Gwennie, I think you just hit on something important: "Is no-style a lack of attention to self..."

It seems to me that true "no-style" is an utter disregard for whether or not what you are putting on your body works for your shape, age, size, or personality. Clothes are just coverage and, as long as others are wearing similar items, the wearer doesn't need to worry about standing out or being noticed. The clothes can be expensive or bargain basement, but the fact that they don't have any connection to the wearer except to allow her to blend in and to provide coverage makes the outfit "no-style" for that PARTICULAR person.

i'd also suggest that a disregard for fashion, or a lackadasical attitude towards making an effort, isn't the same thing. Those attitudes can accompany "no-style", but aren't at the root of it.

Oh, in my mind I definitely am feeling there's a difference between *bad* style and *no* style. And as Gaylene mentioned, I have a growing feeling - even while doing up the original post - everyone has their own personal *no* style. Some styles really speak for me and some say nothing about me in a very... suspicious manner... lol.

Gwennie's proffered question is intriguing: Is no style a lack of attention to self or a considered deliberate lack
of attention to something that attention to style might represent?

I think this speaks to my reluctance to describe no style as plain. Plainness can be a very deliberate, highly worked, and definitive aesthetic... and reflecting a broader, serious philosophy. I think that discipline will show, too.

Ah, Gwennie and Gaylene expressed what I meant far better than I did myself. Gaylene's point about functionality and blending in and Gwennie's statement about there being a "norm" are quite true. Dressing so that one is as invisible as possible is closer to what I meant, and it is very true that it would be different in different places in the country or even in the same city.

Ah, so no style is putting no regard into yourself as a person when getting dressed and bad style is trying and missing the mark? Failing to please? My first reaction was no style is a style but perhaps the person that treats clothes purely functionally truly has no style.

I recently had the experience of attending a rock concert with my younger brother, and wanted to dress so as to attract minimal attention. I chose a white, fluid fit, Old Navy tee with a scoop neck and chest pocket, semi-tucked into loose light denim flared jeans. I wore a cream colored snake print SAS sandal in a Birkenstock-like style and dangly earrings and carried a black vintage Coach crossbody. I felt perfectly, invisibly dressed.

Totally. If going to a sports match here and I wear a black puffer, blue jeans and rainboots I am anonymous in my style. I have been to the odd work event where I need to blend into the background and I wear my blue tailored work trousers, a black tailored fit knit top and black low heeled boots. This outfit is flattering enough, but none of the items are brilliant in their own right, it is not "in" fashion nor "out" of fashion. People would have to notice me for what I say.....or maybe my actual face or hairstyle. It is a kind of uniform.

Most of the schools here have a uniform from 11-18 years of age, and they can be rather fugly. My 13 year old wears one, but you know, because they all do, it really does not matter and removes a whole level of criteria by which people judge each other. I guess this is part of the "normcore" idea.

I think for most women, choosing not to have a style is a choice in itself, and may be to focus on their brain, compassion or career. We all know the person who is super stylish from thrift shops, or who owns a tiny closet and looks classy all the time...in most cases it is not about money. That choice is valid and I have a couple of friends and family members who fit that criteria; it is when someone does not feel that they deserve to be stylish due to a lack of confidence or body issues when it is sad.

This is an interesting conversation. But yes, 'no style' is 'the style' choice for many women who think of their clothes as functional items.

There is a large percentage of women who randomly pick up 5-6 clothing pieces when the old ones wear out, regardless of whether they really create cohesive 'outfits' and then wear them in what can only be called 'their style' - the No Style. I'm calling it No Style for a different reason and not just because I don't find it stylish....it's because you can't look at their clothes and figure out what their style persona is...they'd wear something boho one day, modern the next, classic the next and so on.

I know several women like this, btw. They honestly don't care about what they're wearing as long as it's not w
worn out.

In thinking about this topic, when I think of no style it is really more a case of not caring...bra that is ill-fitting, VPL, etc.

It's funny about uniforms. I love uniforms. I guess, rightly speaking, they're not a style - but they speak volumes.

