Exploring: Modernist Streetwear

Oct 15

Oct 15 Exploring: Modernist Streetwear

Sometime back, I ran into a friend whom I hadn't seen in a while. One of the first things she said to me was, "I feel like every time I see you, you look more and more like you're dressed by the internet". At the time, I laughed it off in a self-deprecating manner, as I'm wont to do (anyone who knows me can attest that this is one of my go-to habits). However, something about what she said stuck with me, and I found myself a few days later Googling "dressed by the internet".

The results weren't too far from what I expected, honestly - disparaging articles like this one by Complex were common. In the midst of all these similarly clickbait-titled articles, a post from r/malefashionadvice stood out. While it most certainly isn't the definitive guide to the "dressed by the internet aesthetic", which the author terms modernist streetwear, the post does provide a fairly useful starting point to understanding this trend. For those of you who don't have time to check out the article right now, the key takeaway is this: "If we were to distill the Modernist Streetwear aesthetic to [a uniform] format, [it] would be as follows: black jacket, white tee shirt, tapered black jeans, black or white sneakers". Obviously, this isn't a strict rule to abide by, but rather a general set of guidelines for you to build your wardrobe around, if you're so inclined.

Personally, I've been streamlining my wardrobe to revolve around monochrome pieces with different textures and prints, with the occasional pastel or tonal piece mixed in, just for a little extra variety. Yes, being dressed by the internet can be a bad thing, if you just mindlessly buy whatever is trending at the moment. On the other hand, if you take this aesthetic as a starting point for your own forays into the realms of sartorial experimentation, you could end up with some pretty unique fits.

If you're still looking for inspiration, we've provided a few different takes on the Modernist Streetwear aesthetic below!

Basic Minimalism