The Scarlet Letter (B for Basic)
Written by Katelyn Diaz
Graphics by Jade
In the midst of avant-garde, maximalist couture collections, the fashion community seems to be ostracizing those who prefer a basic style, creating a lot of uncertainty for those who keep it simple and those who don’t want to. Abelyn Salazar, a 23-year-old Fashion content creator who is “almost always wearing jeans and a sweater” feels no pressure to change that.
Salazar may be going against the grain here because in 2017, Teen Vogue published a story that stated “to be basic is inherently bad.” If you’re on social media frequently you’ve probably noticed it being used to attack others on their outfits or style. Although it’s not uncommon for people to have strong opinions on what they see online, ‘Basic’ is an insult that has made its way to both sides of the spectrum. In February, Vogue magazine created an article on “Why Every Closet Should Have These 20 Basic Items,” and listed both a striped sweater and classic jeans along with other versatile items.
“The best basic clothing items deliver maximum style with minimal effort—“ says Laura Jackson, a Contributor on Vogue. Although we do seem to be in an era on social media of ‘de-influencing’ products that are sensationalized, we are also seeing many fashion creators trying to push the limits. They ask themselves what can they do that hasn’t already been done. Due to this arguably unconscious necessity —- bred by the fashion industry’s exclusivity — to put together looks that stun others, basic outfits seem almost like a revolutionary idea.
Although Salazar wouldn’t agree that her outfits are revolutionary, a basic style is not as common in mainstream fashion spaces as one might think. This is due to the stigmatizing label, that plain outfits aren’t as fashionable. It has taken a backseat to the other content fashion individuals consume. This initially stopped Salazar from entering the fashion world on social media. It didn’t feel authentic to her. Although, she’s secure in what she wears now, she wasn’t always that honest with what she showcased.
Salazar started TikTok after being laid off from her job at Nordstrom during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I wanted to be a fashion girly really bad and I think I had a genuine love and passion for fashion,” says Salazar with a small chuckle at the rhyme and then very quickly she explains the hesitation she felt that prevented her from being genuine with her fashion at first.
“If I saw this one girl have a top and it got 30 thousand likes I was going to find that top because I also wanted to be seen wearing that top.” At this time Salazar was posting 5 times a day and giving into the popular hauls of Shein clothing, an online fast fashion retailer. Even still today, she’s upset with herself for falling down that rabbit hole even though “nothing on that website (Shein) was even remotely close to her style.” She eventually reached a point where she wasn’t being true to herself nor the people who had decided to take a chance on her by following her TikTok account in its beginning stages. The move to proudly present her more basic style has gained her over 150 thousand followers on TikTok and an authentic connection with those she shares her life with online.
“I’m really simple too, I’m not a risk taker when it comes to fashion which some might say ‘then she’s not really that stylish,’ but I know what I like on myself and I like to stick to that,” says Salazar.
In line with that, Salazar has signature accessories that she feels wrong not wearing like her gold hoops and the thin bracelet always around her arm. These are items in many people’s closets, so what makes them specific and special to Abelyn? Salazar has a tight grasp on her identity making items as simple as hoop earrings special to her. This confidence in her clothes and accessories might be her ticket to making it in what has been said to be a marginalizing career.
She’s been building her confidence and security in the clothes she likes for years, trying her hardest to avoid pressure from the fashion space she is in online and pressure to participate in trends solely for the popularity points it might bring. Trends can be much like the sales tactics used in informercials, they are coated with the promise of enhancing your life and you indulge in them so quickly until another one is grabbing your attention. And although some trends can work for some people’s individual styles, Salazar says she doesn’t want to be a salesperson for trends especially ones that don’t compliment her basic style. She understands she buys more than the average person because of her job on social media, but makes it clear that she isn’t going to force others to do the same with common phrases like “you need to buy this” or “walk, don’t run.”
“Those common phrases come off as disingenuous and if I’m using something it’s because I truly love it and I’ve used it for weeks, months, years and I want it to translate that way,” says Salazar. She is an outfit repeater with a rhythm to her closet.
“If you look in my closet I have like 10 pairs of jeans that kind of look the exact same, 4 white pairs of sneakers, a bunch of pull over sweaters,” says Sal in azar. This is her uniform, there is a constant in her style, you can define it because it’s so obvious, it’s so genuine, it’s so basic. Her words are backed up by her content online; in her last 9 Instagram posts Salazar is wearing jeans in 5 of them.
Refinery29 conducted a survey that included over 500 of their customers and tested how people feel about outfit repeating. The survey showed that “3 in 5 people said they tend to buy new clothes when they grow tired of a piece of clothing. For 44% of those surveyed, that fatigue comes after just six wears.” This could be a reflection of the overconsumption we see within the fashion industry because people feel ashamed to rewear the same outfits. However, a less obvious reason is because in fashion many people are conditioned to invent new ideas as opposed to reinventing what already exists. There is no doubt that basic outfits are simple and aren’t breaking the mold, but it is a fashion choice.
A choice that means Salazar always has something to wear.