The Statement Piece Edit

and why minimalism is not dead—and for some, it will never be.

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Recently, the outfits that have brought me the most joy have included some sort of statement piece that is bold in color, print, texture, or volume—precisely the ones I avoid during days/months that look like this⬇️:

outfits with an economy of elements.

Having a minimalist phase is great: an economy of elements allows us to work on proportions, which are easier to master without the distraction of excess of adornment. In graphic design school, we were taught to work in grayscale first because if a composition worked in its simplest form, it would work in color too. I find that method pretty useful with clothing: once I nailed the proportions that work best for me, I started feeling more confident to add to the clean foundation. Like the final highlight on a painting—that subtle shine that brings everything to life— wearing a statement piece becomes the ultimate, most indulging icing on the cake.

Wearing a statement flower in 2008.

Don’t get me wrong—I’m not going full-blown maximalist; in fact, I still have those days when I want to cocoon into near invisibility, let the clothes speak with eloquent silence, and savor the richness of a plain, unadorned cake without messy icing or stale sprinkles. But while it’s nice not to overthink an outfit at 6:30 AM while getting the kids out the door, I’ve been missing the fun of flexing my styling muscles with those point-of-view pieces that take a little more time and effort to put together but make all the difference in my mood once I leave the house.

wearing a statement coat that belonged to my grandma, for school pick-up. The very Prada brocade (as worn here by Giovanna Battaglia Engelbert) came from a woman who traveled the world, sourcing the most exquisite fabrics. My mom used to dread the hours spent in that store while my grandma ran her hands over every piece of cloth. Of course, she had the coat custom-made by her seamstress, and thankfully, it was one of the few things she managed to conserve after emigrating to the U.S.

These are also the pieces that tend to earn me my daughters’ most adorable, uplifting comments:

‘Please don’t wear that ever again.’

“It’s just drop-off, mami.’

‘Have you heard of Lululemon?’

This reintroduction of more POV, statement pieces is obviously part of a broader shift—one that has been palpable not only in recent shows but also in what I’ve been seeing here on Substack, particularly in great reads like “Breaking Up with Elevated Basics” and “The Hero Item.” It’s not a trend; in fact, it’s quite the opposite: a preponderance of the personal touch via statement pieces to further personalize a perfectly fine, minimalist outfit.

I love the word ‘preponderance.’ I love discovering that a word I used to say all the time in Spanish also exists in English. Another way to cross borders. Although when I run this text for spell-check, ChatGPT suggested replacing it for something more… conventional.

Could the shift towards statement pieces be the result of “quiet luxury” exhaustion? Maybe—but I only see this exhaustion affecting those who adopted quiet luxury as a trend, not those for whom quiet luxury has always been a lifestyle: you know, the mysterious woman who doesn’t post on stories and buys/desires The Row not just for its aesthetic quality, but because it represents the restraint she embodies in all aspects of her life.

Minimalism (not quiet luxury) is something I’ve always leaned into. Not because I am mysterious, but because it’s how my mom dressed when I was growing up in Colombia. Just like my daughters who want me to conform to what they see in suburbia Tallahassee, I spent my childhood wishing my mom would step up her game—trade the white oxford shirts for a bold print, replace the leather loafers with platforms, grow her pixie cut, stop reserving the skirts for holidays, and maybe, just once, put on some makeup like my friend’s moms.

My mom, 1996. Barranquilla.

By the time I reached adolescence, I realized my mom was the coolest of all—so unapologetically herself, different from all the Sofia Vergara-looking women of Barranquilla—her understated style a quiet, unintentional rebellion. She's the reason minimalism was never just a trend for me but a connection to my past, an aspiration to be like her (unsuccessfully), even though I never fully abandoned my craving for the Sofia look, the high drama of the novelas my mom despised, which I would watch while she was at work, or the lush opulence that seeped into me from growing up in the Caribbean.

Gabriela Spanic, La Usurpadora. 1998.

But back to 2024. Do you think the shift towards statement pieces could be attributed to the fact that they tend to stand out on our phone screens? Probably—and since we’re dressing not just for real life but also for the images we share, how clothes register has become part of our style equation. It’s neither good nor bad—just a byproduct of living both IRL and in the space-no-space that is the internet.

Now, aside from requiring more consideration in styling than a reliable pair of jeans and a crisp white shirt, statement pieces present other set of challenges:

• Challenge no. 1: Ratio: This issue isn’t with hero pieces per se but with the tendency to accumulate too many of them while lacking enough good basics to pair them with.

