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Spinoff: Are Simple and Playful Contradictions?

Ingunn

(website)

Veteran

In my wardrobe analysis thread Denise suggested that "simple" and "playful" contradicts each other, and that's a very interesting thought indeed. I think part of the confusion belongs to how I interpret "simple". To me, that means "not overdone, easy, effortless" etc, not necessarily "modern, minimalistic".

What are your interpretations of these style descriptors, and do you think they contradict each other?

General

18 replies

Latest reply was from rachylou

rachylou

Veteran

Oh, that's deep. I have to think about this. I will be back.

Gigi

Veteran

I don't think they contradict each other, but I don't think they both mean the same thing. To me, "simple" means not a lot of ornament, not a lot of busy patterns, not a lot of competing things. "Playful" to me means kind of girly. So I think you could have a simple, playful outfit by wearing, say, a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt that has hearts on it (a pattern, yes, but a simple one), or you might wear a skater skirt with a solid top with a hi-lo hem (I view skater skirts as being playful in and of themselves).

Ingunn

(website)

Veteran

Interesting, Gigi. I agree with you on "simple", but "playful" to me means that there is an element of surprise in the outfit, or a play with color/elements, not necessarily "girly". "Girly" can be playful, but not necessarily, In my opinion.

Anonymous

To me simple means, only a couple or three items in an outfit with few if any accessories and possibly quite clean lines and silhouette.

Playful for me means one (or two at the most) item in the outfit that is a little unexpected, or it could mean a colour added that might be very unusual in combination with the overall palette. Or it could be a fun accessory or an unusual print. I think it could also mean a very unusual shaped garment perhaps, though that may be heading into Avant Garde

ramya

Veteran

Simple for me means less accessorising which in turn means less effort to dress up:)
Playful is that one item that makes my outfit interesting in an unexpected way
So if I wear a black cowlneck top with my blue skinnies and brown black suede shoes, my "Green " belt would be my playful element.

Strange in a way how we all think differently

Ingunn

(website)

Veteran

I think my understanding of the terms are quite like yours, Diane and Ramya. I've always applied simple to the overall look, not to the particular garments, if you know what I mean. I understood that Denise meant that some of my pieces weren't simple, thus the entire outfit wouldn't read as simple. Now I understand her better, and I agree. If simple is the equivalent of simplistic, almost all the pieces must be sleek. A patterned tights plus a chunky scarf would be too much.

Playful can be some kind of unexpected color, a contrast etc. Or is that too wide for a definition?

Ornella

(website)

Veteran

To me they certainly don't contradict each other. I describe my style as simple, yet no matter how minimalistic certain looks are they are a result of having fun (or, being playful ) with my clothes.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

For me, simple applies to the overall look first, but also to a degree to the individual garments. A simple outfit would involve clean lines, minimal obvious detailing in the garments themselves (though there can be some), few parts, not much in the way of accessories. It would probably be quite limited also in pattern.

It could be low or high contrast, (i.e. monochrome, tone on tone, or a graphic contrast like black and white), and colour could be anything, but there probably wouldn't be much pattern, and there certainly wouldn't be a lot added to the basic pieces, whatever those might be. So - pants, top, jacket. Dress with jacket. No: added scarves, multiple visible layers, piles of baubles or even multiple large ones. Streamlined, I guess.

So I do agree with Denise in a sense. If you include too many items with obvious detailing or accessories plus highly detailed items, you are no longer in "simple" territory, although you are possibly still in "classic" and "playful" territory. (And often you are in "practical" territory, too -- a lot of people have commented on my winter looks being more ALGO in some cases -- well, I am sorry, but where we live, layers and scarfs are a necessity at this time of year!)

I'm not sure playful is as easy for me to define and it might be different according to the wearer. For one person, "playful" might involve interesting outfit juxtapositions. For another, it might be unexpected colour combinations. Still another might look playful wearing the odd vintage item, or an unusual hairstyle or Geek chic specs or a shorter skirt. Lots of possibilities.

In fact, maybe too many to make it a particularly useful style descriptor? Hmm. I wonder.

Although if it is useful to YOU and helps you find the items (and create the outfits) that you want, that is more than good enough!

