PSA: My sister said her new linen pants felt 'too plain' and it got me thinking about texture.

She was showing me this pair of wide leg pants she just got, and while she liked the cut, she kept saying they felt boring. She said, 'It's just flat fabric, you know?' That comment stuck with me all day. I realized a lot of modern minimalist designs focus so much on silhouette and color that they forget about how fabric feels and moves. I've been sketching some ideas since then, playing with things like subtle seersucker stripes in a neutral color, or mixing a smooth waistband with a slightly nubby linen for the legs. It doesn't have to be loud to be interesting. Even a simple t-shirt dress could have a different knit on the sleeves. How do you guys add depth to simple pieces without making them look busy?

3 comments

3 Comments

alice33616d agoMost Upvoted

Oh man, you're so right about texture. I've got this one linen shirt that's got a tiny bit of slub to it, and it just looks and feels way better than the flat stuff. I sometimes add a belt with an interesting weave to simple dresses, or pick a bag with a rough canvas texture against a smooth outfit. It's all in those little details.

finleyf8816d ago

My grandma's old tablecloth had this amazing waffle weave that gave plain cotton real life. @alice336 is onto something with slub linen, and I've been looking at vintage trims for simple hems lately.

phoenix1985d ago

Actually, too much texture can look messy in real life. All those different weaves and trims fighting each other just ends up feeling busy. Sometimes a flat, smooth fabric is the right choice to make an outfit feel clean and put together. A simple cotton tee has its own kind of quiet beauty without needing any slub or waffle weave. Going overboard on texture details can ruin the clean lines of a good piece.