The Covid-19 pandemic feels like it was decades ago. The at-home lockdowns, enhanced safety guidelines, and the lack of social interaction were unlike anything we have ever experienced and have changed how we perceive things and live life now.
Even the way we consumed fashion during the Covid years was different. Who can forget Zoom meetings where you only needed to look good from the waist up? What about staying at home and not worrying about clothes every day? Essentially, we stopped dressing up.
As a result, the fashion industry also changed the way clothes worked. Leisurewear became more important than proper shirts or properly pressed trousers, with sweatsuits taking precedence. Brands like Zegna and Louis Vuitton adopted a more casual approach to menswear with the former focusing its autumn/winter 2021 collection on transitional tailoring for both home and work. Designs were pared down to the essentials with a strong emphasis on functionality to navigate a new normal.
Little has changed.
Luxury fashion displayed more bold interpretations in the past year as a celebration of a new beginning post-pandemic. The party dresses, sequins, and extravagant flourishes are back in full force. However, comfort has remained a priority across the board, albeit in newer, exaggerated forms, indicative of a more carefree return.
WHAT LIES BENEATH
Miuccia Prada was quoted as saying, “If I were younger, I would go out in panties!” after her autumn/winter 2023 Miu Miu runway show where bejewelled panties were plentiful. Since its spring/summer 2022 collection, miniskirts and cropped tops of the late 1990s and early noughties variety have become synonymous with the brand.
The look quickly became a hit, inspiring a whole new generation to discover the fashion of the era. Because the now-signature Miu Miu look consists essentially of a slashed skirt-suit set, it is easy to recreate with existing wardrobe pieces—all one needs are sharp scissors. Hints of the waistband of panties and a bra add to the aesthetic.
A simple thought inspired Mrs Prada to reinvigorate humble underwear into part of Miu Miu’s luxury fashion lexicon: they are eternal, universal garments, so why shouldn’t they be placed on a pedestal? Miu Miu brands its offerings with the logo in the middle, which has inspired other luxury brands to follow suit. Briefs from Loewe are branded with the Anagram label and designed to match its Anagram tank tops. With brands like Marine Serre, Prada, Courrèges and Off-White creating their renditions of centrally branded tank tops, the latter has become a fashion staple.
Taking it one step further, Miu Miu L’Été uses underwear as outerwear. The crochet bras serve as base layers under jackets, overshirts, and blazers, while slinky slips in delicate neutrals and metallics echo their underwear inspirations but are meant to be worn outside and boldly.
Mrs Prada didn’t invent the concept. The fashion industry has been obsessed with underwear as outerwear for decades. Jean Paul Gaultier’s 1985 conical bras were legendary for their association with Madonna, and Versace’s signature use of corsetry was evident in collection after collection. In the latest interpretations of the trend, however, the lines are even more blurred.
Bottega Veneta’s pre-autumn 2023 collection, for example, incorporates typical underwear silhouettes as part of its ready-to-wear selection. Slip dresses reign supreme as the silhouette of choice. In their simplest iteration, they’re crafted from sheer jacquard and can easily be mistaken for a nightie if not for the added bias-tape trimming and thoughtfully designed flourishes that add extra wearability.
The most extravagant comes as a deftly designed slip dress made entirely out of sequins. Sure, it probably isn’t the most comfortable piece to wear as proper underwear, but the mermaid-like treatment of the sequins clearly defines the piece as an underwear-inspired creation meant to be worn outside—a slip you’d wear over a slip, if you will.
In case you need more proof that wearing lingerie out in public is now a thing, Mugler x H&M’s successful launch should prove it. Mugler’s signature bodysuits and sexually charged designs were translated into more affordable price points while retaining the same energy as their originals. We’re not fans of fast fashion, but it’s a powerful indicator of a trend’s staying power.
ALL PUFFED UP
If underwear as outerwear is linked to our more homely sensibilities, fashion’s current obsession with all things stuffed and puffed as well comes from the same creative wellspring. What’s as comforting as being in nothing but your knickers? How about a pillow?
Photo: Loewe.
This year’s Super Bowl halftime show marked Rihanna’s return to performing after years of being involved in non-musical ventures. In true Rihanna fashion, it wasn’t just a show of some of her greatest hits; it was also an opportunity to flex her fashion muscle.
She was dressed entirely in red throughout the 13-minute performance that included a tribute to her friend, the late André Leon Talley, in the form of a duo of custom coats by Alaïa that mirrored a signature Talley look. Conceptually—because Rihanna leaves nothing to chance—it was also an opportunity to highlight a new stage in her life. With the coats, the performance became a pregnancy announcement to the world. As a result, they became symbols of both comfort and protection.
They’re the idea behind a slew of puffy everything from fashion of late, too. Puffer jackets are a winter staple and interpretations of the silhouette have ranged from the always dependable Moncler icons to Rihanna’s more fashion-forward Alaïa creations. However, it is in the accessories department that puffy treatments have quickly gained traction and can be easily worn all year round.
In Loewe’s spring/summer 2023 menswear collection, puffed up leathers adorned everything from hoodies to bomber jackets, and at its extreme, bombers that ballooned all the way to the feet. Accessories followed a similar aesthetic. In its womenswear collection for the same season, Loewe reimagined its Puffer Goya bag, first introduced in autumn/ winter 2022, in different fabrications and colours.
To add to the tactile experience, the goose feather-filled bags now come in boldly coloured velvet instead of leather. If leather is not decadent enough to the touch or hews too close to your favourite couch, the new velvet iterations are plusher and more luxurious.
But that’s not all. Puffiness can also come in the form of a tubular leather construction, giving the appearance of an item filled with air. Loewe has this in its footwear. For men, a pair of sneakers crafted entirely in leather looks unbelievably puffy, especially with leather laces that appear like air-filled tubes. The knot sandal for women is handcrafted from 22m of incredibly high gloss nappa leather tubes to further give the illusion that it defies physics.
Similarly, at Bottega Veneta, a leather tube construction is the basis of its slip-on sandals. Although Bottega Veneta’s sandals aren’t as shiny, they form a plush woven cage around the feet for a pair that’s extremely breathable yet still protective to some extent. Most importantly, they are comfortable for this time of year.
Our priorities have shifted since going through an unprecedented period in human history. Now, more than ever, comfort and style have become one, which makes sense because there is no need to sacrifice one for the other.
In any case, life is too short for such considerations.
