Fashion is our refuge

If the current pandemic has us cocooning like we never have before and holding onto our comfy casuals as the official OOTD, the recently concluded shows in the fashion capitals of the world certainly reflected this.

Sweats, pajamas and relaxed to oversized silhouettes were in abundance, but there was also an optimism, a desire for better times with pretty clothes that weren’t just Zoom-friendly but were actually party-ready for that time when we do step out and see our friends again.

GLAM SWEATS

If you still can’t get out of your sweatpants, at least have them in cheery colors like Rodarte’s or in luxe silk like Tom Ford’s, where they were matched with ribbed sweaters or slinky silk blouses. At Adeam the hoodies turned into tunic-length dresses matched with long, flowing skirts.

DREAMY NETS

Dream of those ocean holidays with nets incorporated in your wardrobe.  It can go feminine at Simone Rocha with a netted puff-sleeve top made of crystals and pearls, or edgy as a unitard with leather pants at 16Arlington.  At Dries Van Noten it was a sporty overlay paired with shorts or a metallic dress, a long skirt matched with vinyl top at Longchamp and a leather knee-length laid over a knit mini dress at Hermès.

WFH SUITS

For those virtual meetings and when you just miss wearing a suit but want it to be more comfortable, there’s Tibi’s puffed-sleeve pantsuit, Loewe’s suit dress with balloon hem or Acne Studio’s linen suit with sheer trousers.  For a little more drama, get into Balmain’s pagoda-shouldered versions.

PPE VIBE

Personal protection is second nature during these times, so designers have incorporated matching masks with their ensembles, like at Christian Siriano, Marine Serre and Rick Owens.  At Kenzo, PPEs came in the form of head-to-toe beekeeper outfits.

LUXE PAJAMAS

Pajamas make comfy loungewear at home but with a tweak in the cutting and the right accessorizing, you can venture out in them.  Rodarte has pretty handkerchief prints with a matching scarf, and Sno Xue Gao has florals on a navy base looking almost like a pantsuit. Social Work made it a onesie with short sleeves.

BRAS OUT

Since bras were not used much staying home, they now have a special place when going out.  They came in knits at Jason Wu and Sandy Liang in New York and were worn with suits at Etro and Versace in Milan. They were also worn over dresses at Simone Rocha and Drome.

COOL CUTS

For more comfort, as well as interesting detail, cutouts are a big trend on the runways.  Hermès, Gabriela Hearst and Kenzo chose to cut out the sides of the torso, while VB showed cleavage and abs. Raisavanessa had peekaboo cutouts running down one sleeve of a unitard dress, while Simon Miller’s ran down the side of tights.

SHEER LAYERS

Another trend for cooling off are the sheer fabrics used in layered ensembles, coming in off-the-shoulder dresses layered over tights at Emilio Pucci, and sleeveless dresses over maxi skirts at Act no. 1.  At Fendi and Sportmax the sheer dresses were layered over a chemise.