Oct 9, 20202 min read

The Avant-Garde Aesthetic

The avant-garde style is viewed as one of the more adventurous style types. Women who love the avant-garde style don't just see their outfits as clothing, but as art. To them, their bodies are canvases, and the things they wear are creative, unique and perhaps unusual. When translated from French, avant-garde literally means “ahead of the guard.” However, to be considered avant-garde means to exist outside of the established norms and confines of a discipline. Avant-garde is also not to be confused with haute couture, which while they tend to take inspiration from avant-garde, is basically high-end tailoring and elaborate pieces produced by big fashion houses. These pieces are usually very expensive and wear designed for the runway, not necessarily for everyday wear.

Avant-garde pieces have a variety of looks, from bright colors to metallics to pieces with heavy textures or patterns. When styling avant-garde pieces, they are usually heavily layered, perhaps with asymmetrical hemlines or following a monochrome color palette. Women who wear this style also take inspiration from masculine cuts and menswear, for instance, with pantsuits and oversized coats.

Wearing avant-garde clothing does require confidence and boldness, since it does go against what people may call "normal clothes." But you can make avant-garde outfits personalized to your liking, mixing and matching a variety of fabrics, textures and accessories. Experimentation is one of the essential values of the avant-garde movement and it is the only way to create innovative designs and achieve bold, inventive style combinations. When trying on new clothes, remember that avant-garde fashion looks are not so much about flaunting the body through the clothes, but rather adorning it new ways. Here are a few examples of black women rocking the avant-garde style to take inspiration from.

Examples of Black Women Wearing Avant-Garde Outfits