We live in a world of excess. There are so many things: material things, social media things, existential things. This of course also applies to fashion; each scroll reveals a new microtrend or announces the death of an influencer. Figuring out how you want to dress can be very challenging. Shopping takes on the nature of checking off a list rather than investing in pieces that make us feel good. The internet would tell us we were either Carolyn Bessette or Kim Kardashian, early ’90s grunge or early-era sex appeal, leaving the idea of personal style in a dark place mostly populated by the classics. algorithm. In other words, making sense of fashion and actually finding ourselves in it has become a confusing situation.
I found a very vibrant side to contemporary, subversive sportswear in New York
So leave it to Ms. Prada to provide some sorely needed clarification. “Let’s talk about clothes,” she said backstage before Prada’s Spring 2024 show, which she designed with Raf Simons and explored the essence of craft through the execution of ideas. The collections as a whole were filled with the kind of highly wearable pieces you could imagine mixing and mashing in your own wardrobe; such as perfectly fitting jeans or trousers paired with shirts, or dresses with slightly adjusted tailoring and details such as a rectangular collar or shirt. Extra sleeve set. There was a renewed focus on the purity of clothing, and with it came much-needed optimism in these increasingly complex and confusing times.
Clothes are something I’ve been thinking about for a while, especially after re-entering the fashion world at the start of Fashion Month in September. Between the pandemic, having a baby, and my previous corporate work-from-home job, I had stopped dressing the way I used to. Clothes weren’t that exciting to me, and I often felt overwhelmed by the microtrends and ping-pong ideas floating around Instagram, TikTok, and Substack. It wasn’t until I rejoined the world of in-person work that I realized how much joy could be found in the simple act of getting dressed.
While feeling indecisive in my work life, navigating the path of new motherhood left me paralyzed in front of my closet; This wasn’t because I was uncomfortable with my post-cesarean body, but because I had no idea what my style was. It had been years since I had even been in an office, let alone a fashion magazine, where having good taste was a prerequisite, at least subconsciously. I’ve also always hated the idea that women should dress differently after becoming a mother (more pragmatic often means “mom style”), and I knew I wanted to be in the continuity of how I’ve always approached fashion for myself. typically featured a mix of femininity and masculinity, occasionally making a statement but never overdoing it.
These days, I’m reminded once again of that elusive sense of balance in fashion that we find joy wherever we can, even if it’s a hoodie worn over a floral ball skirt.
My head was spinning. Can I wear a vintage dress with cargo and lug-soled boots? Was a tailored tunic too “quiet luxury” for me? Would I have to wear my favorite high-waisted jeans and Converse Chucks forever? I had to start a new job or something, so I went at it wearing everything I had – sometimes successfully, sometimes unsuccessfully. Then the spring collections hit the runways and my love for clothes was truly reignited.
In New York, Tory Burch implored me to consider how freeing it could be to flaunt a deconstructed crinoline miniskirt. She showed them alongside tie-dye jersey jackets that can be worn with anything and clutches shaped to fit snugly on the hip. I was impressed by the trousers worn over jeans at Proenza Schouler. So is the loose sweater tucked into a technical organza skirt embellished with sequins; this opened my eyes to the possibility of wearing sheer (i.e. try a long striped top that covers your lower half) and evening wear in broad daylight. Michael Kors has done the same with a wanderlust-inspired collection filled with perfect shirts and skirts that feel both nostalgic and modern, my favorite formula.
Also in New York, I found a very vibrant aspect in the contemporary, subversive sportswear on display at Eckhaus Latta and Rachel Comey; suits and separates made for women who enter their closets with unlimited confidence and immediately throw them away. attitude without the input of TikTok’s talking heads.
Hillary Taymour from Collina Strada, I was saddened by dressing with more colors, more patterns, more ruffles. The forced smiles on the models served as a commentary on the way we are currently trudging through the swamp of the world, trying—even struggling—to find happiness in our daily lives while the world is literally on fire. In Taymour’s universe, personal style is “an attitude or an aura.” “It’s time when the energy and clothes are perfectly synchronized,” she says. “Sometimes this can be a signature style trick, like someone always wearing a skirt over trousers or someone always buttoning their shirt a certain way.”
These days, I’m reminded once again of that elusive sense of balance in fashion wherever we can find joy, even if it’s in a hoodie worn over a floral ball skirt.
Joy was also jumping into Luar, run by Brooklyn luminary Raul Lopez, who closed out New York Fashion Week with a collection of deconstructed suits and killer jeans. “I think everyone should approach dressing the same way they approach trying a new restaurant,” Lopez says. “You prefer the comfortable and familiar, but you also want to try something new.” And if he says I can wear shorts this season, then, dammit, I’ll try.
Then there was the curiosity and whimsy of Francesco Risso in Marni. Risso’s opening and closing runway looks in Paris were super simple and warm, starting with a low-slung maxi skirt and turtleneck tank and ending with a huge, blooming dress covered in handmade floral cutouts, somehow appealing to both of my seemingly opposing desires to dress. managed to touch it.
Jonathan Anderson also achieved this balance at Loewe; took wardrobe staples like flat-fronted trousers, flats and ready-to-wear cardigans and replaced them with ultra-high-waist silhouettes, sparkles and radical cocoon shapes. I want to wear my pants higher now and maybe try attaching a giant pin to the front of my dress. I want to combine a fringed skirt with a practical jacket or blazer, mix fabrics and add flounces.
This wasn’t just about the movement of the actual clothes; It was about how we moved through the world while wearing these clothes.
Movement was a theme throughout the collections, from Ms. Prada’s windy, sandy, preppy surf boys at Miu Miu to Maximilian Davis’ striking, painterly drop prints and draped cotton dresses at Ferragamo. And it wasn’t just about the movement of the actual clothes; it was about how we moved through the world while wearing these clothes and, more importantly, how we felt while wearing them. This is where I found my unbridled self-confidence and “come as you are” attitude.
This humanity also shone brightly in the upcycled trench coats at Balenciaga and the twisted, knotted details in Matthieu Blazy’s Bottega Veneta collection. Secondly, it has lifted me far away from the depths of the void where I can express myself, and to a place where it is actually perfectly acceptable to walk around in a knit onesie while carrying all your crap in a ridiculously large (and memorable) bag. ) but also beautifully handcrafted.
As Blazy said backstage, the collection was about “blending worlds” and showing that “there’s new possibility everywhere.” This freedom of expression, this desire to experiment, was what I was missing.
I remembered how fun it can be to dress for myself
In early October, I was leaving my apartment in a pair of jeans, that black tunic that I wasn’t sure I would wear well, and a pair of curved-heeled, square-toed boots that I literally had to dust off before slipping on. open them. The doorman looked at me, smiled and said: “You look really great these days.” I thanked him and joked, “I have a job and need to wear something other than sweatpants during the week.” We both laughed. I walked to the subway and remembered how enjoyable it could be to dress for myself.
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