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Minimalism vs Maximalism vs Casual vs ?

Mama Susie

Angie's recent post on utility jackets left me with some questions about my style (or the style I'm trying to reach). I always thought I was firmly entrenched in the minimalist camp but now I'm starting to think I'm not at all. I think instead I've confused my love of casual styles with being minimalist. For instance, I'm attracted to the details that make up utility jackets just like I'm mostly attracted to the details that make up a piece of clothing.

Previously if you had asked me I would have said my style leans more towards minimalist because: I favor solid colors rather than prints, I do not like bows and ruffles at all, I don't own very much clothing at all and have no desire to own a ton of clothes. However now I am warming up towards prints and I have to admit that I love scarves, big earrings, and chunky bangles... all at once. LOL.

When I think about my personal style icons, Tracy Ellis Ross springs to mind first, they are clearly NOT minimalists either. Maybe I thought I was min because I was attracted to the lifestyle???

Are there any other YLFs who figured out they weren't min at all and were more on the side of being maximal with their style? Can you be a maximalist without owning a lot of clothing? I think I remember seeing a post on this recently but more asking about the minimalist side of things...

One thing I do know is that I am casual above all else. Rarely do I have a need or desire to wear fancy dresses and heels. And even though I wear a lot of dresses I tend to dress them down with casual footwear. Maybe I am ready to embrace this casual maximalist lifestyle. LOL.

p.s. this is the second conversation I've started. Eek. LOL. It feels good to put my thoughts down though.

Dressing

21 replies

Latest reply was from anne

Anonymous

And great thoughts they are! Thank you for this. I was surprised to learn that utility jackets had maximal styling too. I thought maximal was what you *added* to the outfit, like a bunch of bangles, scarf and dangle-y earrings with a utility jacket. I have a lot to learn. I wonder if utility jackets have "clean lines". That's another thing I don't fully understand. I would have thought they do (before), because of an absence of ruffles and gathers, but now I'm not so sure!

catgirl

Veteran

i've decided I'm what I call "statement minimal". I was really confused for a while and thought I was maximal because I like strong statement clothing, but i don't like lots of stuff on my body. I tend to wear two or three items at most (skirt or pants/top or sweater/blazer), no jewelry or scarves, and very little of anything I have to fuss with over the day. But I still like pattern, color and texture.

Not sure that helps, but don't get too bogged down in the terminology! Because I could be using it wrong.

Hmm, maybe this is like the whole basics/essentials confusion?

rachylou

Veteran

Jil Sander could make a utility jacket with clean lines, but in general I don't think they're clean-lined.

Mama Susie

@clearly claire: yes you could be right that maximal styles tend to add more accessories. I do like accessories but I like them to be clean lined and organic in shape such as big hoops or chunky wooden bangles instead of dangly chandeliers or beaded bracelets. I too would have thought that the lines of the jackets were clean but I think that's because I look at the overall shape the item provides. I think that is where I like my lines to remain clean... overall shape. The inside of the outfit I want to have details (and by inside I mean like you when you look at a picture of the outfit flat on paper/computer screen.) Does that make sense? In my head this is why I don't do ruffles and bows... they break up the overall shape of an outfit for me. Although the right type of dress could have ONE large giant bow and I think I could deal as long as it didn't look too precious. See that's not very minimal of me is it? LOL.

Mama Susie

@alaskagirl: I think I understand what you mean by statement minimal... you want your outfits to consist of separates that make a statement via texture or color or pattern (or all three?)... but you don't want to have a lot of elements going on with your outfits.

I don't like to fuss with clothing either BUT I do like accessories that are clean, organic, and unfussy. What I don't like to fuss with in terms of clothing or accessories is items that I consider "dressy" because more often than not I tend to feel like a drag queen. LOL. Just not myself. Hence maybe the term I wrote above... casual maximalist?

So while a true maximalist like Iris Apfel might be out of my style league:

http://www.afrobella.com/2012/.....rare-bird/

I am definitely not a Jil Sander type. Breakthrough.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I think I share a similar style aesthetic with you here. I love cargo skirts and utility anything. But I don't like a lot of bells and whistles beyond that. I often only wear one bright or jewel tone with a neutral, or two. I like Una's description of statement minimal.