El Cee

Veteran

To me simple means "effortless", "not fussy" and (so often for me) "grab and go". My FFBO's fall into this category. I am a maximalist, so accessories (jewelry/scarves/etc.) are often a part of my outfit, but I still see an outfit as simple if it can be pulled together without a lot of thought and effort. I think I interpret "playful" the same way you do -- something unexpected and fun… could be a surprising color combo or the addition of a funky accessory. I almost never wear "girly", but I often wear something that for me feels "playful". So, for me, an outfit can feel both simple and playful at the same time. Hmmm… makes me think this is really about how we each, as individuals, "feel" in a particular outfit.

unfrumped

Veteran

Of course they could compete but do not inherently compete.
I agree playful is not girly per se--oxfords with cropped pants to me is sort of a playful look, or Cons with a suit. To me it is not taking things too seriously (play = opposite of work) and might include a more casual element. "Unexpected" is often playful, but might alternatively be "edgy" or risk-taking or avant garde.
Playful includes surprises of color but in a certain way. Angie's term "cheeky," and the related items or outfits shown, often bring playful to my mind. All of these can be quite simple.Wearing the same clothes but in a more playful way can be your style--scrunching and layering and so forth. And you pose in a happy, playful way! (Not like my Alcatraz shots).

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I agree with Diane -- I don't think they contradict one another at all. An outfit can be simple but contain a playful element -- it can absolutely be something like a print, a color, or a detail that gives an unexpected twist to an otherwise simple outfit or silhouette.

Emily

Veteran

I don't think they contradict each other - I think you can inject a bit of fun and whimsy while still wearing easy pieces and simple combinations. I have the same goal - to have my ensembles look effortless and easy, but still a bit fun.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I don't think Simple and Playful are necessarily contradictions, although I do see Denise's point. It's easier to create a more complicated and maximal playful outfit though, because you usually add playful accents - which means extra wardrobe items.

It's easier to match Simple with Strict. Like my style. Although, my new apple green specs add a small playful element to all my outfits. Playful is therefore on a sliding scale - a little or a lot.

I don't think Simple means Effortless. Any outfit can look Effortless when the wearer forgets about it and wears it with sass, confidence and panache.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I agree absolutely with what Angie says in her last paragraph. I was surprised to see "simple" and "effortless" conflated. To me, they're quite different. It can in fact be quite effortFUL to create simple outfit.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

This shows how we all perceive meanings a little differently, and use our words to different effect.

Ingunn

(website)

Veteran

This is a very useful discussion indeed! I think my interpretation of simple has to do with my native word for it, which covers that something is "easy" in a way. Making tings look easy isn't' necessarily effortless, like Suz pointed out, but that isn't as important. The main point is how it appears. Since this isn't what most of you think of when you read this word, I'll have to rethink "simple" as part of my style moniker if I keep "playful". I think Denise made a valid argument.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Ah! That's interesting, Ingunn.

Well, you only need to rethink it for communicating with the English speakers. For your own purposes, you can all it whatever works best for you! And it's clear that even among the English speakers, many people consider simple and effortless to have similar meanings.

I do think for a more highly technical analysis in English, it's probably not the word you are after.

rachylou

Veteran

I have thought about it some, and while in the abstract I don't Playful and Simple are opposites, I think in practice my cues are all around amount of visual busy-ness. And the one is not the other.

So while a Playful outfit can consist of few pieces and be easy to wear, I feel it's maybe a little hard on the eye. Or perhaps more correctly, the brain. There's a lot in the visual field to sort out. I think of a little girl in a dress with lots of little flowers, a melange of cheerful colours, a big hat, feather boa, a big borrowed brooch, etc.

I mark Simple by plainness. One to two solid colours. Maybe three if you throw in a white shirt. The style, if you will, will come from fineness of materials, cut, and seams. Decorative sewing will negate the simplicity. I think you could have a lot of items in the outfit perhaps, as long as the lines of all of them are plain and straight - and the amount of material in each piece is kept at a minimum. That is, I don't think a big poofy ball gown skirt can ever be simple because so much material is involved. Some colours I feel could be *too hot* to maintain simplicity. Pink, red, Big Bird yellow. I don't know that Simple in my head is actually Easy. I probably associate Simple with arduous, ruthless, and repressive discipline. Hehe. Restraint is difficult for me.

Which brings me back to your style. I think I'd maybe go with Joyful Simple. I think you're very good with discipline, unlike myself, but you're happy. You have colour and break out a bit of flourish. Your style is not morbid and puritanical - which don't get me wrong, I can find quite sharp.