Move over, comfort.

As our craze for comfort wanes, a new design aesthetic has emerged: joyful dressing that embraces an elevated ease and just a touch of restraint.

REMEMBER THE EARLY DAYS OF QUARANTINE, when there was a sense of novelty to our new laissez-faire-comfort reality? But much like all-day access to endless TV streaming and sparkling new WFH set-ups, the freedom to wear nothing but leisurewear lost its lustre; it was the very definition of too much of a good thing. Slipping on a pair of bike shorts and cable-knit socks with a crisp cotton blouse (with no one on Zoom being any the wiser) went from wondrous workaround to uninspired illusion in a matter of months. Even dropping a few hundred dollars on a machine-washable cashmere sweatsuit—something that would’ve been considered an indulgent purchase only a year before—couldn’t ignite the same dopamine-driven joy it once did.

So, why the apathy? Well, comfort, at its core, is only meant to act as a reprieve— an ephemeral sedative released when we need it most. Even as we so desperately sought it while uncertainty swelled around us, this solace-driven dressing was never supposed to be a long-term fix. It simply couldn’t keep up with our growing longing for the before times. Luckily, designers across the fashion spectrum caught on to our leisure fatigue and the spring/summer season saw a decided rebound from our plush and languid mood. But if you were hoping for postwar Roaring Twenties party style—Gatsby-esque sequins, feathers and ballgowns—you’ll have to wait until the fall. Instead, we’ve been presented with a happy medium to help set the pace, with the most present-minded collections dialing in on elegance and simplicity—garments that focus on a feeling rather than any discernible trend.