I remember flicking through fashion magazines as a teenager and becoming convinced that the only acceptable way to navigate summer as a stylish woman was to become this vision of bohemianism—floor-grazing linen dresses, suede fringing, peasant blouses and gladiator sandals were the It pieces at the time. One would drift from music festival to music festival, all the while keeping those cream espadrilles in pristine condition. I blame Sienna Miller.
It took me far longer than I’d care to admit to realise that, in fact, this is not a style persona that works for me (no matter how many peasant skirts I buy). I just like tailoring too much. However, it was when I ventured into a COS store that everything clicked into place. While I’ll never be a complete fashion purist, there was something about the brand’s simplicity and clean-lined minimalism that made everything feel so chic.
As luck would have it, the last 12 months has seen minimalistic style continue its upwards trajectory, with influencers foregoing the look-at-me extraversion that proliferated in 2018, and instead opting for unprinted shirt dresses, simple slips and voluminous smocks. So many brands, from & Other Stories to Arket, are embracing the “less is more” approach, and this is great news for people like me who can’t quite get on board with boho. If this rings true for you too, scroll down to see and shop my minimalistic dress edit and see how influencers are wearing theirs.
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