WHAT IS BASIC ANYWAY?
by Kristin Merrilees
I’ll admit: When it comes to my fashion, I’ve never thought I deserved the title of “cool” or “unique.” I love leggings and hoodies. I’ve been obsessed with almost every trendy white shoe at one time or another, from Converse to Adidas Superstars to Air Force 1s. I’ll wear my tan Bailey Bow UGGs out-and-about with no shame. I wear skinny jeans more than mom jeans, yes, even in 2021. If this were 2014, I might even describe my style as “basic.” And it was basic then too — I loved North Face jackets and Bath and Body Works pocket hand sanitizers, and I couldn’t resist a good infinity scarf.
It’s generally not considered a good thing to be “basic.” The top definition of basic on Urban Dictionary is “only interested in things mainstream, popular, and trending.” The concept of basicness extends beyond fashion, with a “basic bitch” described as someone “unflinchingly upholding of the status quo and stereotypes of their gender without even realizing it.”
When the term “basic” was at its peak in approximately the mid-2010s, it was associated with UGG boots, black leggings, Victoria’s Secret and PINK, Bath and Body Works, Starbucks (especially frappucinos and the infamous pumpkin spice latte, PSL for short). Since then, trends that have become popular amongst women, specifically teen girls, have been incorporated into the definition: Mario Badescu skincare products, succulents, Adidas Superstars, Snapchat filters, checkered Vans, Hydro Flasks. The emergence of the trend-following “VSCO girl” was perhaps just a new rendition of the “basic girl,” with her scrunchies, messy buns, Birkenstocks, and saturated Instagram photos.
Interestingly, when I look up “basic girl” on Google Images, much of what is shown does not seem to be particularly exclusive to trend-following teen girls or even women at all. Collages (“starter packs”) of items considered “basic” include Spotify, Netflix, Snapchat, and Instagram. Apparently “basic girls” use social media, and uh, streaming platforms? Because apparently that’s not something that, um, the general human population does? Fiji Water, Chapstick, and Airpods appear as well, which don’t seem to be “basic” as much as just common consumer items.
It’s at this point that I really start to question the “basic”/“basic bitch” concept. Much of what’s considered “basic” is really just popular items at the time, and many are used not just by girls and women. And even if every girl in school owns black leggings and likes pumpkin spice, does it really mean they are, as the label “basic” would imply, vapid and incapable of making their own decisions, whether about fashion or otherwise? It seems here that the label “basic” is characterizing women as materialistic consumers following the crowd at every turn. The “basic bitch” has been featured and mocked in popular culture ad nauseum, often overlapping with the “valley girl” or “dumb blonde” archetype — see Cher Horowitz in Clueless, Karen Smith in Mean Girls, even Elle Woods in Legally Blonde.
If there’s a male counterpart to the “basic bitch,” it seems to be the “basic bro.” But while the “basic bitch label” seems like pretty low-hanging fruit, the idea of the “basic bro” is almost a reaction to it, punching up at the men who criticize women for following trends when they themselves aren’t exactly the most unique human beings. Yes, the basic bro tends to like Barstool and Vineyard Vines, but at its core, the label is referencing a masculinity that anchors itself to drinking at frat parties and complaining about women. As Kat George wrote in Bustle in 2015, “Basic Bros are pretty sexist without even realizing they are, which makes it even worse. They're righteous about their often politically incorrect opinions, loud, obnoxious, and generally dudes you don't want anywhere in your near vicinity when they're out drinking for ‘boys night.’”
While the word “basic” as a way to describe someone’s fashion is not used nearly as much now as it was several years ago, the sentiment behind it has remained, albeit being expressed in different forms. Women, especially teen girls, continue to frequently be criticized for what they like to wear, but also what they like to watch, read, listen to, and do.
And sure, some of the appeal of basic items may be due to a pressure to fit in, to have the cool thing every other girl has. And there are genuine critiques that can be made here: about capitalism and hyperconsumption, for example. But the word “basic” can not escape the underlying implications it has built up about women and girls.
Ultimately, to describe someone as “basic” or a “basic bitch” just simply misses the point most of the time. It implies that someone cannot be funny, interesting, smart, or unique if they engage with popular fashion trends. It’s a critique that largely ignores larger social and economic factors, and continues the antagonization of teen girls for simply being teen girls. Luckily, many have begun to realize this, and sometimes women will even wear the label proudly — there’s a good amount of clothes and other items you can buy with “basic bitch” emblazoned on them.
So, if someone wants to wear completely unique, one-of-a-kind items, that’s great, and we can commend them for their style and creativity. But if someone feels the most comfortable wearing leggings and UGG boots everyday? That’s great too.