On My Mind: So Basic
How something ordinary becomes interesting.
Why So Basic?
I’ve been noticing how some of the most ordinary things can suddenly look interesting when they’re paird with something unexpected or presented in a different way.
An oversized jacked borrowed from my husband’s closet looks completely different over a dress. A pair of ordinary hoop earrings becomes surprisingly appealing with a bridal gown. Even a simple manicure can catch your attention with an unexpected color combo.
A few edits back, I explored the appeal of the sensible shoe and how something unremarkable, even a little unflattering can feel refreshing when everything seems to be trying so hard to stand out. This is a little different. Here, I’m interested in what happens when we take something basic and do something creative with it. The object itself doesn’t necessarily change but somehow, the way we see it does.
Image via Daniel Faro
The Psychology Behind It
Context has a lot to do with how we perceive things. We don’t experience objects in isolation. Instead, what surrounds them, what they’re paired with, and what we expect to see influences how we interpret them.
This is supported by a little known psychology construct known as schemas. They’re the mental frameworks we use to make sense of familiar things. When an ordinary object appears in an unexpected context, it can challenge our expectations and invite us to see it differently.
There’s something appealing about seeing familiar objects used in ways we haven’t considered. It can make us stop and rethink the object entirely. And that’s what makes the objects compelling. Creativity doesn’t always require something new, unusual, or expensive. Sometimes it’s a matter of looking at what we already have and seeing another possibility.
The Collection: Making Basic Interesting
For this edit, I wanted to look for basic pieces that become interesting because of what they’re paired with, how they're arranged, or where they're placed. These are things we might otherwise overlook, but catch our attention when presented in an unexpected way.
Image via The Real Real
Image from Kika via Etsy
The Oversized Jacket
There’s nothing particularly ground-breaking about a roomy, casual leather jacket. But throw one over a not-so-casual, pretty dress, and suddenly the contrast becomes the interesting part. I especially like the idea of borrowing one from my husband’s closet. It wears almost like an after thought, and makes for a cool, understated fashion statement.
The Scrunchie
I’m old enough to remember when scrunchies were considered outdated. They’ve been around forever as the go-to for a messy up-do, but now an oversized one is quirky and unexpectedly cute. The idea is to embrace its exaggerated proportions and turn something so ordinary into a playful fashion statement.
Image via @Essie Instagram
Image from Chris Zupp via @Ms._Kays Instagram
The Unexpected, Yet Understated Manicure
Burgandy nails are lovely on their own, and maybe not so groundbreaking. But I recently saw a manicure with blue French-style detailing along the base of the nail rather than the tip. Such a small change, yet the combination made me look twice.
Bridal Hoops
At my daughter’s fashion show, I saw someone wearing a bridal gown with hoop earrings, and I loved it. Hoops are such an everyday classic, and perhaps that’s what made them so interesting with something as formal and romantic as a wedding dress. The combination felt ooh-la-la.
Image via Rebel Walls
Image from Gwen Homemade Gifts via Etsy
Image via @Minik_Handmade Instagram
Wood-Effect Wallpaper
Wood is hardly unusual. It's a mainstay in architecture and furniture, while wood paneling in particular had its heyday in the 1970s before falling out of favor. Although it's been making its way back into interiors, I was drawn to this wood-effect wallpaper from Rebel Walls. There’s something appealing about turning the look of ordinary wood paneling with a vintage feel into a full-on decorative statement.
Plain Brown Boxes
I have some ordinary brown boxes sitting inside an ornate glass cabinet at home. They’re nothing special on their own, but I was surprised by how much I liked seeing them there. The contrast between the plain cardboard and the decorative cabinet somehow makes the boxes interesting. It goes to show that sometimes the setting does a lot of the work.
Lots of Barrettes
A simple barrette is a very ordinary hair accessory. But what happens when you wear a bunch of them at once? Suddenly, those standard clips become part of a much more interesting look. It’s not always about finding a stand-out statement accessory but making a statement with a bunch of familiar accessories.
A Closer Look
What I like about these products is that they aren’t groundbreaking by themselves but still help to create an interesting look. A jacket, hoop earrings, and brown boxes don’t necessarily make you stop and look but pairing, placement, proportion, and repetition can change the impression they make.
And I think that’s what makes this kind of creativity so accessible. Instead of feeling the need to get more things, sometimes we just need to experiment with the things we’re already familiar with.
Try This…
Try an unexpected pairing. Put something very ordinary next to something dressy, ornate, or refined.
Play with repetition. See what happens when you group several simple objects together.
Change the setting. Place something familiar somewhere you wouldn’t normally expect to find it.
Look again at what you already own. Something you’ve overlooked might become interesting in a different context.
