Boss your ‘back to normal’ wardrobe
WHAT WE WILL want to wear next – as in, when this is all over – is the question designers are grappling with right now. After a year of elasticated waistbands, is there any turning back from trackpants?
The answer, according to Boss at least, is both yes and no. Yes, we will want to return to some sense of occasion and formality in our wardrobes; no, we won’t be willing to forego the comfort dressing we’ve become accustomed to in the past year either. Now that we know we can function in loungewear, why save it just for Sundays?
Exemplifying this have-it-all sensibility is Boss’s new collaboration with Russell Athletic. Taking inspiration from the archives of both brands, the capsule marries Boss’s tailoring expertise with the American label’s sportswear heritage.
At first glance, with its windbreakers, hoodies and jogging bottoms, the collection looks like another worthy addition to our loungewear collections. But look closer and you’ll notice that, although they’re relaxed, the pieces are sufficiently refined as to be mixed into your on-duty wardrobe.
So, sure, you could wear the cuffed grey trackpants with the matching logo sweatshirt – but you could also wear them with a tailored blazer and heels. That preppy cardigan would be a no-brainer slung over PJ bottoms and a tank top at home – but it would look equally great as a sporty addition to a pretty spring dress. Obviously, the shirting would be appropriate for a return to work – but with their loose, ’90s-inspired cuts, they’d also make an easy partner to leggings or (dare to dream) a bikini on the beach.
If you’re feeling befuddled by how to get dressed for the new new-normal, then consider Boss and Russell Athletic’s partnership a stable starting place. And a comforting reminder that lockdown will be done long before trackpants are.