Minimalism literally means stripping fashion and its design right back. The minimalist approach to fashion often gives a luxurious and classic notion, this being the case, it does not always have to be expensive clothing, and it can actually be incredibly affordable. Many fashion bloggers and Instagrammers show off their minimalist wardrobes, especially as it the minimalist trend is so in right now. As University students, we cannot always afford clothes like the ones found in Tammy Hembrow’s wardrobe. However, we can certainly follow the trend, sticking to a budget and creating the perfect minimalist University wardrobe with some key pieces.
The most obvious minimalism- the combo is black on white. This look creates a really easy but also cool and classy look in minutes and is so inexpensive to recreate; perfect for university. A white t-shirt, simply styled with black jeans and white/ black shoes, is so easy but also so bold! Sometimes when it comes to fashion less really does say much more. To dress the outfit up a bit, baggier pants can make even more of a statement and when styled with another baggy white t-shirt it looks effortlessly cool and still polished. White T-shirts can be picked up from Primark for as little as £2.50, or any high- street shop for next to nothing. Loose fitting trousers are so on trend right now and so can again be picked up from anywhere (Urban Outfitters is definitely a good place to look). Shoes such as all white Converse trainers or Nike’s can be paired with a black and white combo, and are again inexpensive and extremely popular with students.
The little black dress (LBD) is another essential for the minimalist wardrobe, especially as it can be dressed up or down. During the day a simple black dress can be styled with tights and black boots for the cutest, yet effortless University look. Swing or smock dresses are perfect for the ‘dressed- down’ look while still looking elegant and Boohoo is the perfect place for affordable LBD’s. Missguided also has an entire section dedicated to LBD’s, so they are extremely easy to get your hands on. Styling the dress with a black baker boy hat or a black cap is the perfect way to add an edge to the typical ‘sweet’ look.
The misconception of minimalism fashion is that everything has to be black, white or grey and whilst these are the go-to palettes for the minimalist look, it is not always the case. Colour can still be minimalistic, mostly when the same tone is used in each piece. The ‘tone on tone’ look may be a more exciting and daring way to explore the minimalism trend. Even bright colours, such as pink and blue, can work well as long as the pieces are simple in their design and similar in tone, so don’t go throwing away all your coloured pieces to make way for your new black, white and grey pieces! Tone on tone also works well with the darker coloured garments, sticking to the more traditional sense of the word ‘minimalism’.
As a result, minimalism is a trend that is not too hard to follow, even as a University student with a very low budget. By simply using the hashtag search on Instagram #minimalistfashion, thousands of inspirational posts can be found. The number of looks which can be created by staple, minimalist pieces is endless, even by tying a bobble into the t-shirts to make them cropped creates a completely different look. You will probably find you already have many key pieces in your wardrobe, so now you can experiment with styling them!