Suits are interesting. They're a non-uniform uniform. Power suits are even more interesting because they at once hide you and call attention - and 'a roomful of suits' is a very intense thing, you can always smell the blood in the water.

I do think that many choose No Style on a regular basis because, like nuns, it's about mortification of the senses...

Some of you may recall this thread I posted a while back - not being mean but just inquiring along the same lines.

http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....ur-opinion

Intentionality,, normcore and "live and let live" all come to mind. To me, "no style" is a state of mind, not what you actually wear. Because if you meant to wear it and no other outfit, it's your style, even if your style is to be as inconspicuous as possible.

Fascinating topic, Rachy!

How fun, Rachy! You always ask the best questions.

As for me, my personal "no style" look is a black crew-neck tee shirt with bootcut jeans, outdoorsy shoes, and a black or charcoal grey zip hoodie or fleece. I'm all about the function and comfort and I will admit to wearing this look more often that I should.

Vidly -- i love your analysis! As I've continued down this path, I've realized that I don't dress for others so much as to not crawl out of my own skin with discomfort. Some things feel so wrong, and I'd rather be no-style that the wrong style. I love the description of your aquaintance.

sterling-- too true, I tend to revert to mine when it is just me and the SO

I like Vildy's take on this: style-lessness as ignorance of one's audience. For me, I guess the ultimate no-style look is khaki chinos or shorts, sneakers, and a polo shirt in some harsh color like kelly green or red. This sort of outfit--on a woman or a man--always says to me, "I'm cheerful and harmless, average, and safe from judgment because I'm obviously too busy to care about fashion."

You have a distinctive, um, lol, style style, Una. I'm wondering what you'd have to do to drain yourself of it. How would you smile and nod vaguely, in clothing, if someone asked you what flavor of ice cream you'd like, instead of answering?

I have to agree that no style is not dependent on what you wear. I'm sure someone out there could look like they're on the catwalk in my no style outfit.

Random thought from left field: I'm thinking not really having your own style is also not the same as no style. Maybe you just happen to agree... my whole family may be like this... Strong, loud personal tastes and preferences, but also, frankly, bought wholesale off the shelf.

Tulle... Kinda 'I'll let you decide'...

Rachy, I kind of dig your no-style outfit. To me, it sounds like the perfect canvas for a statement piece, with a big final impact: a fedora, or an oversized necklace, or a bright color shoe (or better yet, swap the shoes for ankle wrap stiletto sandals!), and a cropped, very cool jean jacket or vest.

You pose an interesting question. It is hard for me to think of a moment when I wouldn't want to have any style. I had to go back to that one time when I dressed to go have a colonoscopy at the hospital.
Here is the result:
An oversize grey long sleeve shirt + some indistinct too short jeans + and my Xsensible clunky strechwalkers.

No style style for me would be akin to a punishment. It would be like a mental prison for me. Especially if it wasn't ugly, just cute, but without any flare.

my 'no style outfit' would be what I wore all the time before I decided that I cared about how I looked and dresses: Ill-fitting (and too short) jeans, and a boxy tee shirt.

Hmm, I see this differently ... warning, I haven't had a coffee yet, so this could be way off ...

I'm not sure I could evaluate an outfit for style. To me style has to be outfit + person, and often + context, too. I know some of my aunties rock the jean capri and Sketchers look, not because it is fashionable, but because it is totally them and makes perfect sense for where and how they live - there's an authenticity that comes across that to me is the holy grail of the style quest.

Semantics, for sure, but to my understanding, many of these examples are more about what's fashionable or current or flattering, rather than 'style'? Should I go have that coffee now??

Thinking about this more! I find that it's easy to describe no-style for guys, and I would say lots of guys fit the definition of no style. Costco jeans, non-descript tee or plain polo shirt, sneakers or Merrell slip-ons. Just put on and go, no thought involved, or that's what I assume, and I think nothing of it. Whereas my idea of 'no style" for women is based much more on assuming some intentionality in dressing and thus feeling more free to critique. Gender bias much?

My other thought, as has been mentioned, is fit. Plain white tee and jeans could be boring or incredibly stylish, depending on fit and shoes and accessories and hair and makeup.

