If you’re the type who finds themself carrying both a bag the size of a pack of gum for the sake of fashion and a grubby tote for everything you actually need to lug around, this rising trend is for you. On Wednesday, New York-based bohemian brand Ulla Johnson debuted its spring ‘22 collection at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. In the urban oasis, models walked to the sounds of the Attacca Quartet in balloon-sleeved and crochet frocks perfectly suited for the sweltering 80-degree morning. But sun dresses for spring are hardly groundbreaking, and string quartets are nice and all but… it was the accessories that stole the show. Many of the presentation’s models were decked out in not one, not two, but three handbags.
Strewn around the necks, chests, and wrists of Ulla Johnson’s model lineup were oversized bucket bags and woven crossbodies, as well as sunglass cases attached to necklace-like straps, water bottle bags, and tiny coin purses designed to latch right onto belt loops. Looking at the bounty of bags presented at Ulla Johnson’s show, we couldn’t help but wonder why we so often resign ourselves to using one big carryall — or, if we’re feeling chic, one tiny ornamental bag and another canvas tote for all the necessary spillover. After all, think about how much we’d save on chiropractor appointments if we weren’t constantly lopsided from lugging around one 20-pound shoulder bag each and every day.
In July, Sarah Jessica Parker catalyzed yet another return to fashion fame when she was spotted giving the double-bag look her sartorial stamp of approval while shooting scenes for the forthcoming Sex and the City reboot, And Just Like That… A true New Yorker, meaning that she can’t possibly leave her apartment without a million different unnecessary trinkets (and her ever-present book to read between takes), the actress suited up with one short cross-body made of a silver chain material, as well as another, longer cross-body.
When you’re carrying around as much stuff as we are, two bags no longer feels like enough. So when the overflow becomes overwhelming, perhaps try tossing another pouch around your chest, shoulder, or neck. May you never have to shlep a tote (or join the dreary tote discourse) again. If that’s not reason enough, do it for your back.
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Once again, dads and nerds are absolutely winning the fashion game. We've already seen the rise of "ugly" sneakers, dad hats, Bermuda shorts, and '70s-style glasses, just to name a few trends that have had us sweating in a good way. Now, with autumn upon us, we're officially in the era of the sweater vest.
These sleeveless wonders didn't come out of nowhere — luxury designers were surfacing various styles at last year's fashion shows, of course — but the perfect-for-fall timing means this trend is about to peak. Browse your fave clothing retailers and there's bound to be several sweater-vest iterations sure to snatch your inner dork's heart.
The classic standards like argyle and cable-knit are well-represented, but what's more noteworthy are the fashion-forward silhouettes. There are the massively oversized sweater vests that could be worn as tunics, the itty-bitty cropped versions that fit like baby tees, and the chunky technicolor knits that incorporate Y2K-style crochet patterns. Ahead, shop the sweater vest styles that are bonafide chic — but are also sure to get your papa's stamp of approval.
At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. All product details reflect the price and availability at the time of publication. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.
Oversized Sweater Vests
Whether you wear them solo like a tank top or over a collared shirt, massive knit vests provide just the right amount of cozy professionalism.
& Other Stories Oversized Knit Vest, $, available at & Other Stories
Hotapei Oversized V-Neck Sweater Vest, $, available at Amazon
Buttoned Sweater Vests
Sweater vests with buttons down the front might surpass dad style and go straight into grandpa territory — but with such sleek fabrics like ribbed knit and lightweight merino, who wouldn't want to wear what is essentially a sleeveless cardigan?
Everlane The Cotton–Merino Sweater Vest, $, available at Everlane
Pilcro Washed Sweater Vest, $, available at Anthropologie
BDG Rowen Button-Front Sweater Vest, $, available at Urban Outfitters
Cropped Sweater Vests
These midriff-happy sweater vests are by far the most fashion-y style you could wear. The cropped length makes for an ideal combo with high-waisted jeans — or you can layer one atop an oversized button-up to create a cool silhouette straight out of Clueless.
