2025 is the year of norm-core
Cool = basic
January 14th, 2025
In the post-pandemic world, discussions about fashion often revolved around micro-trends: a distinct "epidemic" that for nearly five years shaped the collective sentiment and influenced billions of young people on what was truly "cool." A "cool" that, in reality, was purely superficial: many of these micro-trends borrowed elements from subcultures and made them not only mainstream but also fundamentally replicable. Essentially, it was about being part of a niche but through to TikTok. In 2024, however, this temporary obsession began to slow down, influenced by external socio-economic factors and what has been dubbed “luxury fatigue.” This led to a sort of reset in fashion cycles. With the influence of what is known as "recession chic," various trends merged under the timeless banner of quiet luxury. But how does one embrace quiet luxury without actual luxury? Considering that prices have made it nearly impossible to invest in high-quality goods—something brands are fully aware of—the only option left is to dress in a calm, understated way. As noted by Dazed, in 2025 fashion will be basic: a basic that, however, intersects with the great revival of indie sleaze, increasingly reminiscent of the aesthetic of the mid-2000s, moving away from Y2K and embracing the atmosphere of Glastonbury during the golden era of British bands.
The normcore trend, however, abandons the gothic avant-garde of recent years (from the Opium aesthetic to the “knights” of Chrome Hearts, and the semi-grotesque of MOWALOLA and JordanLuca—brands that grew thanks to Gen Z subcultures) to transition from dark maximalism to an almost-boring normality. To the untrained eye, it might seem dull; yet it draws heavily from references like Hedi Slimane’s Dior Homme and early 2000s Jil Sander. Mina Le also discussed this shift in her video essay the death of personal style, where she reflects on her transition from a more eclectic personal style to a more relaxed one. Le argues that what many publications have called “the death of personal style” over the past couple of years is, in fact, a reorientation of priorities within the broader creative sphere, particularly in fashion: instead of focusing on outfits, people are dedicating their creativity to other artistic forms. A concrete example is the creative directors of brands, who often wear simple jeans and anonymous sweaters.
The shift toward normcore and simpler fashion has also been driven by the ultra-fast-fashion industry, which has appropriated maximalist aesthetics and turned elements of subcultures (often anti-capitalist) into overly accessible items. As Dazed wrote, while the alternative club kids of a few years ago have become “normal,” pop stars have adopted aesthetics far removed from their sound. A striking example is the sudden stylistic shift of Damiano David, who transitioned from the leather-clad rockstar look to representing Italian haute couture. In such a landscape, timeless icons are making a comeback, from the revival of Jane Birkin and the exploration of Joan Didion to the queen of indie sleaze herself, Alexa Chung. In recent months, more and more users on social media have been showcasing simple outfits—jeans, shirts, and ballet flats—not worn "without style," but with the intention of referencing these semi-niche icons.
The term normcore is not entirely new, having been coined about a decade ago. As described in an entry on Urban Dictionary dated March 31, 2014, it defines the idea of “deconstructing fashion” through a deliberately neutral aesthetic. Since then, much has changed, yet certain dynamics are bringing that concept back to prominence. Part of this resurgence is linked to the collective anxieties of a generation increasingly forced to perform online, immersed in a hyper-individualistic Web2—a context that has led to a kind of stylistic flatness. Beyond the usual trend cycles, another factor is the latent surveillance culture of social media in the early 2010s, which pushed many to adopt plain, unremarkable looks. In an era marked by instability, widespread AI-driven surveillance, and the resurgence of certain extreme ideologies, the desire to avoid drawing too much attention seems to make sense. Ultimately, today’s normcore, much like its initial iteration, might be the simplest—and least conspicuous—way to navigate yet another mutation of the fashion world.