I think I'm going to have to wait for Soft Edge 101 in a blog post. I am thoroughly confused. But that's OK.

I'm with Gigi - I'll wait for the in depth tutorial with visuals. The only edge I'm seeing right now is the edge of my sickbed...

ETA: but because I can't resist a good semantic entanglement: a red top plus a white bottom does not equal a pink outfit. So is soft edge a hard edge item plus a soft item (say, leather moto and tulle skirt), or is it more of an overall look, or both?

See what happens when I'm ill?

Oooh I like it. I am definitely on the soft edge end of this spectrum (though I thrown in harder elements here and there, and certainly use angular lines in my outfits), good call Angie "Edge" as in "edgy", which is different depending on the wearer; never liked the way "edgy" is used in fashion for specifically that reason. I also wouldn't expect that soft edge necessarily means girly or feminine, yes? I don't think of my outfits as particularly either of those things.

To me edges implies tension and transition: between garment items, surfaces, jewelry, wearer's body and attitude, audience. The tension itself can be soft or hard. A pearl necklace on a black cashmere sweater has a softer relationship than the same necklace peaking out of a black leather moto, even with the same level of visual contrast. Texture is so critical to the distinction(and hard to photograph).

The edge of a sidewalk/lawn is harder than the edge of a stream, the transitions in nature vs urban. It would be difficult to think of a nature-inspired hard edge outfit. My attempts at soft edges tend to look frumpy. Angie's pink and white outfit has managed the edges to be soft but still strong and interesting. There's a balance of harmonious low tension among all her elements, that's how I would define a soft edgy outfit.

Okay, so maybe these are soft edge? http://www.pinterest.com/pin/364580532304099957/
http://wesc.com/product/37733

Both of which I wish I'd bought before they sold out, by the way. Sigh.

Oh, Rambling Ann,I see lots of hard edge in nature! Granite ledges, jagged glacier ice, quartz, petrified wood, bones... Fun concept!

It would be sort of fun if all the people who identify with the concept of edge submitted their best look in the category and then were placed along the hard or soft continuum.

Glad to hear I'm soft edge. I like it! I'm not sure I completely get it, but I'm interpreting it as having an edge, as in being somehow modern, current, or forward thinking, perhaps unexpected. And yet with a softness rather than a stark look.

Wine duly consumed, but I'm still confused!

I need the 101 tutorial with visuals, too. I think I get it...and then I don't.

But I love the idea of assigning "edge numericals" to my outfits, Ummlila!

Rambling Ann, what an intelligent analysis.

Ooh I'm hoping a blog post on this term is coming.

Suz, now you're even more confused after the wine, which wasn't my intent. It was me assigning numerical values to edge

This conversation is quite interesting, in all seriousness. But it's edging into an academic discussion of semantics, which is where we need to stop and save that for our book club discussions !

Una, good point!! How to translate that into an outfit! Glacier blue leather or vinyl, rhinestones and studs, spiky white heels over what, an asymmetrical skirt?

Oh heavens. I have completely confused things by using the world EDGE. Sorry about that.

Forget that Soft Edge has anything to do with Hard Edge or the word Edgy. You've got Hard Integrity on the one side of the continuum, and Soft Integrity on the other. That's it.

Aida is the person who understands what I mean by Soft Edge best. Thanks for chiming in and high five.

Suz and Sveta, you are there: "looks on the edge of Softness" is EXACTLY right in describing Soft Edge.

Anna, that outfit lands you two thirds up of the Soft Edge continuum to my eye. If you took off the harness, it would run further towards Soft Edge.

Rabbit, not quite. I wear angular lines virtually exclusively (quite strict and masculine), and my outfits are much more Soft (Edge), than Hard (Edge). And yes, to your quote: "if I understand correctly the edge part is just a carryover term from the altered original word meant to show it's an opposite". YES. Thank you.

Caro, frequently wearing black and dark grey outfits puts you on the Hard Edge side of the continuum. Although they can be worn with softer elements - I don't think you could wear a black and dark grey outfix and call it Soft Edge. Black is by definition Hard. And yes to the rest of your questions.

Mo, both those pieces are Soft.

Una, the outfit you're describing runs up the continuum towards Soft Edge. But the rest of the outfit details will determine WHERE it's placed. It's an OVERALL look I am describing. Not an individual piece. And to Suz's point, your hair and make-up can move the direction further into one direction.

I'm grateful for the term and concept Angie, I think it perfectly describes what I aim for. It's just too much work to combat my soft hair and curves and bubbly personality :p I'm not sure how to describe it without visuals though, so I can see how there's some confusion -- hard integrity is certainly easier. I'll have to think on that!

Thanks Angie, I need to reread this

Una and RamblingAnn, definitely doable. Thinking just of what's in my closet for fall/winter, I'd do a soft granite outfit with a marled gray oversized sweater, black ponte pants and light gray chelsea boots. Soft glaciers with my angora pale aqua tunic-sweater, white jeans, and white pumps. Soft petrified wood with my taupe sweater dress, brown ribbed tights, and tall nude boots. And bone is an easy white-out, say with a drapey white tee, white denim moto, almond slouchy trousers, and sleek cream booties.