• Challenge no. 2: $$$: Since hero pieces are often emotional purchases, they can lead to overspending—a challenge if you are trying to stick to a no-buy or be more conscientious about your consumption.

Speaking of emotional purchases, my no-buy is going great, though I’m wondering if buying underwear and art counts as cheating??? Plus, I’m still receiving packages from things I ordered last month, so the dopamine hits are still rolling in. That’s to say, I don’t think I’ve hit the difficult phase yet—the one where I expect to feel enlightened by an absence of desire or gain some deep insight about myself. Like Miranda July’s character in All Fours, will I ever???

To my credit, I did come across some tempting statement pieces while scrolling through Etsy on Sunday, to which I said a categorical yet painful NO. Maybe, they are the statement pieces you want in order to reintroduce some color/pattern/oomph (is there a better word than oomph?) to your already fabulous, perfectly curated minimal wardrobe. So let me share:

1. this Suzani print long coat (on Etsy:)

Sumptuous. And made me think me of this ⬇️ Dries robe I have been obsessed with since 2015 (if you find it or want to sell yours, I would consider breaking my no-buy for it, although the Suzani one is better):

2. this wool embroidered dress (also on Etsy:)

I came across this image around 2015, I believe it’s Clara Racz but please correct me if I’m wrong.

The Peruvian dress looks like one of my favorite dresses, the one my dad got me at la feria in Barranquilla and had to get washed every other day as I would wear it on repeat: ⬇️

I wonder how much my brother’s ninja turtle single stitch t-shirt would cost on Depop today.

3. then I went to TRR:

1. Found this great polo by Rosie Assoulin 2. Very old Céline, very fun Keds sneakers (not on TRR) 3. Ines Bressand summer bag that I would wear in the winter (at la Garconne) 4. Choker by Paula Mendoza 5. TFS sequin shorts here in size M to recreate this Dries look also living rent free in my mind 6. Tie-dye sequin shorts (fun but my daughters would have things to say.)

1. Kika Vargas skirt 2. Christopher Kane dress 3. Dries Van Noten brocade skirt 4.Dries with the fun sheer  5.Dries’ sequin skirt (a dream)  6. Maje shorts reminiscent of all the latest Marni florals 7. Dries’ skirt with that balloon hem 8. Super fun skinny leg pants by Kika Vargas 9. Another dream skirt by Christopher Kane.

In order to appease the tempting impulses sparked by such wonderful finds, I dedicated this whole week to outfits featuring some of the statement pieces I already own. Here’s how it turned out:

Monday:

Starting strong—drop-off and writing: Gap XL big men’s shirt, Dries Van Noten sweatpants, avarcas Menorquinas.

While the Dries’ sweatpants steal all the attention, the cocoon created by the oversized shirt doesn’t get lost on me.

Tuesday:

Drop-off, parent reader, writing: Raf’s Calvin Klein era polo shirt (the statement), Everlane bermudas, bejeweled crocs (another statement?) Consuela mesh bag.

Thinking I should have worn the cobalt blue Uuuntl hat to tame the frizz but maybe untamed hair is the best statement accessory.

I held my tears reading this book for my daughter’s class— it’s about language barriers between a kid and their Spanish-speaking grandma. I can’t recommend it enough.

Wednesday:

My jellies are not The Row but my blurry photos are: Tibi shirt via TRR, COS skirt, jelly flats, Consuela bag, Uuuntl hat.

Since I don’t wear plaid often, this felt like a bold statement for me.

Drop-off, dentist etc.

Thursday:

Planning to wear this for drop-off, medical appointment (it’s cold in there), lunch with a friend: Papel de Punto wrap (the statement,) thrifted nylon pants, jelly flats.

Do The Row jellies also make you look like you are on your tipytoes, or is that only the Amazon ones?

The weekend:

don’t know where I’m going this weekend after the concert I was planning to attend got postponed, but here’s an idea if you have plans—or if you simply want to make being alive the occasion: Nike hat in a cobalt blue that is complementary to the lime green satin skirt I layered under the leopard cotton skirt from Talbots, old COS sweater, Naturalizer flats.

Or better yet: statement orchid patterned Pepa Pombo dress, Simone Rocha socks, Old Céline shoes.

I wouldn’t let you go without a courtesy palate cleanser.

More next Friday,

~ laura