Victoria

(website)

Veteran

Iris Apfel is very unique, I love her style. I think my style is simular to what you described-I like simple classic lines but I am not a minimalist by any means and I don't want to be. I love jewelry and like to wear several large statement pieces(and scarves and bags). I guess that;s my thing-accessories. I don't get excited by clothes, I get excited by scarves and bracelets and earrings, LOL.
I have worn minimal jewelry last week once because I was runnng late for work and was feeling like crap so I didn't put any effort into it(wedding ring, bracelet and watch is all I wore) and boy, did I feel as plain and unattractive

Mama Susie

@Mo: I really love your casual style. It is so key for me because I am a WAHM so I just don't have a need for dressing up plus I like to be comfortable... No suffering for fashion here lol.

@Victoria: I feel the same way sometimes. When I was younger I lived for big funky earrings. Now my tastes are a little more organic but it's still all about the earrings and scarves for me. Hubby laughs because he knows I beeline towards scarves, earrings, and boots at the mall.

ETA: Iris Apfel is great. Very inspiring. I am not that big of a maximalist but I love the details she provides in her outfits. I get inspired to play with fashion more.

deb

Veteran

To me utility has always been maximal because it has so many seams and stuff going on. I have never been drawn to it just like bows or ruffles. But I do not consider myself mimimal either. Now that I think about it, I have no clue what my style is.

Anonymous

The one outfit Iris is wearing at the top of that link, the lines are very plain on her jacket, slacks and boots. The prints and accessories are what max it up. The silhouette of the clothing is clean however.

I think casual maximalist is a good descriptor for what you want to achieve. A good start anyway! It sounds very attractive.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

A very interesting and thought-provoking post and question. It sounds like you are getting clearer on your style.

I never really thought in these terms either and I'm not sure which side of the divide I fall on! I will have to think about it some more.

shiny

Veteran

I had to think about this one awhile. I am mostly a clean line minimalist, I suppose. But because of the practical height considerations here. At 5', maximal style is very very very difficult to achieve. The details and accessories have to be perfectly scaled to me, to pull it off.

And yeah, I could! And I would!!

If only.. sigh........

Gotta work with what you have.

Mama Susie

@Shiny: I myself am 5'2" so I understand not wanting to overwhelm. Also even though I put a picture up there of Iris Apfel this is not the direction I want to go in. It's a little too much for me.

Really what I think I am learning about myself is that even though I thought my style was more minimalist... or rather that is what I thought I wanted, when it comes down to it I think I am more on the maximalist side of things. I don't think I can say I am a full out and out maximalist but I do like accessories and really can't relate to a minimalist style for myself anymore. Finding myself drawn to the utility jackets and learning that they are maximal rather than minimalist like I thought was just a jumping off point for me to think about how it relates to my overall style goals. Also my style is casual and will probably remain so unless I choose to go back to work in an office which I doubt will happen anytime soon. I like dressing casually but I do have to watch it because for me it can quickly deteriorate into basketball shorts and tshirts.

Charmian

Veteran

I like the term "casual maximalist" for you -- it sounds like a great starting point. Do you feel like this label helps you focus on the look you want to put together daily and focus on the items you want to buy? If not, I noticed earlier in the thread the possibility of adding "organic" and possibly even "not-romantic" (the comment about ruffles) to your descriptors; maybe they would help too?

You asked earlier in the thread whether you thought maximalism and closet size were related, and I think the answer is no. Closet size, to me, is more a measure of how much tolerance you have for repeats, how variable your weather / dressing occasions are, etc. You mention above that you bring a maximal look to your outfits with accessories, for example, and if you're ok with changing the clothes but keeping the accessories, I think that's a great way to pull off a maximal look.

Scarlet

Veteran

I have been thinking along similar lines ever since the Giovanna threads from Mochi, and then when I realized I was totally confused about wardrobe basics versus statement pieces. I never thought of myself as minimalist or maximalist, but between the two I figured I was more minimal. The thing is virtually every individual item I own has important detail to it, and I buy almost no purely classic clothing. I don't know what to call myself, but I think I might be a subtle maximalist? So not about the big baubles or flashiness, but about layering color, texture, and other kinds of detail?

