What's between minimal and maximal?

Ariadne

Angie's thread about the preponderance of maximal style bloggers got me wondering about this. Is there a middle ground between minimal style and maximal style? I'm thinking there has to be--there's always a field between two fences, right? I feel like some of the bloggers I listed as minimal in the other thread probably fall more in this nameless middle ground, as well as some YLFers. What do we call it? I've never seen it described or named.

Is the middle ground, by definition, the realm of the typical, and therefore not worthy of its own term?

"Moderate" is one possibility that comes to mind, but it doesn't feel quite right, and it's not a descriptor I've ever seen someone employ with regards to style.

13 years ago

Dressing

6 replies

Latest reply was from Suz

Deborah

Veteran

This is really good question Ariadne. It's like we acknowledge two extremes but what constitutes a middle ground between the two. Is that middle ground in fact what the general populace (? spelt right?) might call "the norm"? There must be a word that describes this... bet Angie has one! What about "Mass" style as in what the 'masses' are wearing. I would suggest that it is a minority that wears either a maximal or minimal style but "the masses" wear something inbetween that meets a broader stereotype.

13 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Minimax.

To me it's a continuum thing with polar sides. If you're in the middle, you have minimax style.

(Yes. I just made that up).

13 years ago

Charmian

Veteran

I'm not sure there is a term! But I think it's a great idea to attempt to label it, and I think "moderate" is a good attempt.

As humans, I think we tend to label the extremes of a spectrum even thought the majority of us fall in the middle. Think politics ("liberal" vs "conservative"), weight ("fat" vs "skinny"), or just about any property that can be described in degrees. I think your observation is great: knowing what the boundaries are is certainly useful, but one must be careful about those labels when most of us occupy the middle.

13 years ago

Deborah

Veteran

Angie, I knew you would have a term for this... and you just made it up! Im going to start using it in the very limited fashion circles I move in and see what response I get ... will report back.

13 years ago

Lisa

Veteran

Great question!

13 years ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Minimax. Love it!

But what does it consist in. If maximal is more, more, more, and minimal is about less...then maybe my outfit today is minimax. I'm wearing: slouchy trousers, simple chelsea boots (in same colour), a dark red cowl neck sweater and a denim jacket. But I'm also wearing a snakeskin belt that peeks out of a faux semi-tuck, and a couple of bracelets, and small earrings.

13 years ago

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