Maybe the absence of style is being in the buff!

I don't think I could do that with my current wardrobe. If I wanted to dress unstylishly, I'd have to ignore style rules and wear things that don't flatter my shape or personal coloring. In a nutshell, I'd have to figure out how to look like I don't care how others perceive me, and just throw caution to the wind.

Yes alaskagirl, I agree - put the white jeans and tee on Queen Elizabeth and we'd think she'd lost in entirely ... put it on Jennifer Aniston and she's a style icon ... it's the fit with the person, not so much the clothes per se.

Speaking of in the buff, did anyone else see the ESPN magazine "Body" issue that just came out, with athletes posing tastefully in the nude? O.M.G. I need to get back to a regular exercise routine!

put the jeans and tee on QE because the river Thames floods London and she decides to help with the sandbagging, boom, iconic style statement once again ... ok, now I think I've had too MUCH coffee ...

Is there a difference between foundering around without a defined style (yet) and dressing with No Style?

I noticed a woman recently at a nail salon. She had long, frizzy, scraggly gray hair scraped back into a ponytail Big glasses that would have been popular in the 1970's, the kind 20-somethings might wear ironically, but they seemed to be the same frames she'd been wearing for decades. Some kind of pastel smock top and polyester pants. Big white athletic shoes. No makeup.

She had no style. But she also CARED, cared enough to spend a lot of money getting fake acrylic nails, which require upkeep.

Do some women only have the energy to care about one tiny part of their look?

Rachylou, if your question was meant more as what would each of us do as a no style, as opposed to what we observe e.g. among tired people at the grocery store, then I think my no style outfit is always one where I did not wear jewelry. My own clothing is always intentionally chosen enough that it's not terrible if I wear crops and a t-shirt. But If I forgot to add jewelry I'd feel under-done.

I think it's impossible to dress with no style -- anything one wears consistently turns into one's style.* That's why costume designers in movies work SO hard to get each character's clothes to match who the character is -- I'm sure they work just as hard to create the wardrobe for a "no style" leading character as they would for a "style icon" leading character.

*Of course, there is such a thing as someone wearing clothes that a "stylish" person would not recognize as a "style."

I think "no style" is about being oblivious and totally not caring. When I read this a certain person I know popped right into my head... She's often in mens crewneck type tees purchased on some vacation, tucked into mom jeans she got in the 90's that are narrow in the leg, but a bit too long, so they all bunch up into her running shoes. She looks great when she puts an effort in, to go out, but her hang around the house clothes just scream "these still fit, I'll wear these".

Trying to blend in, to my mind, is a style unto itself. If you are trying not to stand out, you care, and are aware of what you need to do or wear to create this "style".

Great question!

Elizabeth, I know that person too! Seriously.

I also know a lot of superfit women who don't care what they wear as long as it works for their needs - they are in gear 24/7. I realize they are athletes for the joy of it and not to look good, but frankly I'd be showing off now and then if I had what they do! And then there are gear snobs who DO care about the latest and greatest offerings.

My unstyled style would be a pair of black leggings, black long sleeved t shirt, black moto boots & some silver hoops.

Hmmm...I'm trying to think of my No Style look. I'd definitely wear my tight dark wash skinnies (I have to blend in when I go to the downtown library and skinnies accomplish that best) on bottom. And I guess I'd add my plain grey tee shirt, no accessories, and pull my hair back in a short little ponytail (luckily when I go to the library I can wear a blouse and add some jewellery to make the skinnies fee like me!). But I'm still stuck for footwear! I don't think I own a single pair of shoes that read mainstream. Lol Oh, since it's summer I have a really old pair of flip flops I use as house shoes. Those could work! That would let me blend in, although right now I'd have to switch the skinnies for denim cut offs, which I don't have.

I think it's really difficult for women to truly have a 'no style,' as in their clothes say nothing, though. Even the women in my life who aren't interested in style, I imagine strangers still make assumptions about them based on their outfits. Whereas the generic guy outfit AG described seems more impervious...at least for middle class white men.