LAST MONTH, I found that I was behind the times. I was heading for a socially distant lunch in New York when a glimpse of my reflection in a shop window cringed me: My leggings were paired with “ugly” sneakers that were no longer trendy. A puffer jacket, worn to keep me comfortable while dining in a curb shack, anchored me firmly in 2017, the year I bought chunky trousers at H&M.
After a year when serious matters took precedence, it never hurts to be happily stuck in a bygone era. But as we emerge from our Zoom cocoons, the time has come to reassess our fashion choices and upgrade our wardrobes for the post-pandemic era – with reasons, of course. “The seven-inch stilettos just don’t fit what we’re experiencing today,” says New York fashion brand consultant Dani Stahl. And don’t let beautiful celebrities be your only style guide – they can make almost anything look fabulous. “What looks old-fashioned in one person is cool to another,” he said. “If [model] Bella Hadid is wearing tight jeans, it’s hip, but anywhere else it can look weird. “That means they’ll be” inactive “on me, I think, and so on.
What makes clothes obsolete? Recognizable fashions – such as t-shirts with message prints or no-show socks from the early Aughts era – are clothing poison, and backs like chinos and shapeless cardigans are relics that should be underestimated. Pieces of clothing, too, could be read “old fashioned”. “You don’t want to look like you’re wearing a jacket from 30 years ago, so the latest suits come into play,” said creative director Paul Stuart Ralph Auriemma. She suggests workout clothes that are tailored for a sleek and modern look.
As we plan for the re-entry of clothing, comfort remains a factor, says Tracy Margolies, chief merchant of Saks Fifth Avenue, “but people want style.” That’s why rigid skinny jeans, for example, the bow to straight-leg option and the airy denim jogging pants. Below, 10 styles of men and women who will subtly date you – and advice on how to revive your wardrobe.
Correct Rustic Dresses
Why They Come Out: In my college days I called the dress of Laura Ashley’s old commercially British brand “Heidis,” named for the classic children’s book by Johanna Spyri about an orphan who grew up in the Swiss Alps. Today’s frilly, floral dress – described by many as a “cottagecore” – does not match Laura Ashley’s 1980s Liberty print skirt and conjures up frivolity that goes against our selves in 2021. “Cottagecore sounds like muumuu home… very old-fashioned , “Said Ms. Stahl, fashion brand consultant.
