The “neo-normcore” era has arrived! Introducing the hottest men’s coordination & recommended brands!

Normcore” is a word coined by combining the words “normal” and “hardcore. As the word “normcore” means “ultimate normal,” it refers to extremely simple outfits, and such overly normal styling is conversely considered stylish. In this issue, we focus on “normcore” and introduce some noteworthy outfits!

Normcore” is a way of dressing that pursues the “ultimate normality.

Normcore is a style that pursues the “ultimate normal,” and refers to the minimalist styling that emerged mainly in New York from 2013 to 2014 and became popular in Japan as well. Steve Jobs, who continued to wear Issey Miyake turtleneck knits,Levi’s 501s, and New Balance 992s as his “uniform,” is known as a representative example of normcore. What is important about this style is that he not only chooses simple clothes, but also dares to create simple outfits with a particular focus. It is important to keep in mind that without being particular about the items used, the outfit would truly be “ordinary.

The items used for normcore are often simple items that are positioned as standard items, such as Levi’s 501s,Adidas Stan Smiths, Champion sweatshirts, andLacoste polo shirts. The basic colors are monotone (white, black, and gray) and basic colors such as navy and beige. How these “ordinary” items and colors are combined determines whether the normcore style is fashionable or not.

Editor Tachibana

Along similar lines to normcore, “Quiet Luxury,” a styling style that dares to wear discreet high-brand clothing that cannot be judged by logos or brand names, is also attracting attention in 2023. It is interpreted by some as “the fashion favored by the truly wealthy.

In 2023, the “neo-normcore” era will arrive! The difference from 10 years ago is in the silhouette

Around the year 2020, more and more fashionable people are in the mood for calm and simple fashions, perhaps as a reaction to the continuous attention paid to eye-catching and glamorous fashions such as “logo-don,” “neon colors,” and “street” fashions. Since last year, the keywords “city fashion” and “beautiful coordination” have been in vogue, and this fall/winter 2023, “normcore” will finally be the focus of renewed attention. And this year’s normcore dressing style is a little different from that of 10 years ago. The style has evolved into “neo-normcore,” which is generally worn in a relaxed, laid-back silhouette.

For example, 10 years ago, the mainstream was to wear smartly fitted coats with narrow arms and slim pants, but this season, the mood is toward relaxed coordinates with loose silhouettes, such as drop-shoulder coats and wide pants. The images below are snapshots taken in 2013 and 2023. Even though the items that make up the coordination are almost the same, the look can change so much just by changing the silhouette.

Editor Tachibana

Personally, I believe that the key to creating an “in time” look in normcore dressing lies in the pants. As shown in the snap below, even if the top is tight, if the pants have a moderately loose feel, the look is quite modern. If you are planning to buy more pants, I recommend “slacks,” “cargo pants,” and “denim pants” with loose silhouettes. These are trendy items and have been attracting attention since spring/summer, and are also available at UNIQLO.

Some fashion enthusiasts say that “normcore is not something you “aim” for, but something you “get there. It is not simply “normcore” as “plain clothes,” but rather “normcore” when one is particular about the materials, patterns, and sizes of the clothes one wears, and when one is able to achieve an outfit that attracts others through styling that strips away all but the minimum elements one deems necessary. It may be possible to call it “normcore” when one is able to achieve a way of dressing that attracts others. Although it is difficult to suddenly reach such essential normcore, if you can grasp the intuition of normcore even sensuously while referring to snaps of fashionable people, it should lead you to a higher level of dressing. From the next page, we will introduce some notable street snapshots of modern normcore outfits that we would like to refer to in the future!