How to Go Normcore Without Looking Like a '90s Dad

This is where it all started.

Normcore doesn't do brights. It's all about making bland look chic, so think black, white, tan, beige, navy, denim, and gray. Stick with that palette, and you can't go wrong.

Relaxed fits in neutral shades accented with metallic shoes — this might be the most chic normcore look ever.

Leandra Medine is no stranger to the normcore trend, and she makes it look so easy.

Australian model and blogger Zanita Whittington dared to pair leather overalls with white sneakers and somehow brilliantly pulled it off.

Embracing normcore is all about dressing comfortably and effortlessly. If it looks like you had to think about your outfit before you left the house, then you did something wrong. Nothing screams (mutters?) nonchalant like loose-fitting, baggy pieces. And they'll go perfectly with your trusty sneakers.

The best way to wear something dramatic in the daytime? Pair your eveningwear with sneakers. Neutral colors + white sneakers + relaxed fit = normcore excellence.

Here, Marianne Theodorsen casually tied a denim jacket around her waist the way we all used to in middle school — remember?

Slovenian-Italian stylist Ada Kokosar made the relaxed look refreshingly chic with neutrals and white sneakers.

Here's where you'll really have to draw on the sartorial influences of Bob Saget circa 1993. But fear not — we'll show you how to style high-waisted and loose denim to avoid the dad comparisons.

Australian fashion blogger Margaret Zhang bravely took the Canadian tuxedo into normcore territory and somehow came out looking as chic as ever.

Nothing says normcore like a nod to the '90s, which Hanneli Mustaparta's entire look was reminiscent of, from her old-school Calvin Klein sweatshirt to her high-waisted jean shorts and her Converse Chuck Taylors.

Danielle Bernstein of We Wore What broke the rules of normcore by pairing her look with dainty, dressy flats, but who cares, because she still looked effortless (and great).

A leather moto jacket added instant edge to blogger Karen Blanchard's denim overalls.

Leandra Medine quirked up her dad jeans with a fanny pack and '60s-inspired pieces.

Another easy way to try the normcore look is to mix your workout gear into your outfits. Just don't go head-to-toe athletic lest you want to look like Sporty Spice.

The shoes may be anything but normcore, but Hanneli Mustaparta's Nike sports tank gave her party look a decidedly normcore spin.

Lucky magazine Editor in Chief Eva Chen's trainers were not only functional, but they also helped accent an otherwise neutral palette.

The sporty trend is a welcome one for New York City girls who do a ton of walking.

Casting director Natalie Joos paired her track jacket and sneakers with a hip-hugging minidress for a casual look that can transition easily into nighttime.

Perhaps the most essential piece of the normcore look is the ubiquitous white sneaker. Yup, just like the ones your parents used to wear when you were a kid. Who would have thought your own parents, in their nerdiest outfits, would someday become your fashion role models?

Fashion blogger Marianne Theodorsen could not look more cozy here in her letterman jacket and white sneakers.

Long, baggy, sheer, and neutral — just memorize that for Fall, and you'll be all set. Oh, and add in white sneakers, of course.

Fashion blogger Leandra Medine accented her casual all-navy look with bright white sneakers.

This lovely lady was business on top and normcore on bottom.

Marianne proved that white sneakers go with just about anything right now.

Who says you can't wear sneakers and dad jeans and still look smokin' hot?