Less is So Much More

Top (Zara, similar here and here), Blazer (Forever 21, similar here and here), Skirt (Zara - old, similar here and here), Shoes (Zara - similar here and here), Clutch (Ted Baker - old, similar here), Rings (misc. Ariella rings here)

The man who perfected minimalist, masculine-tinged vesture for the modern woman to the point of it being obscene is the very same man who, as it would stand to reason given the former, season after season seems to effortlessly craft and build upon a vision rooted in the primordial and ineffable duo of black and white.

He does this so adeptly, that we hardly realize that black and white are by and large the only colors we are seeing. In fact, we don't even miss the the other colors in the world at that point. Are there even other colors? That's not to say that the man does not utilize a broader palette in his collections—he certainly does, and he does so quite sharply. But home for his aesthetic exists in the glorious place where black and white live together as a kind of Platonic ideal; a perfect pairing of absolute light and dark wherein lies a beauty that is so elemental, that it simply can't be denied. It is a place from which boundless possibility stems. 

I'm not embarrassed to say I'm grossed out by me right now, too.  

Anyway, all I'm saying is, Alexander Wang's sartorial point of view inspires an enthusiastic urge to minimize in even the most maximal of maximalists. Black and white together are enough to make a statement when you don't need much else, but it is Wang's tailored eye and dextrous hand that makes the pairing of black and white so much more interesting and purposeful with seemingly so much less. 

His irreducible wares, like the linearly-disposed mesh pieces of his Spring/Summer 2013 collection, incite such immediate attraction that they are followed by a tidal wave of copycat and (to put it nicely) "inspired-by" pieces from brands far and wide; most notably, Zara (as pictured here). And then suddenly the market is flooded with (certainly cheaper, but recognizable) traces of his collection.

And while nothing I'm wearing here is of Mr. Wang's namesake brand (and trust me, I don't purport it to be despite my above ramblings), there is no denying that he has, whether unwillingly or not, had a hand in not only how the pieces I'm wearing look, but also in my decision making process for compiling an outfit comprised chiefly of these "inspired-by" pieces. 

Regardless of whether or not you don Wang-inspired copycat wares, or his pricey originals, what is authentic—and more importantly, what can belong to anyone—is dressing oneself with the kind of inspired sparingness that Wang so masterfully sets forth. It is in letting his crisp aesthetic guide you that you realize that less is really so much more.