Abound Plaid Sweater Vest, $, available at Nordstrom Rack
Romwe Floral Crop Sweater Vest, $, available at Amazon
Madewell Cropped Sweater Vest, $, available at Madewell
Crochet And Knit Sweater Vests
Looser and airier — but also chunkier and likely warmer — than other sweater vests, these crocheted or knit sweater vests are the style to grab if you're into a more vintage, bohemian look.
Farm Rio striped knit vest, $, available at Farm Rio
Baum Und Pferdgarten Coastal Communities Coletta Wool-Blend Sweater Vest, $, available at Saks Fifth Avenue
N\C Women's Knit Crochet Squares Sweater Vest, $, available at Amazon
Turtleneck Sweater Vests
The most popular sweater vests are going to be V-neck, yes, but don't overlook the turtleneck sweater vest. They tend to be the most versatile of the bunch, since they are more passable as a regular shirt (and complete look).
Theory Turtleneck Vest in Cashmere, $, available at Theory
The girls in the show — like protagonists Mia Colucci (AnahÃ) and Roberta Pardo (Dulce MarÃa) — alternated between two different uniforms. The everyday look featured a white button-down shirt with a loosened red tie, a red blazer, denim mini skirt, and knee-high black boots. Meanwhile, the formal version featured a blue button-down shirt, a red tie, a black blazer on top, paired with a black mini skirt and boots. My pre-teenage friends would fantasize about the day our Baptist school would allow such a skin-baring take on a uniform. But, I always wondered why the uniforms in Rebelde couldn’t reflect my reality — or any school’s for that matter.
Dulce MarÃa, Anahà and Maite of RBD during “Barbie RBD” Mattel Launch – May 29, 2007 at Velvet Club in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Victor Chavez/WireImage)
Rebelde is hardly the only show in pop culture that showcases unrealistic school uniforms. From Netflix’s Elite to HBO Max’s Gossip Girl reboot, the uniforms in pop culture have a sneaky way of ditching all the dress codes (just like the most rebellious and fashionable student of every class). While the shows represent a very privileged sector of our society, they also present an alternate reality where students are granted the freedom to dress in a way that reflects their individuality and identity.
Take the characters who attend Constance Billard St. Jude’s in CW’s Gossip Girl. Over the course of several seasons, the show’s costume designer Eric Daman cemented the luxurious, preppy look of the Upper East Side’s teenagers, which often involved eye-catching accessories and hemlines that would never make it past real-life administrators.
The school look Serena van der Woodsen (Blake Lively) wore is perhaps the best example of this rule-breaking, regularly featuring miniskirts and thigh-high socks (paired with high heels!). From the start, in the show’s promotional photos, we saw Serena in a white button-down shirt with a plaid tie, paired with a plaid mini skirt and tie-up ankle booties. Throughout the show’s first two seasons (before she graduated high school and deferred admission to Brown University), this formula remained consistent.
While the hemlines Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester) sported may not have been as scandalous, Constance Billard’s queen bee was still allowed to play with her uniform’s styling. In Season 2, Blair goes to school in a white shirt with an ivory ruffled cape, tied at the neck with a navy choker. The look is accessorized with a pair of navy-and-white Mary Jane shoes and a crystal-encrusted headband. In a later episode, the Yale hopeful wears a pink-and-blue plaid blazer with a navy mini skirt, pairing the look with white tights and navy-and-white pumps. It was a lot. It was also fabulous.
As a high school student inspired by Serena and Blair, I’d often challenge my school’s dress code. It started with one red bowtie headband, small enough to conceal the fact that it did not meet the school’s strict color palette. Later, I changed it for a black velvet headband with an oversized bow reminiscent of then-fashion blogger Tavi Gevinson’s giant accessory at the 2012 Dior Couture show (who coincidentally went on to join the cast of the Gossip Girl reboot). I think Blair would’ve been proud. My social studies teacher? Not so much.
