Here I am, in Los Angeles, watching the shows happen in New York with an equal mix of nostalgia (being a magazine editor! running around with your best friends seeing beautiful things all day!) and relief that I’m not there (standing room tickets! feeling left out! feeling unworthy!). It’s nice to view it all from a healthy distance - that said, I am ~GOING TO PARIS~! This season.
For the first time ever as a solo writer/editor/stylist/newsletter girl. I’m nervous (going on your own without the validation of a magazine or a store is very very different than going under their umbrella) but I’m excited to see things and see people on my own terms.
Anyway, I’m watching, and there are a few shows so far that I love. That really speak to the moment, in my opinion, and touch on something that feels super relevant - like the designers have all tuned into a similar wavelength. There’s a sense of ease and practicality about the collections I really love - Brie Welch hit it on the head with “subtle sportyness” - which was part of her informal IG stories review of Tory Burch.
Until relatively recently, “sporty” meant athleisure. There was an elevated moment in athleisure before it trickled down to a synthetic teddy-bear jacket knockoff of Patagonia with a sports bra and leggings waiting in line at Whole Foods or Alfred.
But now, what I think I’m responding to - in the way of sportyness - is an ability to run, dance, commute, live in these clothes. The materials are high-performance, but they’re not spandex. They’re durable, wearable, very interesting, and highly appealing, and they feel vastly different from the Cottage-core, Barbie-core, “Quiet Luxury” microtrends that have dominated .com fashion content clickbait and Instagram feeds for the last….god….forever. And while many of the looks could be called minimalist, they’re not just that. It’s form and function in equal measure. There’s also a whiff of the space age, which makes me feel like for the first time in a very long time fashion is looking forward, rather than continually referencing the past. What I’m responding to are clothes that actually feel like clothes, but better. Sportier.
This season, things like a polo collar, bright orangey red, or athletic sunglasses were taken out of the sports context and made relevant for our every day - but they still give that vibe of ease and ready for anything-ness. Just being game, you know? No pun intended.
Real clothes. Styling ideas that spawn more ideas, separates that work with your lifestyle - not against it. I for one, am very, very down. American sportswear! Long may she reign. Ease, and slouch, and again, that beautiful, luscious red.
I love it. And it made me want to play dress up. I was inspired!
This was fun! On the left, I really liked the shiny-ness of the trousers, along with their crisp seam, with a bright red cardigan, royal blue bag, and white shoes. It felt very color-blocky, very simple, but not at all boring. The outfit on the right felt like a similar take on the same idea - one part technical, one part traditional - and a mix of textures and colors.
1. This is the same bright red Doen sweater I wore last week. I just love the bright bright cherry red. Doen, $298
2. This is a super old Row bag, which I bought purely for the color. It’s like a hyper vivid Yves Klein blue - it’s one of my favorite things I own, even though the shape isn’t really very *me*. The Row, $748
3. I’ve worn these Kallmeyer pants so much - they’re very shiny, and super crisp and severe feeling. The cut of them feels a bit 60s to me in a housewife way that I love. Kallmeyer, $475
4. Who would have thought that a pair of white ballet flats would be so handy? I wear these all the time. I like how bright they are compared with most of what I wear. Yuni Buffa, $395
5. And now! This excellent little shell. It feels very 90s to me - and obviously sporty, as it was inspired by 70s sports gear. I really like how it combines that royal blue and red I love into one tidy package. It’s also styled beautifully on the site. Tory Burch, $328
6. You can’t talk about athletic references today without mentioning High Sport! These pants were made to do literally anything in - the colors are super interesting, they’re comfortable without being sloppy - in fact, they’re the opposite of sloppy. Very sharp. I wear mine at least twice a week and they make every outfit a little more interesting. High Sport, $860
7. A very perfect, very simple bright red cashmere sweater vest. They actually call the color “Neon Berry Red” so I think it’s more of a neon pinky red, but still, it’s excellent. J.Crew, $98
8. This skirt seems to be heavily…inspired…by Prada. It’s crisp and precise, very short, and has a neat little belt at the top. Still, I really like it. I need a good mini skirt and I might go with this one. Mango, $50
9. Aside from Yuni Buffa, I think Mansur Gavriel makes a really excellent ballet flat. I like that they have a higher vamp, and the colors are interesting too. Of course I love this patent red, but the patent kelly green is awfully nice too. Mansur Gavriel, $395
10. I love the sheer thing, and this crinkle top feels just technical enough to fall into this category. I love this piece - super delicate, and kind of pointless, but also probably the type of thing I’d end up wearing all the time. Helmut Lang, $265
11. These are possibly my favorite pants of all time - made from a scuba material, they feel like workout leggings, but look much better than that. Like the High Sports and Kallmeyers (and Maria McManus shorts, we’ll get to those in a sec) these have a sharp seam down the front. I extra love the slits up the front of the shin. Cost/wear, these were essentially free. I wear them constantly. The Row, $550
12. Now! I went on a bit of a Cos shopping spree the other day, and I love this pumpkin/red cashmere sweater. It’s slightly shorter in the front than in the back, and super soft. The color feels very sporty to me without screaming Gym Class! Cos, $290
13. This bag! Very classic, very beautifully made, but without super recognizable hardware, which I like. It’s polished and functional, but doesn’t take over your outfit. Savette, $1,950
14. Oh boy, the bike shorts of dreams!! They’re made from recycled nylon, have a high waist, a front seam down each leg, and are comfortable and flattering as all hell. I forgot how chic bike shorts can be (I’m mainly used to seeing them under beige teddy bear jackets in line at Alfred) but these are so special and so beautiful. They make me feel very sexy. Maria McManus, $280
15. And finally, the best Mary Janes of all time. I love the square-ish toebox, I love that there’s absolutely no heel, I love everything about them. In this context they also feel vaguely sporty, but they can also go very, very dressy. The Row, $759
Ok, so when I put this on I really liked it. Now - it doesn’t totally feel like me. But still, the separate pieces I like, and the colors I love. This, to me, feels like a preppy version of future sport, but isn’t too literal prep or sport or future.
