I, For One, Welcome Our New Minimalist Overlords

Now we’re talking une femme’s language.  Simple, clean, mostly monochromatic.  Aahhhhh.  This is such a welcome respite from the everything-including-the-kitchen-sink, more-is-more looks of recent years.
Pictures lifted from Net-a-Porter, Style.com (Chloé and Calvin Klein Fall 2010 RTW) and Eileenfisher.com .

~

All original content property of https://unefemmenet.wpengine.com

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 United States License.

Stay in touch

Sign up to be notified of new posts and updates from une femme d’un certain âge.

Affiliate links in posts may generate commissions for unefemme.net. See my complete disclosure policy here.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

25 Comments

  1. Oh, god, me too! As long as I’m still allowed the occasional pair of feathered shoes or sparkly (And would it be too much to ask for some of these pieces in red? Or at least a nice burgundy?)

  2. Yes, Depsu I completely agree.

    Finally some looks I can wear and feel comfortable and stylish. While I’ll never be able to pull off “I’m the six foot tall, with not an oz. of fat on my body” look completely, keeping it simple goes a long way toward looking svelte!

  3. Agreed, although like StyleSpy I reserve the right to add some sparkle or animal print or chiffon scarf here or there. Oh, who am I kidding?! I’ll never achieve anything like the clean looks here, and I’m not at all sure they’d reflect my personality, but I love the clean lines as a base, at least.

  4. Absolutely love the minimalist look. This is so my style that I am thrilled to see it. It is certainly more appealing than all those gathers and ruffles. I do reserve the right to add some animal prints and a bit of sparkle to the mix.

  5. I too feel the tug of desire…though the magpie side of my “Minimalist Magpie” persona does feel an urge to besmirch the placid waters with a little something funky/shiny/patterned!

    Ps Please let this direction be a return to decent f’ing tailoring/construction in items under $100-150….

  6. I absolutely LOVE this collection of images, and wholeheartedly agree that this year has thrown up some wonderful silhouettes. I feel quietly smug that they will look so much better draped over wiser, more mature shoulders.

  7. Great looks here — and some of them doable even for coke-bottle shaped girls — yay, belts! (And I haven’t said that in YEARS!)

    I’m going to add my vote to the “minimalism plus accessories” camp, though — I think these looks make for a great backdrop for my collection of art scarves and jewelry, and nobody’s going to change my mind about that!

  8. Well, I do know many (heterosexual) men who would admire a twist on this look, but several are across the pond. Actually, I see a lot of this here in Montréal. But no, I wouldn’t be caught dead in turtlenecks or high crews – I feel and look strangled. Idem pencil skirts with my supposed “child-bearing hips”. (Not if I can help it, but that is very personal).

    I love “elegance is refusal” and this collection of images, but still have to reconcile this with my boho ethos and my short, curvy body. I’m loving Parisian rooftop greys, grey khaki tones, deep sage greens – and yes, red. Trying not to dress all in black past 50, tempting though it is to look slimmer.

    And the Euro-style bicycle, of course!

  9. Oh, it all makes me positively SWOON with delight … Interesting what Frugal Scholar says about compliments – it’s not the kind of look that would draw a response from most men I know, although I know plenty of women who would admire it.

    And of course one of the great things about beautiful neutrals and good tailoring is that you CAN add your own touch – whether it’s sparkly red shoes or an animal print scarf …

  10. Love this look too! The mono look in seperates especially, think it looks slimming also. Here in FL we have to go with thinner knits. It can still be popped up with a cool accesory but just on it’s own with great cuts and good material..fab! Sometimes I’m just too tired for adding more then earrings.

  11. Less is always more! I love, love, love this style. It is so incredibly elegant. I only wish more woman would understand that to dress in a simple style is far more attractive. I feel you get to see the real you.It adds character, it is stylish and chic.
    Bravo.. great post!

  12. Love the pared-down silhouettes! Unfortunately those neutral colors don’t work at all for me.

    I’m intrigued by all the comments here which suggest that all women will look good in these minimalist gear — I can think of several dear friends whose body type won’t be flattered by the clothes shown, and other dear friends who would find these looks unsupportably bland for their personalities.

    LS

  13. Thanks everyone for the great comments and feedback!

    I’m seeing some common themes in your comments that I’ll be addressing in upcoming posts:

    1. Accessories. YES this look lends itself well to accessorizing (to a point).

    2. Wearability. How this curvy gal plans to bend this look.

  14. Funny, I didn’t think the comments implied at all that all women would look good in this look. There’s a difference between appreciating an aesthetic and thinking it will work on everyone …