Sweatsuits Are The Anti-Fashion NYFW Trend We Should Have Expected

Fashion Month isn’t exactly known for producing wearable trends. And yet, when New York, the first of the four cities to hold the Spring 2021 shows, began its first all-digital showcase on Sunday, it presented looks that are a lot more attainable than in years past. It makes sense: With most of our lives spent at home now and in the foreseeable future, there is no need for extravagant dresses or out-there trends. And, given that sweatsuits have become the unofficial uniform of the pandemic, it makes even more sense that versions of the style (albeit much more fashionable than typical offerings) made their way into the shows of even the most high-fashion designers. (Masks, another necessity of the pandemic, also appeared frequently.)

Sustainable designer Zero + Maria Cornejo debuted a stunning silky hot pink top with matching pants that looked like it could take its wearer from lounging in bed to jumping on a last-minute Zoom call and taking a walk outside. A collection that served as “a love letter to New York City,” it also showed other appropriate-for-today wear, including a white hoodie-shorts set and a coordinating mask-and-jacket look.

Buzzy brand PH5 — whose new collection spread awareness about climate change and the bushfires that devastated Australia earlier this year, and cast members of the Firesticks Alliance, an Indigenous Australian-led organization, as models — showcased a printed pair of lounge-like pants with a coordinating sweatshirt and bucket hat, as well as knit matching sets. 

Even Rodarte, Kate and Laura Mulleavy’s label more known for its ethereal dresses and layered lace skirts, showed an athletic-inspired sweatsuit, emblazoned with “J’Aime Rodarte” on the sweatshirt and sweatpants a la its Radarte x Depop offerings, and floral pajama sets. Given that NYFW has a few more days left, it’s likely that many more brands will present their version of the style that we’ve come to live in (and love) over the past six months.

See some of the NYFW-approved sets in the slideshow ahead and check back as we add more looks from the forthcoming presentations.