1. I love this knit polo from my Cos spree. It’s a silk blend, so it has a very nice bit of sheen and is a super duper vivid green. It’s heaven. Cos, $120
2. Another thing I love so much - this dress from Goop. I like the structure of it, the shape of it, and how short it is. I also love the color, which is kind of a yellow-ish tan. It’s great as a dress or over pants. I think though for me layering a dress over a long sleeved thing is just fundamentally not me, but hey! Live and learn. I love this dress. Goop, $525
3. The Row mesh sock flats! These kind of remind me of aqua socks, and definitely have a technical/sport feeling to me. The Row, $690
4. Another Cos goodie, a perfect navy cropped jacket in twill. Structured, but minimal, but not boring. It nails the preppy sport vibe without crossing into schoolgirl. Cos, $135
5. I have this skirt in black, and it’s excellent. It’s stretchy, but dense, and has zero unnecessary details. It’s very clean and comfortable, and super graphic. I can’t recommend it highly enough. Everlane, $78
6. The world’s most interesting polo! It’s a very wild cut out situation that is so fucking cool and beautiful, and would be very nice over a pristine mini skirt. Tory Burch, $498
7. By pristine mini skirt, I mean one without any embellishments, pockets, stitching, or details, really. Basically just a block of fabric. This is essentially that, but in a gorgeous brown silk-charmeuse. Peter Do, $520
8. A very clean and precise mid-cone heel shoe in gorgeous icy baby blue. The color is a great addition to khaki and navy. I’d wear these everywhere. Khaite, $880
9. OH MY GOD THIS JACKET. Fuuuuck, it is so good. The shape, the buttons, the color, everything. This is very high on my wishlist. Birrot, $555
10. This is the same skirt as the midi-length Everlane one, just in a mini! Everlane, $58
11. Green and khaki! Heaven. I love this Marni bag because it’s the right color, the right shape, and highly functional. Also picture it with a navy peacoat - very good! Marni, $1,550
12. And finally, a classic, preppy, sporty, everything rolled into one pair of sunglasses. I love the cat eye shape and the gold accents on the points of the cat eyes. It’s rare to find something that’s classic, trendy, and traditional all in one, and this is it. Bottega Veneta, $485
And now! A fancy sporty time! None of this feels especially sport but theres an ease to it, and a walkability that gives me that feeling. It’s hard to see, because everything is black, but the blazer is nice and fitted, and the crepe part of this skirt is very short, so overall, somehow it equals sporty to me.
1. Ok, this is too bad, because my blazer is old Prada, which I found on TheRealReal, so not shoppable, but I tried to include two that do the same thing in this edit.
2. I just got this Little Liffner bag, and I love it so much. The top of it has a very interesting shape, but at the end of the day it’s a super straightforward black suede tote. It’s hard to see in this picture, but you’ve got to go look at it. Little Liffner, $625
3. The skirt! The J.Crew skirt I wore in a post a few weeks ago about the 90s! When it went up, the skirt wasn’t online, but now it is. Hooray! It is so fucking good. Really a dream to wear - so special, but also so simple. J.Crew, $198
4. The Yuni Buffa flats again! Boy I love them so much. Yuni Buffa, $395
5. I love this leather swing coat. In an ideal world I’d be able to wear this as a top with the fringe skirt. The thin-ness of the leather feels very technical to me, and the swingyness is so interesting. Me+Em, $1,050
6. I like the idea of satin pants in bright green instead of the fringe skirt. The slouchyness and ease of them work beautifully with the structure of the blazers/jackets, and with flats will keep the vibe intact. Cult Gaia, $318
7. An old Céline navy jacket with a few buttons at the top and a nipped in waist…it doesn’t get much better than this. It’s been on my wishlist on TRR forever, please buy it so I don’t! Céline, $177
8. I have to admit - the fringe on my JCrew skirt gets a bit in my way - for a similar effect, I’d try this very cute crochet midi skirt in black. Theory, $195
9. This Maria McManus dress also does a similar thing. This with a blazer over it would be HOT BITCH. Maria McManus, $990
10. These are very sweet little canvas loafers. The canvas goes back to the sporty thing, but the shape is so precise and sleek. They’re super gorgeous and feel incredibly special. Toteme, $620
11. And finally, it wouldn’t be one of my little roundups without a shoe from The Row. I am dying for these strappy sandals. I love how graphic they are (they’re actually called Graphic Strap Sandals) and how wearable. I imagine they’d go with anything for any purpose. The ultra long straps make me nuts they’re so beautiful! The Row, $950
And oh boy here we are! That was a lot. That was fun! I feel good.
Your friend,
Laurel
It has an excellent little zippered pouch that can also snap out of the tote and worn on its own as a clutch. A nice little bonus!
I love this entire concept! As someone who likes to dress up but still be comfy, this is all speaking to me.
The JCrew skirt is amazing! Would the proportions work on someone short (5'2)? I'm tempted!