Subversive Basics and Fear of the Future
A look that has gotten more and more popular recently is the “subversive basics” trend, which involves plain neutrals like t-shirts and tights that have been altered and worn in unconventional ways.
An example of subversive basics is the use of tights as mesh tops with strategic holes cut in different places, exposing the skin in ovaloid windows. Other components of the look involve knitwear, oftentimes ripped or filled with large holes, asymmetry, and intense layering. This aesthetic also embraces covering the face, possibly due to influence from the COVID pandemic, incorporating balaclavas, veils, masks, and other forms of hoods and headdress.
The Rick Owens RTW Spring 2021 collection reflects this trend perfectly:
Rick Owens Spring 2021
These designs all contribute to a very futuristic feel – taking plain, everyday clothes and twisting them into something completely new and different makes them feel like they are the clothes of the future. And as these pieces push the boundaries of what clothing looks like and how it’s worn, they seemingly form a new frontier of fashion.
What’s interesting is the fact that this look leans so heavily into futurism, yet a lot of people are incredibly unenthusiastic about the future. Thinking about the climate, nuclear war, and late-stage capitalism is probably pretty distressing for a lot of us. That’s why there have been so many other trends like dark academia or cottagecore that call upon images of the past – we don’t want to look to the future because it’s not looking that great for us right now.
Because of that, it’s a little surprising we’re seeing this futuristic aesthetic getting more popular right now instead of retrofuturism, which is also more funky and playful than the refined, stoic neutrals of futurism that we see with subversive basics. Retrofuturism is based on the vision of the future in the past, specifically within science fiction pop culture from the 1950s-70s, and involves things like space ships, lasers, and flying cars. During the 50s-70s, there was a huge amount of new technology being created that promised to revolutionize the way we lived - suburbia, color TV, nuclear power, and long distance communication devices, to name a few. This surge of inventions, along with the economic boom after WWII, gave Americans a very optimistic view of the future and the potential that technology could offer to society. Flying cars and space travel to alien planets seemed to be just around the corner.
Fashion designers also took inspiration from this science fiction craze, with retrofuturism reaching its peak in the 60s. One of the most famous designers known for pioneering this aesthetic was French designer Pierre Cardin, who used bright colors and bold geometric cutouts to create new age looks.
There are many similarities between retrofuturism and futurism, especially with the cutouts, but the vibe is very different. The problem is that we just don’t look forward to the future like that anymore. There are a lot of new apps being created, but entirely new forms of technology, especially ones that would be used by people on a daily basis, haven’t been created in a while. We perceive the future as darker and more ominous now, which is also reflected in the solemnity of the futuristic subversive basics aesthetic.
Ultimately, I’m still surprised that in their desperate attempt to escape our current reality through fashion trends, people haven’t pounced on the retrofuturism aesthetic and are instead embracing the cruel realities of futurism through subversive basics. Part of it might be the fact that subversive basics are much more accessible for people to DIY out of cheap neutrals or clothes they already had, while retrofuturistic pieces aren’t really sold anywhere readily available to the public. I do hope that in the near future, these two aesthetics merge and hybridize into a new era of imaginative fashion. If fashion represents societal values, a mix of these two styles could maintain the accessibility and creativity of subversive basics, while gaining some color and funk from the cheery retrofuturist looks from the 60s. After all, it wouldn’t hurt our senses of optimism if we popped a bit of color in our wardrobes here and there.
