Casual fashion is finally getting a glow-up, and I am decidedly on board with it.
I still remember the day in 2021, still deep in COVID restrictions, working from home and juggling the tiny and dramatic lives of my three and four year old, when my college friend texted me to explain the vast difference between wearing “hard pants” and “soft pants”. Hard pants are the more restrictive pants like jeans and trousers, which also tend to be the more presentable, while soft pants are stretchy and, most importantly, very forgiving to the extra weight that had crept in during lockdown. Her description still makes me smile, partly because it so accurately defines the fashion era of the time, unintentionally ushered in by strict social distancing guidelines and endless hours sitting in zoom meetings, staring at the floating heads of co-workers you missed seeing in real life. It was a time where we perfected the business-on-top, party-on-bottom styling of the virtual world. It was also incredibly easy to impress others when you only interact virtually. All I had to do was spend an extra three seconds to throw a blazer over a white t-shirt and stretchy leggings, and suddenly, I seemed more put together than 80% of those on the call.
I also vividly recall the surprise my team and I felt when a client, who never turned their camera on during meetings, accidentally left it on as he jumped from his internal team call to a call with us. Chat messages were flying back and forth between my team and me as we stared at his face for the first time. This cranky New Yorker who seemed bent on making our lives hell had suddenly been unmasked, and, to our great surprise, looked surprisingly banal. That is, until his partner came up behind him and licked his face from jaw to temple in the middle of the presentation. I’ll never forget the ensuing silence as even the moderator lost his train of thought and had to start over. I’ll also never forget the look on the client’s face when he realized his camera was on.
Ah, COVID. In one way or another, you unmasked us all.
For most of us, those unusual years exposed us in less memorable but perhaps more lasting ways. I discovered I was defining success in a way which made me (and my family) absolutely miserable. I discovered a love of gardening and dressing well for myself, not just to be seen. This does not mean I get dressed for myself every day, but it does mean I will get dressed without anything on the calendar, simply because it adds light to my life. As night’s out on the town evaporated in 2020, my best pieces were gathering dust in my closet, longing for the day when we would all be freed and could start our real lives again. I tired of waiting for a reason to wear them. Life was happening and time was passing, even if it looked vastly different from our past reality.
Fashion has always been a bellwether for broader cultural movements, easily evidenced in the steep rise of expensive athleisure wear from 2020-2025.
Even now, six years later, I sometimes panic when I realize I haven’t brought a mask with me to a public space. And though the six-foot required distance has disappeared, it feels as if the cobwebs of COVID are still clinging to us, and we are in need of one good, strong wind to finally clear them all away.
This wind may be coming, and it is coming in the form of fashion. Fashion has always been a bellwether for broader cultural movements, easily evidenced in the steep rise of expensive athleisure wear from 2020-2025. Brands such as Alo, Vuori, and Varley exploded in popularity with their elevated comfort clothing, even with price points sitting far above $100. At the time, they accurately reflected the consumer’s needs: comfortable, not sloppy.
However, as the younger generations begin to make up more of the consumer spending, they are seeking better- defined personal style. While I wanted an outfit I could wear at the gym, to school pick-up, and at work, younger consumers want to draw stronger boundaries around acceptable dress. For example, leggings are great… at the gym. Tennis shoes are perfect for the commute, but don’t translate to the office. Lazy dressing (or what my millennial brain prefers to think of as multi-purpose dressing) is no longer the name of the game.
COVID changed how we dressed, and it changed what we expected from our wardrobes and from ourselves.
This is not to say elevated leisure wear is going the way of the Dodo, but instead that consumers want to keep it where it belongs: at home on weekends, perhaps to the spa or on a girls weekend. Comfort matters but is not the end-all-be-all it once was. This can be seen in the F/W 2026-27 runway shows where designers showed us updated classics and tailored basics. Wearability was a key factor. The models on the Celine catwalk could have been plucked right off the runway and dropped in a bougie brunch spot without looking out of place. The outfits were exceptionally well-made, but made to be worn, not kept inside a closet waiting for a special occasion and decidedly more refined than yoga pants and a sweatshirt.
Retailers have also taken notice. Lululemon’s spring drop includes plenty of athletic shorts, but also features a surprisingly chic, strapless black dress reminiscent of the 90’s minimalism, and a preppy, pink cardigan. Models are not just showing off matching workout sets; they are also seen in trousers and loafers. It is clear what they are attempting to sell: we are not meant for just the gym. The same can be said for Alo Yoga’s new releases which feature plenty of yoga clothing paired with expensive leather bags, office-appropriate trousers, and an impressive looking dual-tone henley. They are still selling leisure wear, while consciously expanding into adjacent fields and recognizing the consumer wants presentable options, not just a cute yoga set.
This trend can best be seen by tracking recent designer/brand collaborations, like the one between Gap and Victoria Beckham. VB is known for her exceptional tailoring and sleek silhouettes, while Gap has been the go-to for casual basics since the 90’s. The collaboration featured denim jackets, chic cargo pants, trenches, and casual day-dresses all in classic, understated colors such as denim, cream, and khaki. Not a legging or spandex item in site, and it is nearly completely sold out in just four days. The same appears to be true of the Stella McCartney x H&M edit launching on May 7th. The press release highlights McCartney’s love for sharp classics, and promises “sparkling party wear” and “a long, white gown”. No mention of athletic or leisure wear anywhere.
Even athletic staples such as Adidas and Nike have announced high-brow collaborations with designers like Jacquemus to create shoes and gear obviously not made to wear on the track or the pitch.
COVID changed how we dressed, and it changed what we expected from our wardrobes and from ourselves. However, when asking one outfit to do everything and be acceptable everywhere, it lost its distinct purpose. For years, getting dressed up felt excessive, but this hesitation to show effort is fading along with our memories of lockdowns and work-from-home. Dressing well is being brought back into personal style, and I for one am delighted to see its resurgence. It’s not that I want to move away from comfort, but I want us to remember how to live again and how dressing well helps us do just that.
Until next time,
Elise Martindale