School uniforms have historically provided relief for parents spending hefty amounts on back-to-school materials for their children. According to the National Retail Federation, parents are expected to spend $848 on back-to-school items this fall, a 7.6% increase from last year. Clothing and shoes, according to the survey, are two of the top categories for back-to-school items, with a combined average cost of $414.50.
It’s true that what we wear to school is still marked by access and privilege, a conversation that pop culture is just starting to have, with shows like the Gossip Girl reboot trying to address the classism embedded in its narrative. The majority of the student body in this country cannot afford to get new shoes for school in the name of self-expression, but the uniforms meant to level the playing field, especially for low-income students, can still come with an unaffordable price tag.
And when students are afforded the opportunity to step outside a uniform, dress codes and heavy outfit policing can result in embarrassing experiences, especially for young girls and queer students. For some, daring to show up to school in a spaghetti strap tank top or distressed jeans instead of the prescribed attire can have consequences. In 2018, a student in Palm Beach was suspended for wearing ripped jeans. The year before, a high school senior in Maine was asked to retake her school photos because she had exposed shoulders. Over the past month, students at Simpson Middle School in Atlanta have staged protests against dress codes, after 15 students were reported for violating the school’s clothing standards on their first day. Since then, students have worn T-shirts that call out the dress codes as “sexist,” “racist,” and “classist.”
NEW YORK, NY – MAY 20: Jordan Alexander is seen at the film set of the ‘Gossip Girl’ TV Series on May 20, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
In the face of these kinds of headlines, it’s hard not to idealize pop culture portrayals of fashion-forward school uniforms and lax (or nonexistent) dress codes. While most of these depictions center on characters operating with ample racial and economic privilege, their experiences in schools seemingly devoid of policing and judgement paint an appealing picture of classrooms serving as safe spaces for teenagers to learn to express themselves through clothes.
When Élite’s Rebecca León (Claudia Salas) shows up to class wearing a cropped button-down shirt with bike shorts and fishnets, no authority figure bats an eye. Neither do the teachers when Cher Horowitz wears a yellow mini skirt suit in Clueless. These characters’ dress code-free teenage years are just one more facet of their idyllic upbringings, where real-life stressors are minimal. .
While I was never able to fulfill my Rebelde dreams at school, my mom was kind enough to let me channel Mia Colucci’s school outfits after the bell rang. Between Limited Too mini skirts and Aldo knee-high boots (and a star sticker on my forehead, just like Mia’s), I was free to experiment with my look as I pleased. That is, until the bell rang again. Maybe costume designers, from Gossip Girl’s Eric Daman to Élite’s Cristina RodrÃguez, have the right idea: School outfits could simply be another tool for students to explore as they figure out their place in the world.
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At Refinery29, we take all aspects of lounge life very seriously — especially where the “wear” is concerned. After launching our very own loungewear collection in March of 2020, we’re finally ready to roll out our next edition of editor-designed (and lazy-girl-approved) cozy clothes. In keeping with the spirit of our previous collections, this year’s sleep sets and separates are also made from eco-conscious fabrics that are melt-on-your-body soft and available in sizes XS to 3XL. Our summertime cotton-jersey sets are already available to shop at Nordstrom, but keep your eye peeled for this newest batch of loungewear styles that are perfect for transitioning into fall. Scroll on to check out this month’s drop — along with our favorite sofa-to-street styling tips — that will help you continue to live your best stay-at-home life.
Perfectly Printed Pajamas
We splashed polka dots, abstract florals, and classic leopard patterns all over our PJ sets — acceptable for both under-the-blanket snugs and, if you must, public-facing neighborhood errands.
Super Soft Summer Sleepwear
Our poly span cloud jersey tanks, shorts, and printed pajama sets are made from a lightweight knit that brushes against the skin in a decidedly cozy way.
Crazy Comfy Coverups
Made from the same ultrasoft rayon as our printed PJs, these short-sleeved robes (with matching shorts and scrunchies) drape perfectly on the body.
These loungewear styles are coming soon….