To answer your questions, I don't think wardrobe size matters. It's just how you put things together. I also don't think casual or dressy matter with regard to min/max. I love dressy clothes, but they are actively impractical for how I spend most of my time. I do love the freedom of casual, though, where you don't have to convey a certain message in terms of professionalism or money, or whatever.

Mama Susie

@Charmian: Thank you so much for your insight. I'm not sure if the term casual maximalist is the right one but I feel like it's a start heading in the right direction. Similarly I'm not sure about Organic because I'm not sure what it means. For jewelry to me Organic just means natural shapes and materials such as hoops, gold, wood, wooden beads, etc. This is definitely my style. But I'm not sure what Organic clothing means beyond the use of organic materials? And although I would love to own a closet full of organic materials my reality is that I have a limited clothing budget to work with. In terms of the not-romantic I do like romantic clothing BUT I don't like clothing that is precious or twee for myself. Hence I don't like ruffles or bows. This is GREAT stuff to think about though.

And thank you for your answer to my question about closet size. I completely understand what you mean. I don't mind repeating outfits at all and changing up the accessories to make new looks. In fact, I think this is a great direction for me to go in!

Mama Susie

@Scarlet: YES! I have the exact same thing going on. Most of the individual items I own are detailed. I don't have any classic clothing except maybe a pair or two of dress pants? But still I always thought I was more minimal. I recently cleaned out my closet after a move and I was left with a core group of clothing I like and I would have to say almost everything incorporated some form of details whether it was pattern, texture, braided straps, etc.

I think I really like the term you came up with "subtle maximalist" even more so than casual maximalist. Because like I mentioned even though I appreciate looks like Iris Apfel in the link I posted above this is not me and not where I want to go with my style. However, she is inspirational just in terms of the details in each of the separate aspects of her outfits. I think I just like details. LOL. This is probably why I'm drawn to certain types of accessories.

JulieJohn

Veteran

Very interesting thread! I gave it some thought and here's what I think - (feel free to correct me, Angie):

With regard to fashion, maximal means bold. This can translate to color, size (as in oversized), or some other unexpected dimension that makes an item bold.

Minimal, therefore, means un-bold, or understated.

It may not be helpful to mix these up with simple, or clean-lined, because for instance a gold lame' sheath dress could be simple and clean-lined, but maximal.

It may also not be helpful to mix up minimal/maximal with less/more. Here's what I mean...
Semi-nude looks can be maximal, as in a tube top and micro shorts, even though there is definitely less.

That said, why is a utility jacket maximal? Discuss. ;~)

MamaSusie, you started something interesting here with your second post. It is casually maximal, and I think it's great! Thanks.

Charmian

Veteran

Apropos of nothing: Angie obliquely referred to "boldness" and "strength" as being different from "maximal" in her style epiphany post. I really wish she were around to chime in here

@Mama Susie: it's a learning process (I'm new too), but "casual maximalist" is a great starting point. Post some WIWs, start saving pics that inspire you, and that style statement will get more and more detailed super-fast!

re: organic. As I said, I'm newish here, so take my words with a huge grain of salt, but in a visual context "organic" means "flowing shapes" to me. So: soft blouse instead of rigid button-down, an a-line skirt that moves instead of a pencil skirt that doesn't, flowy silk instead of starched cotton, Elsa Peretti instead of Frank Gehry (can you tell who was on tiffany.com this morning? :P). Anyway, as I said, that's my definition of organic, but ultimately what we're trying to do is find your style statement so we should definitely stick with the words that work for you. So we should take "organic" off the table, since that doesn't sound right for you!

Mama Susie

@ Julie John: It is definately interesting trying to figure out what makes an outfit or a style maximal. Regarding what makes a utility jacket maximal that is a good question! I'm guessing it's because of all the pockets, hardware, and strings that it carries... basically the details?

@ Charmian: Thank you for the advice. Maybe I will get the guts to post a WIW soon. You know your description of organic is much more appealing to me. I am going to think on it and try to figure out if it is the direction I want to go in. I do like Elsa Peretti. LOL.

Thank you all for your wonderful comments and suggestions! I am definitely going to save this conversation to my Evernote so that I can refer back to it while I let all these comments settle into my brain.

anne

Veteran

Just wanted to say this is a very interesting thread!