A friend of mine was having lunch with me the other day, and he said something that made me think: “You know, I am really digging simple designs.” Now, what he said didn’t grab my attention because of the ingenuity or the novelty of the statement. Rather, I was thinking about how common his statement was. Nowadays, it seems like everyone fashionably conscious is gravitating towards the motto: Less is more. And I couldn’t be happier. Here are some reasons why:
Easy on the Eyes
Clothes with a multitude of colors, complex color schemes and intense graphics are hefty to take in. There are some designs that are flat-out uncomfortable to look at just because of how busy they look. More fashionable designs are solid colors (preferably not bright and shiny), one pattern (stripes, plaid) or color blocks. If you want more solid color pieces, keep in mind that muted and darker colors work well so that you don’t overpower anyone’s sights with a brilliantly radiant coloration. People are more inclined to look and stare at you when you are sporting an outfit that pleases and satisfies the eye.
Quality Fabric
With a simpler design, many designers turn to quality fabrics and materials to differentiate their clothing from others. The difference between a white T-shirt from Nautica and a white T-shirt from Hanes is the sheer quality of the textiles involved. My white T-shirt that cost just a little extra feels soft and smooth, while the white T-shirts my dad buys feel coarser and more abrasive.
Form and Figure
As the style progressed in recent years, clothes have been getting tighter and more form-fitting. With less to look at on the actual clothes, and more of a tighter fit, outfits draws attention to the body underneath rather than the design on the clothes’ surface. Fit is actually extremely important in fashion, but that topic is for another post. Just remember that fit is too crucial to pass up. In fact, women are more attracted to your body than to your clothes anyway, so us men should really wear simple clothes that accentuate our physiques.
Clean, No Mess
With complex designs, cloth pieces often look too busy and messy. By eliminating all the debris, clothes look cleaner and more refined. A pullover that says an iteration of “Keep Calm and…” cannot stand up to a simple, clean pullover. It carries with it no contextual baggage. A quality sweater with absolutely no infamous design on it will stand the test of time. The crisp, pristine look won’t ever go out of style.
With simpler designs, people will look more at you and not at your garments; that’s what we really want in an outfit.