WIW: Plain Train (Edit: Now Even PLAINER! :P) - YouLookFab Forum

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WIW: Plain Train (Edit: Now Even PLAINER! :P)

Zaeobi

(website)

Veteran

(Edit: I see my original photo caused some confusion over whether it was 'plain' enough lol. I use the tote bag & purse for my daily commute, but don't wear them the rest of the time - i.e. whilst at work. So I've added some outfit lab photos here WITHOUT the bags first, to show you what I usually look like when I'm not moonlighting as a pack mule to & from work, lol I've kept the original photo at the end though)

Just commented on @Runcarla's thread (inspired by Synne, inspired by Irina) that I wore a somewhat 'plain' outfit to work this week:
https://youlookfab.com/welookf.....d-by-synne

I suppose some people might not agree that this red top is neutral, but I consider it so here, as the closest I get to truly 'monotone' dressing lol (I don't think I suit one column of colour from head to toe). It's tucked into the same brown wide legged pants from my 'draped' outfit earlier (sorry for hogging the forum lately!)

Also attaching hair photos of my recent cut, so you can see the brown added colour (the advice I often read for my Kibbe Type is that I tend to look 'unfinished' if I don't wear jewellery of some sort, but I'm hoping that adding some brown & a fringe (to my natural curls & waves) helps to mitigate the need for earrings etc.)

What do you think? Could I pull off even plainer than this?

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34 replies

Latest reply was from Zaeobi

Star

Veteran

So not plain. Rich colours and interesting are words that come to my mind. Your hair is lovely. I have been wearing the same small stud earrings all week. I have always changed my earrings daily and suddenly have no need/interest...

Zaeobi

(website)

Veteran

Thanks @Star! I don't necessarily mean 'plain' as a negative - just that it was the adjective used in the other Fabbers' posts to refer to more simple outfits. This is my attempt at simplicity

I hear you on earrings - most of my doorknockers no longer make it to my final outfits because of the mask situation.

slim cat

Veteran

I like the outfit and the accessories as well - the fab belt, sandals with some metallic color, printed tote ( all add interesting touches ).
The hair looks lovely!

Zaeobi

(website)

Veteran

Haha thanks - I guess when you put it that way, the outfit isn't very plain at all, eh? :p

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

(Red is a neutral for me too )

Your hair is sooo pretty, and you look GREAT!

I also don't see plain. Blingy sunnies, sandals, and belt buckle amp things up.

Cardiff girl

Veteran

I don’t know if it’s plain or not but it’s definitely a very flattering look on you and shows off your lovely waist.

Synne

Veteran

Choo choo! Love this interesting how pronounced the accessories becomes on a rather plain backdrop. Just beautiful belt and sandals! Also really liking the proportions here, very pretty silhouette. Ylf!

rachylou

Veteran

I don’t see plain either. I love that brown, the pants look good. I like the dimensionality the brown brings to your hair as well(!)

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

Not plain and look great including your hair!

notsaf

Veteran

Looking fabulous! Such a flattering silhouette on you and fabulous earthy colors. I love this.

Isabel

Veteran

Lovely outfit ! I am a big believer in “personal “ neutrals. LOL. olive green and animal prints are neutrals to me. Though I don’t want wear blush , I think of that as a neutral.

And not “plain” at all !

Jenni NZ

Veteran

Ha! You look lovely here. Not sure I see this as plain.
I refuse to join any plain challenge! When I was young it was more of an insult ( and sorry to our fabulous forum member Jane..) to be called a “plain Jane”!

Synne

Veteran

Maybe only speaking for myself, but as s non-native English speaker "plain" doesn't carry the same negative connotations that it may do for others. To me plain is the opposite of "show-off", and that can be a very, very good thing. Now... I do hail from the land where Jante rules, so maybe very biased...

