3.1 Phillip Lim Sets Up A New Paradigm For The Party-Girl Uniform

Our first reaction when we saw 3.1 Phillip Lim’s pre-fall '13 collection was: Wow — Lim's been working hard. The collection is both beautifully realized and freakin' HUGE for pre-fall — traditionally the appetite-whetting hors d'oeuvre to fall's main course. Far from an afterthought, Lim makes a major statement with this transitional collection — one that perfectly captures the way women dress now.

Although his stated inspiration is Danny Lyons' iconic photographs of '60s biker gangs, there's a heavy dose of Lim's signature ease and elegance to go with all that edge. Leather, over-the-knee boots are paired with slouchy sweatshirts (emblazoned with a phoenix, the bad girl's fowl of choice), and race-track-ready moto jackets are paired with loose-cut, leopard-print silk. It's a brilliant mix, and it definitely ain't your daddy's biker gear.

Lim's vision of party dressing is especially modern and on-point: thick, layered knits worn with pajama-esque, silk pants; leather leggings with varsity jackets; and sweatshirts galore! This isn't everyone's idea of night-out wear, but it is a masterful take on that modern, effortless look (that we secretly spend hours creating). Just like how Alexander Wang's first collections made mesh and jersey chic, Lim's collection seems poised to take that to the next level with its clever mix of sporty fabrics and luxe silhouettes.

Click on to see the whole, beautiful collection right here. And tell us — do you want to join Phillip Lim's gang? Or, are your sweats strictly for SoulCycle, thank you very much?