Better-Than-Basic Sweats
We reimagined the matching sweatsuit and came up with mix-and-match separates that have a sporty stripe detail that run down the sleeves and side seams.
Theseloungewear styles are coming soon…
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Few items of clothing have been talked about over the last two decades with more disdain than the low-rise jean. Once a staple in the world of early-aughts denim, the immodest style is notorious for being uncomfortable (it’s hard to feel cozy when the skin between your hips and your pelvis is entirely exposed), impractical (you try yanking up your jeans with every step), and triggering given that most of its aughts ambassadors, like Paris Hilton and Keira Knightley, were thin enough to miraculously avoid a low-rise-induced muffin top. And yet, along with just about every other recently revived trend from the turn of the millennium, the denim style defined by three-inch zippers (if not faux leather laces) and exposed G-strings is irrefutably back.
Still living in denial? According to digital shopping platform ShopStyle, searches for low-rise jeans have grown by 44%, compared to 2020, when the first inklings of a comeback appeared.
I wish this was the part where I said: Don’t fret, dear readers, low-rise pants have undergone a reckoning and the new class is far less intimidating than its predecessor. Sadly, that isn’t the case. In fact, the majority of the new iterations emerging on the fashion scene are even harder to embrace than before, back when rises were so short, there was rarely enough room for a belt loop (as seen on Amanda Bynes at the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards in 2002). Low-rise haters, meet your worst nightmare: the V-pant.
The defining feature of the V-pant is a waistband that dips low into the pubic region, making the style even more revealing than the low-rise jeans of the early aughts. V-pants first came to us courtesy of an array of Gen-Z favorite indie brands, ranging from Revice, a honeypot of Y2K denim, to Miaou, an Instagram-favorite destination for corsets, as well as ultra-low-rise faux leather kick flares. I.Am.Gia and SKIMS have, too, introduced versions of the trend in their recent collections, while Christopher Esber turned the V-pant into a V-dress, using a diamond-shaped cut-out that gives the illusion of a V-shaped waistline.
Last month, while doing press for her album Solar Power, Lorde wore Esber’s V-dress to perform on Good Morning America, thus giving the belly-baring look her eclectic stamp of approval. Kim Kardashian posed for a recent SKIMS campaign in a light gray pair of jersey bike shorts that featured a ruched, deep-V waistband. Her exact pair, from the Twist collection, is available now on skims.com for $42.
Clearly, the V-pant is gaining traction — and fast. (Whether the craze will usher in an uptick in Brazilian bikini waxes, is anyone’s guess.) But unlike the tight-fitting, thong-baring low-rise jeans from our past, which will never not be riddled with bad memories, this new style arrives en vogue with a blank slate. Rather than dismissing them before they ever get a chance, we’re opting to instead embrace the V-pant for what it is: yet another opportunity to show off our bodies post-lockdown, while we still can.
After running from low-rise jeans for 20 years, it’s time to face our fears (and maybe buy a vajazzler). If the V-pant beckons to you, here’s our guide to shopping the up-and-coming (and down-and-dirty) style.
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Mononymous art curator Souleo had never heard of the Harlem Institute of Fashion before his partner, designer Beau McCall, started digging up photos taken at its events from the mid-80. “It looked so fly: the people, the runway, the scene,” Souleo told Refinery29. That was the lightbulb moment that resulted in the Showing Out: Fashion in Harlem exhibition at the Schomburg Center for Black Culture in Harlem, which Souleo curated.
“That was really the impetus behind it, wanting to amplify that legacy,” he says.
This year marks the 55th anniversary of the Harlem Institute of Fashion and the Black Fashion Museum, both founded by Lois K. Alexander Lane. While both institutions shut down in the early 2000s, Alexander Lane’s legacy is still palpable in a community that has long struggled for recognition as the birthing ground for many of the world’s biggest pop culture, fashion, and art phenomena. For Souleo, it’s the perfect opportunity to display how Harlem’s fashion community flourished under the leadership of Alexander Lane, who catapulted the careers of Black designers and models upward and cemented the neighborhood as a hub for the fashion industry.
