Easy, but elevated: Fashion takes a step in a grown-up direction

Fashion is growing up this spring in a season that’s defined by relaxed takes on fine tailoring. The comfort-first aesthetic cemented during the pandemic has been sublimated by more refined garments, but this isn’t the buttoned-up and sharply cut suiting of yore. There’s a sense of freedom in this new normal. The keyword is “ease.”

Generous proportions created with oversized lapels and bold shoulders are a recurring theme. Suiting is in an expansive mood, deconstructed and draped. Think of the emphatically sized shoulders at Proenza Schouler, Alexander McQueen and Wardrobe.NYC. The soft green tones of Lanvin’s slouchy men’s suiting and JW Anderson’s generously pleated wide-legged trousers recall the sensual, loosely structured silhouette of Giorgio Armani in his American Gigolo era. At Loewe and the buzzy Beirut brand Renaissance Renaisance, jackets are sculpted similar to Cristobal Balenciaga’s 1960s creations. Crisp, oversized shirt dresses and dressing gowns (see Prada) stand away from the body.

These looks are a stark contrast to the more-is-more exuberance of 2022 when, freshly emerged from pandemic restrictions, fashion erupted in a festive mood, festooned in puffs, tulle and sequins, including on the men’s-wear catwalks.

“We’d come out of COVID, people had been hibernating in their homes and offices for the past two years and needed a sense of release so went to vibrant and very colourful pieces,” Richard Simons, vice-president of buying at Simons, says. “It’s all been about celebration and updating the wardrobe to go back to work. But now the keywords are tailoring and refinement. It’s more sophisticated, low-key.”

Fashion’s shift in direction was perhaps no more clearly articulated than at the Boss spring runway show in Miami in March. Actor Pamela Anderson opened the presentation, her hair casually pulled back, wearing the new statement suit with its light, flyaway layers. “It’s power-suiting, but it’s comfortable,” Simons says of the softer approach to structured pieces.

The shift to polished yet unrestrictive clothing reflects a new sense of purpose. “What we are seeing is a return, in many ways, to clothing, not costume,” says Nicholas Mellamphy, founder of by-appointment luxury women’s-wear boutique Cabine in Toronto. “We are living in serious times where people’s rights and freedoms are being threatened all over the world – you need adult pants on to deal with that.”

His clients, “as much as they enjoy the fun and extravagance that fashion can bring into our lives,” now firmly gravitate toward quality of fit and longevity through high-end fabrics, reserving those more novelty looks for special occasions.

As the columnists and influencers who dissected Gwyneth Paltrow’s courtroom wardrobe during her recent ski crash trial in Utah noted about her slouchy cashmere suits and louche topcoats, sartorial discretion is the word. Channel the stealth wealth spirit in the Row’s soft-shouldered, double-breasted jacket in double-faced cashmere or, from Parisian brand Lemaire, an officer collar shirt with matching trousers in unexpected silk crepe. A relaxed garment in an elevated material – see Saint Laurent’s leather trench coats – is now the ultimate fashion flex.

In the men’s collections, usually playful Paul Smith washed out his colour palette and tied sportcoats around his models’ hips with the nonchalance of a hoodie. Dries Van Noten used pleats and cargo pockets to add more volume to his already flowing trousers. Fendi’s leather jackets took on the boxy, scaled-up silhouette of workwear.

There’s discipline reflected in the relative sobriety of these cuts and colours. Simons also attributes some of the cautiousness to current preoccupations. “For me, there’s a connection where we are living a bit in a darker moment,” he says. “There’s a war, a recession, people are worried. So we’ve come from enthusiasm and wanting to be joyful and we still want to celebrate fashion and beauty. But it’s definitely quieter.”

Toronto lawyer-turned-personal stylist Irene Kim points out that it’s only natural for fashion to hit a saturation point before shifting gears. She couldn’t be happier that tailoring is shifting away from slim, short and fitted while also offering a counterpoint to the pandemic-fuelled athleisure boom. “Shlepping around, we just had nowhere to go,” she says. “Now, there’s a freshness.”

Kim has been moving away from fitted tailoring for several years, drawn to wider and tapered trousers and longer, men’s-wear-inspired blazers (although finding them for herself or clients was challenging until recently). The updated silhouette, with its dropped shoulders and oversized sleeves suits her take on suits. “I like having a blazer. It feels like it’s just that extra interest piece to add more complexity to an outfit,” Kim says. She’s a proponent of adding tension by loosely belting a jacket over a pleated skirt.

This trend may have emerged for spring but it coalesced in the fall 2023 collections. The deliberately oversized blazers at Miu Miu, the lustrous wrap coats at Hermès and Louis Vuitton’s voluminous trousers all signal that this moment is more than a blip. Come autumn, the casual feeling of pandemic dressing may well be receding in our rearview mirror, but, thankfully, the sense of comfort will remain.

Canada’s Best Dressed 2023

SOBER THOUGHT

Subtle tweaks to details and proportions, such as the pleats and cropped hem of Loewe’s tailored pants, help an otherwise classic look feel current.

SURFACE TENSION

Texture, whether in the weave of an Hermès crop top or the quilted elements of a Craig Green suit, creates unexpected flair.

IN FLUX

The pleating of Acne Studios’ pieces and the drape of a Junya Watanabe trench create a dramatic sense of movement.

FORM AND FUNCTION

A mix of utilitarian elements and gargantuan volumes is the most fashion-forward way to adopt tailoring’s exaggerated ease.

BALANCING ACT

Even in more casual pieces such as a windbreaker, slouchy proportions and patch pockets add an air of refinement.

LONG VIEW

Loewe channels the simplicity of a polo shirt into a chic cashmere column.

TONE ON TONE

Prada’s spring palette cleanse is distilled in staples such as a cardigan or overcoat layered on white foundation garments including a dressing gown.

SOFT POWER

A jacket with rounded shoulders and a cropped full skirt combine in an unexpected take on the statement suit.

Photography by Garrett Nacarato. Styling by Nadia Pizzimenti for P1M.ca. Makeup and hair by Caroline Levin for Chanel Beauty/P1M.ca. Set by James Reiger for Plutino Group. Models: Jiayan Yao at Sutherland Models, Dylan Alessandro Cabezas at Want Management. Photo assistant: Zackery Hobler. Makeup and hair assistant: Paola Manigat. Styling assistant: Shae Holt.