limits for any self-respecting fashionista are hot again. And while I would advise you to stay away from normcore as an office wear, it can deliver magic when it comes to Sunday brunch and airport style. So, here is my version of normcore comfort look. It comes with lipstick. I have not entirely lost my jam.
P.S. And I just might buy myself an Adidas sweatshirt and a pair of three stripe trainers. I just might.
Photographer: Kit Lee
[1] Martha Gellhorn mention of the original aeroplane travel in her book ‘Travels With Myself And Another’ made me weep. I was reading her book on the flight from Ho Chi Minh City to London, and I was in no way comfortable or well fed. And it was far from my worst flying experience.
I’m wearing: Norma Kamali trousers and top, Gucci trainers, Chanel bag (you can find similar black and white cross body here and here), Dior sunglasses.