Bijou

Veteran

I love the elegant simplicity of this outfit. The belt and shoes add interest and your hair really is beautiful, the highlight for me.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Synne, the phrase “plain Jane” is familiar to me, but Meriam-Webster agrees with you.

plain adjective
\ ˈplān \
Definition of plain (Entry 1 of 5)
1 : lacking ornament : UNDECORATED
2 : free of extraneous matter : PURE
3 : free of impediments to view : UNOBSTRUCTED
4a(1) : evident to the mind or senses : OBVIOUS
it's perfectly plain that they will resist
(2) : CLEAR
let me make my meaning plain
b : marked by outspoken candor : free from duplicity or subtlety : BLUNT
plain talk
5a : belonging to the masses : COMMON
b : lacking special distinction or affectation : ORDINARY
6 : characterized by simplicity : not complicated
plain home-cooked meals
7 : lacking beauty or ugliness
8 archaic : EVEN, LEVEL

I disagree strongly with equating “plain” with the opposite of good-looking. Some of my favorite styles of made objects are very plain, emphasizing good materials and workmanship: Romanesque churches, Shaker furniture, types of Art Deco that highlight a curve or other simple shape. All of these are beautiful (to me) because they remove the distraction. Mid-century modern furniture, which does the same, is currently very popular. A plain outfit highlights the user’s own beauty without artifice, and can be very beautiful. Of course, if you’re going to do things—outfits, hairstyles, cooking, buildings, lamps, whatever—simply and don’t permit yourself to obfuscate, you need to have a good foundation.

Zaoebi, you look absolutely beautiful. Your accessories highlight your features for an overall elegant look.

ophelia

Veteran

This is a gorgeous outfit & suits your frame (& hair) perfectly. The color of the top is beautiful with your coloring. I may be biased; in another subtropical part of the world I wear skirts & some form of tee or blouse daily. Climate aside, I’ve always loved skirts & dresses; skirts are more versatile than dresses.
This one looks graceful & elegant-& easy to move in! It looks like it could go with anything.

Synne

Veteran

Nice find, FI. And always an enigma you are: maximalist you prefer simple shape decor! What are we humans if not complex riddles

Anonymous

Your hair looks beautiful, and love the outfit too!

Zaeobi

(website)

Veteran

Haha @Angie Team Red Neutral (you too, @Isabel )! I've now added some photos with my cream plimsolls for you (instead of the gold sandals) - what do you think? Does it still work on me, or look sloppy now?

@CardiffGirl Thanks - I have no idea if I'm a pear or hourglass, but I'm happy with adding waist definition even with a little tummy I used to shy away from it for this reason before
I see what you mean about it not seeming plain enough before - what do you think of the plainer version in the (newly added) outfit lab photos? Can I board the Plain Train now?

@Synne you can be the train conductor Yes, I think you're right about the accessories 'popping' on a plainer background - I think this might have been what's causing the original 'pack mule' outfit to not look so plain after all. I tried it with some white trainers (newer photos), inspired by your OOTD, but I think you pull it off much better than I do! You look perfectly relaxed & 'at home' in your Plain Train outfit

(PS - I'm also a non-native speaker with the same neutral association of the word 'plain' - although admittedly that may be because I come from a culture where 'too much' is the norm My mother made me wear not one but TWO necklaces on my wedding day, because she felt my (already bedazzled) top looked too 'empty' without them BOTH on - no thanks, lol! )

Zaeobi

(website)

Veteran

@rachylou & @suntiger Thank you - I added photos #11 & #13 so you can see how the brown shows up in the light (my phone uploaded them out of order, sorry). I like it black but sometimes mine feels a bit too 'flat' without any other colour added, you know? But personally I'm starting to feel like there's a bit too *much* brown in there lol (I tell my hairdresser I want 'dark chocolate' but the copper brown look is popular here, so each time I go he tries to persuade me to go a little lighter. He thinks it's because I'm 'shy' about the stark difference, but really it's because I'm ok with my natural colour but just want to add a little 'dimension' to it, as you call it.) @rachylou Am I right in thinking your natural hair colour is black too?

@Shevia, @Bijou & @NotSaf Thank you! You all have lovely & well-defined styles yourselves, so this is high praise indeed

Zaeobi

(website)

Veteran

@FashIntern I agree with you - I don't see plain as an insult, because often plain items require more thought & care to work well (slight side note: it's often why fast fashion items come with lots of extra bells & whistles (like ruffles AND lace AND sequins all on ONE item) & is why I was often unhappy wearing them. I could never find exactly what I liked at those prices because what I liked was a bit more 'simple'.)