Actually, I like the sound of all of those outfits and think I'll wear them when it cools down. Thanks for the inspiration

This is hilarious because I don't get it. Perhaps hard edge items are the ones that have some toughness? And soft edge it's opposite?
For example, Luana, she's one of my favorite fashion bloggers and comes in my mind as "hard edge' bit sometimes she mixes it with soft pieces, but the overall is almost always "hard edge".
I like to mix 'soft' and 'hard' pieces and usually wear dark colors. I like way more the concept of hard and soft instead of masculine and feminine, or tomboy vs. girlie, as those concepts are based on gender stereotypes. Like, I don't feel I'm girlie because I like to wear dresses and skirts, as I don't think I'm a tomboy for wearing clothes of the masculine section. I still don't know if I'm getting it but hope the terms catch on, as it's more accurate and less discriminatory/stereotypical.

What a fascinating conversation! My first reaction was yes, I get it, brilliant Angie! and the rest of the thread has me second guessing myself. I have been looking at the NYFW shows. Lots of soft edge as I understand it. I see edge as more the way the outfit skews than the angles in the outfit. The theme rather than the plot. But, I should add, I have not had enough coffee to be fully awake yet.

You have SO got it Shevia and Aida. YES. Most the 2015 Spring Collections are Soft Edge, and there is far less Hard Edge all round.

Furthermore, Aida. 95% of your outfits skew Soft Edge. You are there, sister.

Dixie, you got it in your first paragraph. The blogger you linked to is 100% Hard Edge in those outfits.

Oh, my!
I was pretty sure I understood what you were saying until people started asking questions about it!
I don't consider myself to be hard edge at all, but yet I do wear a fair amount of black and gray, and I do like angular and geometric shapes rather than rounded shapes, in general.
Interesting! I can't wait to hear more about this concept!

Lisap, apologies! You're right, the wine got me even more confused!! Well, I like your numerical ranking idea AND Ummlila's idea of us sending in our fave outfits to be placed on the continuum.

And Angie, I think it's coming clearer to me -- it was that word edge that got me confused but I really like what Shevia just said and that helps me understand it much more easily -- the theme, the underlying message, somehow. And that message is on a continuum from hard to soft (or the reverse).

It would be an interesting way to help a person determine why an outfit was working or wasn't working for her. Similar to the whole style persona thing. It might also help explain ourselves to ourselves in those moments when we try an ensemble and something feels a bit "off" somehow -- asking ourselves: is it too hard (or soft) might clarify what is going wrong in an outfit for our comfort level.

I've always been inherently uncomfortable in hard edge. Even though I like it on others. I haven't even been able to bring myself to buy a moto, even though I love the style! Finally I decided it would have to be a light colour and/or a soft fabrication. I would LIKE to be able to wear the classic black one -- I think I could, in theory -- it's iconic and all that, and I know I could mix it up in a softer outfit -- but no. I just don't feel right in it.

I lost it when i started talking about gender, hehe.
Well, I get it know, and it seems to me that a lot of ylf's are in the soft edge side, and this helps to describe my style, I prefer it instead of the boho/sporty/preppy categories because I don't think figuring it out would help me with my outfits (I'm having a body shape topic déjà vú). I wouldn't ask "is this boho enough?" But maybe wondering if the ensemble has enough hard edge would help me, because I don't feel that comfortable in soft edge looks.

I think I get it! I am most definitely a soft edge person!

I'll throw this:
Taylor' Swift, soft edge.
Charlotte Gainsbourg (love her), she's more classic than the blogger I shared, but still hard edge.
They're even wearing similar items but the overall result is different.

I think I understand and am mostly soft edge, but will study all this more closely.

Soft Edge = I am about to fall off the cliff?? Literally, like the edge of a cliff is very soft dirt and if you stepped on it you would fall off? If not, then I need soft edge 101 also. When I first read it my mind went to RATE but with ruffles. Totally confused.

Sorry to hog the post Angie but it deals with something I've been trying to understand about my style.

If my desired style is "womanly androgyny", which I use partly ironically, but mainly to emphasise the balance I feel I need before I love my outfit. How do I best express these soft & hard edge elements? As an example; is a pants suit in a softer, luxurious fabric that skims my waist, when worn with refined footwear, enough to "balance" my rounder body or should I be looking at other elements? Signed dazed & confused xo

Adding to Caro's questions, how much of a role do hair and body type play into the softness of a look? I feel my hair - straight, dark, angular - gives a hard edge to my look in itself. So interested in this idea because I think the sliding scale will make it relevant to all of us.

We need visuals--and the continuum. I am utterly confused. Just as I was at the end of the discussion on drape.
Edges 201: Soft to Hard.
Please. Thank you.

Yes Una I forgot about my hair - mine is dead straight too. What about things like voice? Mine is deep - alto.