How the Avant-Basic Aesthetic Has Infiltrated Our Instagram Feeds
The lighthearted aesthetic of avant-basic may have more sinister consequences when it comes to sustainability.
Cow print pants. Floral knit cardigans. Swirly dresses and clashing prints. You've probably seen all these pieces flood your Instagram explore page by now, or decorate the bodies of smiling, frolicking Tiktokers. Welcome to the rise of "avant-basic," It girls' favorite new aesthetic. Its father, son, and holy spirit have been cast as Lisa Says Gah, House of Sunny, and Paloma Wool, respectively. The patron saints of this new denomination are influencers and FOMO.
The name was conceived by writer Emma Hope Allwood in a tweet last December. "It’s algorithm fashion," she wrote. "Quirkiness in the age of mechanical reproduction... vintage without the effort... if summer from 500 days of summer was an insta gal with a mullet."
Avant-basic is, moreso than any other style, focused on specific garments. The House of Sunny Day Tripper sweater, their Hockney Dress, and the Paloma Wool Enya Set are all staples. These instantly recognizable pieces are perpetually out of stock and sell for about $100 a pop.
Avant-basic is characterized by trippy prints, mixed patterns, and the psychadelic sensibilities of the '60s. It is so pointedly unique that it circles back around to simplistic. And therein lies the problem with the aesthetic: the style asserts a sense of quirky-individualism, but is actually so carefully curated and replicated that it must continuously shift to beat the rate of consumption.
Avant-basic style doesn't create trends, it creates micro-trends.
A micro-trend comes and goes faster than the time it takes the average consumer to join in. As soon as you get your hands on a hot item, it has been deemed basic. Then begins the scramble for the next coolest item being touted by in-the-know influencers.
Avant-basic doesn't promote pattern mixing, it promotes mixing this specific pattern with that one. It isn't a style so much as a pre-ordained shopping list. Yet, the holy grail items of avant-basicism are hard to come by and expensive. This leaves consumers turning to the next best option. For teens who frequent these social media circles, that's often fast fashion giants like Shein.
Shein offers the opportunity to partake in micro-trends for a low price. The items will need to be trashed after a few wears, but for $10, that's not such a heartbreak. And, the site organizes its stock into easy-to-navigate categories like "Retro Revival," "Y2K," and "Color Story."
Though fashion houses like Paloma Wool claim to be "sustainable fashion," with limited collections and more conscientious production, the trends they inspire move at breakneck speeds. The fast fashion companies that replicate their pieces are leaders in waste production. When differentiating "fast fashion brands" from more traditional lines, think of any business that operates outside the standard fashion "seasons," the website or store that always seems to have new pieces on their racks.
There is no way to make avant-basic a sustainable practice. The fashion industry is already responsible for 10 percent of global carbon emissions, a number that will jump to 26 percent by 2050 if the current trajectory holds. It can also be blamed for 20 percent of worldwide water pollution.
Social media has revolutionized fashion marketing. Users are given a constant stream of new, necessary purchases. The biggest names on the platforms never wear an item twice. There is no such thing as a closet staple, or timelessness.
Avant-basic fashion is aptly named. It's just...basic. It supports a tired way of doing business, by exploiting consumers fear of being behind the times or uncool, appealing to their insecurities. It takes its chicer attributes from vintage looks while packaging them in a cheap, low-quality package.
Though avant-basic may be the most Pinterest-friendly of the current aesthetics, there are other growing movements. Thrifted, secondhand styles offer a similar eclecticism with much more environmentally-friendly practices. There are content creators out there who promote remixing and rewearing your closet in fun, interesting ways.
If you were lucky enough to get your hands on a House of Sunny sweater, wear it for all it's worth. You certainly paid enough to do so. Style it with pieces you love, not with those you're told match its whimsical yellow and blue motifs. Avant-garde will always be more interesting than avant-basic.