“It’s about finding inspiration, to look at this history to know it’s been done and it’s possible to do something like it,” says Souleo.
From 1979 to 1996, the Harlem Fashion Institute and the Black Fashion Museum hosted a series of fashion shows and events that highlighted local talent at venues like City Hall, the State Office Building near 125th street, and the streets of Malcolm X Boulevard, where the Schomburg Center is located today. Alexander Lane and her team held auditions for both designers and models in front of the State Office Building, making for a nerve-wracking moment for any hopeful wanting a chance to be in the shows.
McCall remembers his audition clearly. It was a full year after he had first witnessed a Harlem Fashion Week show on 135th street, where, he says, he had “never seen so many Black people together in a setting like that.” Right there, he turned to one friend and said: “That’s going to be me next year.”
A year later, he found himself in front of Alexander Lane for the first time with a duffel bag full of denim jackets embellished with piles of buttons, a technique that later became his signature. “They went through all of my garments and reviewed all of my work,” he says. “That weekend I started doing shows.” His designs, including a vintage denim jacket with colorful button embellishments, as well as a floor-length durag decorated with clear buttons, is now on display in Showing Out.
Alongside McCall’s pieces, the exhibition features an immersive journey through the 17-year-long era of Alexander Lane-led Harlem Fashion Week shows (the shows are still produced today under different leadership). The exhibition includes a video piece by former Harlem Fashion Week model and artist Dianne Smith featuring archival footage of the shows. Souleo also included some of the photographs that he dug up from McCall’s home archive, including images of the first time he showcased some of the pieces now featured in the exhibition. There is also memorabilia from the shows, like promotional brochures and event programs, as well as one issue of Pride, a self-published print magazine that showcased fashion talent and styling from the community.
For McCall, these tokens show how Alexander Lane and her team were able to establish a fashion-centered community that, over time, became like a family, rehearsing together on Tuesday and Thursday nights in preparation for the weekend shows and Harlem Fashion Week.
“The camaraderie, the creativity, meeting like-minded creatives — that’s where I was able to create my extended family,” McCall says. He and Smith agree that, when they were young fashion-obsessed people helping develop one of the seminal cultural institutions in Harlem, they had no idea how meaningful their work would become.
“We thought we were fabulous,” says Smith, cracking up in a laugh. But what truly created their close-knit community, according to Smith, was their relationship to the elders. Alexander Lane was in her 80s when McCall and Smith first auditioned for the shows. “She was the house mother; it was definitely the House of Alexander,” Smith says. It became evident that her commanding respect still lives on when I asked McCall and Smith to “describe Lois” and Smith responded: “I want to make clear that it’s ‘Miss Alexander.’ She wouldn’t accept a ‘Lois.’”
Born in 1916, “Miss Alexander” grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas, and moved to New York City during the 1960s. At the time, she was a student at New York University, where she worked on a thesis titled, “The Role of the Negro in Retailing in New York City from 1863 to the Present (1963).” Her mission was clear: she’d show the world that the Black community was instrumental in the creation of American fashion. In 1979, she founded the Black Fashion Museum, which has since been incorporated into the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.
Until recently, Harlem had a plaque honoring Alexander Lane’s legacy on 126th street. But according to Smith and McCall, it’s been taken out by recent construction. “That in itself, is an issue, because let’s say that house belonged to Valentino — that plaque would still be there,” says Smith.
At a time when the fashion industry is attempting to reconcile its longstanding exclusion of the Black community, Smith says that Alexander Lane’s legacy is crucial. Building spaces for Black fashion creatives is not about “reinventing the wheel,” she says, but rather using this foundation as a blueprint for the plethora of organizations championing Black talent today. “This model existed and this woman was a pioneer, so there is a learning that can happen from that,” she says. “I hope that all of these organizations can give homage to Miss Alexander.”
Between September 9 and 16, audiences coming into the Schomburg Center will have a chance to get to know “Miss Alexander” intimately and celebrate her legacy in style.
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