@Jenni NZ I totally see what you mean but I also don't mean 'simple' as an insult, for similar reasons - I thought @Irina & @Synne & @Runcarla all looked *fabulous* boarding the Plain Train precisely *because* the simplicity of their outfits worked with them & what they already have (rather than against).
I mean, even the word 'empty' I used in the necklace scenario to @Synne is another example of beauty being in the eye of the beholder - I have the utmost respect for @Deborah's outfits, for example, because of the way she utilises that 'empty' negative space to create stunningly architectural looks. (Side note: That's also partially why I asked in my OP (Original Post) if I could pull off 'even plainer' looks - I admire Japanese minimalism but often feel I look 'unfinished' (to quote @rachylou on another thread) in such looks. In fact, I think it takes great restraint not to throw on everything but the kitchen sink - restraint I simply don't have, lol!)

Zaeobi

(website)

Veteran

Thank you for the kind compliment, @Ophelia. Red is actually a new colour for me - I used to shy away from it completely when I was younger, so baby steps with this reddish brown shade of it first

I definitely relate to the importance of dressing simpler in subtropical climates (I live in Hong Kong) - hence why I prefer to wear such trousers slightly shorter, in the case of sudden summer rains & typhoons, lol. This sort of pant-skirt hybrid (skants? pirts?) is a perennial favourite of mine (I've added a few more photos now to prove these are indeed trousers instead of a skirt, lol)

sunnyday

Plain can be a great style!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

The outfit looks nice without the belt too. You ROCK those palazzo pants!

ophelia

Veteran

Well they have the gracefulness & flow of a skirt!
Beware of lightening dark hair. You’re younger than I am with healthier hair, but it fried mine.
I used to dress in the long colorful skirts & tops made in India from the softest cotton. Anklets & toe rings, rings bracelets, earrings far too heavy for small ears. I still love those clothes but don’t look quite right in them.

kellygirl

Veteran

I don't see plain at all. Love this polished modern look. You look amazing!!

Zaeobi

(website)

Veteran

@Angie Thanks - they were an impulse buy from a little Malaysian stall just over a year ago, but they've served me well! I'd admire wide legged trousers on taller women (like Katherine Hepburn) but find them stumpifying on myself. I'm realising now that it's the *material* that matters more than the silhouette - the opaque drape of these makes my legs feel less like stiff tree trunks than, say, the sailor jeans trend.

@kellygirl Its wonderful to hear 'Polished modern' coming from you & your own relaxed yet put together style, so thank you I do find it funny how we've come full circle to high waisted, wide legged pants feeling 'modern' once more, though. So much for the skinny jean

@Ophelia My hair is naturally black but I've been going grey since I was 16 - I only started colouring it more regularly just over a year ago (before COVID hit & shut down all the salons). It's taken me a while to settle down in HK (subconsciously was acting like I'd still be returning to the UK soon lol) but I've finally found a reliable supplier of natural henna here, so I'm thinking of switching to dyeing my hair with that instead.
A tip from my culture: heating up a little olive oil & massaging it into your scalp can help with hair growth & also lustre. I prefer to leave it overnight before shampooing it out (with a gentle shampoo), but some people only do it for a few hours (if that).
Haha I know exactly the clothes that you mean - yes, they're comfortable but they're the wrong Kibbe Type for me too (I'm most likely a Romantic/ Soft Classic than a Natural). I didn't bring most of that type of jewellery with me, but I do have some jhumka earrings here. I could never get onboard with toe rings (they'd feel too weird in shoes lol) but I'm still on the hunt for some more haathphool/ 'ring connector bracelets' too - in the meanwhile, this cute little midi ring I found locally (of a brass elephant) will have to do

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Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

I agree with you about all the geegaws in fast fashion. I fell in love with the “plain” when I lived near the Shaker village of Pleasant Hill, Kentucky. When our university had visiting social theory speakers, we took them there for tours. The idea of “plain” or “simple” wound its way through everything—not just furniture and decor, but architecture, attire, language, kitchens, everything. It resulted in letting people be relaxed and use their energy for other things.

ophelia

Veteran

Zaeobi, that ring! Beautiful and adorable. And, elephants. <3

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