What is Normcore?

It's hard enough to define what's "normal"—but what's so normal that it becomes normcore ?

The word "normal" doesn't mean the same thing to everyone. For some, spending thousands—or even tens of thousands—of dollars on rare designer pieces, intricate leather garments, or vintage items is normal. For others, throwing on a pair of Allbirds and the first T-shirt they find at Walmart or Zara is just as normal. For them, the idea that someone would spend days searching for a piece of clothing, and dedicate a week's worth of salary to it, is completely absurd... just as some people find wearing Allbirds absurd.

“Normal” is always subjective and relative—especially when it comes to style. Yet one of the sartorial archetypes of contemporary fashion is based on precisely this notion of “normality,” but in an almost theatrical sense. “Normcore,” as it’s now called, encompasses so much that you might end up wondering what it really means. And even if you consider it a recent phenomenon, it’s actually based on an aesthetic philosophy that’s over a century old.

In short, normcore is supposed to reflect a complete disinterest in fashion… but in reality, there's a lot more to it.

Many attribute the rise of “normcore” to K-Hole, a New York-based trend forecasting group, which included the term in its third PDF, Youth Mode , published in 2013. In it, they describe normcore as a shift “from a style based on difference to a post-authentic style that opts for sameness […] instead of appropriating an aestheticized version of mainstream culture, it simply adapts to the situation at hand.” Finally, and perhaps most importantly, they add that “to be truly Normcore, one must understand that there is no such thing as normal.”

K-Hole wasn't the first to use the term "normcore"; comic book writer Ryan Estrada used it in 2008's Templar AZ to refer to people who end up appropriating trends years later.

What we call normcore falls somewhere between Estrada's definition and K-Hole's. In short: normcore embraces simplicity and theoretically aims to forgo individuality in favor of versatility. Many consider the normcore trend in fashion to have originated as a joke—initiated in K-Hole's report and amplified by a New York Magazine article—that was eventually taken seriously. It gave rise to one of the dominant trends of the mid-2010s, characterized by simple silhouettes: straight-leg jeans, baggy T-shirts, or chunky sneakers.

Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg embody the ideal versions of normcore: they decided that worrying about choosing clothes was a waste of time and energy, opting for a cohesive wardrobe that required little thought but was almost universally accepted.

Among the fashion-conscious mainstream, normcore pushed people to wear the sneakers their parents wore or jeans considered the opposite of "fashion," blurring the lines between normcore and "camp." Those who embraced the movement did so thoughtfully and ended up "appropriating an aestheticized version of mainstream culture"—emulating Steve Jobs or Jerry Seinfeld—exactly what normcore wasn't meant to do, according to K-Hole.

Normcore as we know it—performative normality—might instead be seen as a contemporary incarnation of “anti-fashion,” which, surprisingly, dates back centuries and has its roots in the concept of “rational dress,” popular during the Victorian era. Anti-fashion is both utilitarian and philosophical: it rejects clothing that limits comfort or freedom of movement, becoming an act of rebellion against the status quo. From rational dress to grunge to minimalism, various waves of anti-fashion have always sought to buck trends while still allowing the wearer’s individuality and personality to shine through.

So, if you consider what the term has come to represent, that's exactly what normcore is.

What are the key clothes of Normcore?

White T-shirt

Like many of our current staples, the white T-shirt gained popularity after being issued to soldiers during World War II. It quickly became a natural companion to jeans, often worn while performing manual labor. Since then, it has become one of fashion's most fundamental garments—a must-have that everyone owns. Nothing is simpler or more "normal" than a white T-shirt: it pairs equally well with a suit, jeans, or even the most rugged workwear in a wardrobe.

In the context of normcore, where simplicity takes on a special meaning, the white T-shirt stands in stark contrast to the logo-laden streetwear or intricate patterns of avant-garde designers. It's a bit like a "palette cleanser" in clothing form.

Stonewashed blue jeans

Now often achieved through chemical treatments, the term stonewashed originally referred to the traditional method of achieving a slightly faded—but not worn—denim by washing with pumice stones. In addition to removing the indigo, this technique also softened the fabric. Jeans, originally intended for factory workers and manual laborers, were made from the most durable denim. Stonewashed jeans, on the other hand, emerged as a more casual alternative.

In the 1980s and 1990s, stonewashed straight-leg jeans were a weekend staple for Americans, popularized as much by movie bad boys as by celebrities like Jerry Seinfeld. But as trends evolved, heavily distressed denim became fashionable, followed by the raw, heavyweight denim of the 2010s. This relegated the classic, lightly faded, and shapeless jeans of the 1990s to the fringes of fashion and the image of the less style-conscious mainstream—thus, they became a normcore icon.

Fleece jacket

Jeans and a T-shirt are undeniably classic pieces, but they don't really protect against the cold. In fall and winter, the fleece jacket becomes the centerpiece of the normcore look. Brands like Columbia, Patagonia, and The North Face offer long or half-zip fleece jackets that can serve as a mid-layer in very cold weather but also make good lightweight jackets in most conditions.

These jackets are not only practical: they are also extremely durable, often able to last for decades, which has made them popular with price-conscious consumers and helped anchor them in mainstream style.

In recent years, they've even become a bit of a meme due to their ubiquity in corporate circles and on Wall Street—a far cry from the forests and rock faces they were originally designed for.

Plain crew neck sweatshirt or hoodie

Simple crewneck sweatshirts are another normcore staple for winter. American Apparel helped popularize straight-cut cotton sweatshirts in the mid-2000s, but the crewneck was first introduced as a sports shirt in the 1920s, before being worn by soldiers.

The neckline has evolved a bit over time, but overall, the crew neck has changed little in a century. Today, there are plenty of options available, whether from thrift stores or more high-end brands, and a plain cotton sweatshirt remains a timeless wardrobe staple. It's extremely versatile: it serves as both an insulating layer and a layering piece, and can be dressed up or down depending on the cut.

One of the most obvious (but highly effective) innovations—the addition of a hood—transformed this garment from a simple mid-layer into a piece capable of transcending any personal style.

The more streamlined models, such as those offered by Wings + Horns or APC, are closer to Scandinavian minimalism, while versions linked to workwear or sportswear, from brands like Champion or Gap, naturally find their place in a normcore wardrobe.

Simple sneakers

New Balance's chunkier silhouettes are now synonymous with normcore, largely thanks to the late Steve Jobs, who made them a staple in his wardrobe. The key seems to be to prioritize comfort over aesthetics. But, for the most part, any relatively simple, mass-market sneaker fits the normcore aesthetic.

A pair of Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars, Vans Slip-Ons, Nike Blazers, or adidas Campus sneakers are also examples of shoes that fit into a normcore wardrobe. A striking feature is that these are models that have been around for decades—another example of the important role vintage plays in establishing normcore codes.

Lightly marked (non-fashion) or souvenir cap

Not all caps fit the normcore style. A fitted New York Yankees cap with a flat brim, for example, is not comparable to an old, slightly faded cap with a curved brim.

Most popular normcore caps feature an adjustable back strap. Unlike many other normcore staples—which tend to be devoid of patterns or prints—these caps typically feature logos, whether for a sports team or a golf course, but often smaller than the Yankees fitted cap mentioned above.