Pop
normcore
What does normcore mean?
Used adjectivally for anything aggressively average and unremarkable by design.
"That outfit is so normcore it's basically invisible."
Origin
Coined by trend-forecasting group K-Hole in 2013 and popularized by New York Magazine in 2014. It launched the '-core' naming convention for nearly every aesthetic that followed.
Frequently asked questions
What does normcore mean?
It's a fashion trend of deliberately wearing plain, ordinary, unbranded clothing — like dad jeans and a blank tee — as a stylistic choice. It coined the '-core' suffix used by every aesthetic since.
Where did normcore come from?
It was coined by the trend forecasting collective K-Hole in 2013 and went mainstream after New York Magazine ran with it in 2014.
Is normcore still a thing?
The hype peaked years ago, but its influence lives on in quiet luxury and minimalist fashion, and in the endless '-core' trends it named.
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