In fashion, avant-garde clothing is either contentious or highly revered upon. Contentious, meaning that the mass commons have a fixed perception of what is considered as regular or wearable clothes and experimental clothes are not everyone’s cup of tea. Revered, because avant-garde connoisseurs or major fashion enthusiasts respect the profound idea that was expressed as well as its process of execution. In the middle of the spectrum, however, consists of those who are fascinated and believe that this line of separation should be obscured. As an individual who is part of that group, I believe that there is nothing wrong with embracing avant-garde clothing as long as the styling procedure is correct. Here are seven ideal tips on how to comfortably and successfully wear avant-garde pieces in public!
1. Determine your avant-garde style
Starting with the basics, an individual who wants to embrace avant-garde fashion should completely determine their avant-garde style. Experiment with different pieces based on their colour, texture, or shape to distinguish what avant-garde appearance works with your body type or connects with your personality. For example, an individual who is generally an introvert may decide to go for monochromatic or minimal looks. Once you have completely chosen a style, you will eventually embody it and showcasing it in public will be easier.
2. Study avante-garde clothing carefully
Avant-garde pieces are tricky and simply coordinating them with everyday pieces may be tougher than you think. It is crucial to have a keen eye to successfully assess which colours, texture, or shape harmonizes or balances with “regular” clothes. For reference, you may choose to sketch an ideal structured outfit that you have in mind or even use a mannequin for more styling freedom. Avant-garde fashion may be about self expression, however, we still want to be coherent with our look and not just put together an arbitrary outfit collage.
3. Read about avant-garde designers or fashion icons
To further affirm your potential piece combinations, you may consider reading about past or current avant-garde fashion icons or designers and study their looks or works. You may choose to recreate outfits or take elements that you can use as foundation. Some of the biggest fashion icons that have mastered surrealist dressing include Roisin Murphy, Paloma Faith, Theo Adams, and Lady Gaga. Designers who have applied avant-garde principles in their designs include Comme De Garcons, Yohji yamamoto, Iris Van Der Herpen, Alexander McQueen, and Vivienne Eastwood.
4. Use monochromatic colours as base
A good foundation for generating a basic avant-garde look is by experimenting with monochromatic colours including black, white, and gray. According to designer Barbara | Gongini explains “keeping only a single tone gives the opportunity to work on clothing like canvas”. In other words, using basic colours will allow you to experiment with bold pieces better and provide you with a better perception on what works or what doesn’t. The more practice you get with coordinating pieces, the more capable you become in creating bolder outfits in the future.
5. Begin with basic avant-garde pieces such as asymmetrical tops
Clothes that are asymmetrical or have unconventional textures are good starting points when putting together an avant-garde look. They are easier to incorporate into everyday outfits and they may motivate you to wear more unconventional pieces out in the public. Once you have fully embodied and embraced these pieces, you may start layering more or even wear bolder pieces.
6. Exploring textures – Eclectic outfits
If monochromatic colours or asymmetrical cuts don’t do it for you, another effect way to create a statement without looking foolish is by going for eclectic looks. Such looks are ultimately defined by pieces adorned with elements made of fabric, paper, or metal that come in a variety of shapes. Eclectic pieces are striking so you may consider harmonizing them with more basic clothes to uphold a composed appearance. For example, if you are wearing a voluminous top composed of a multitude of materials, then tone down your look with skinny pants and high ankle boots or heels.
7. Layering – the easiest avant garde approach
Perhaps the easiest way to pull off an avant garde look is by layering. Simply begin with a body hugging garment and then add more pieces until the desired layer level. Two things that must still be kept in mind however are colour and fabric combination. Ensure that colours are either complementary or belong in the same hue. For fabrics, make sure they either the same or similar in texture.
