Welcome to New Arrivals, where R29 editors test out the latest pieces from their favorite brands and share their top looks. Whether you’re overwhelmed by the number of places to shop or trying to hone in your personal style, come along as we explore ‘fits, fabrics, styling potential, and more by sorting through the virtual and IRL shelves at our go-to shopping destinations.
When you think of May, you might envision blooming flowers and the sweet arrival of warm weather. But here at Refinery29, the fashion editors also see it as the start of the wedding season. If you have one nuptial after another this year, the cost of wedding guest outfits can add up. Enter Abercrombie & Fitch, the R29-reader favorite brand that has a Wedding Shop collection to help dress brides, bachelorette parties, and wedding guests alike with many standout (and under-$200) styles.
After seeing several of the brand’s dresses go viral in the past, I set out to try some new and bestselling styles from the Best Dressed Guest selection for myself — and discovered the store to be filled with dresses for every type of occasion, from formal to destination, and featuring spring trends like bubble hems and drop-waist styles. Read on to discover some of my favorite Abercrombie & Fitch spring and summer wedding guest-approved dresses. (For reference, I’m 5’3” and am wearing a standard medium size in each dress pictured).
Abercrombie & Fitch Drop-Waist Dresses
While I’ve always loved the drop-waist look on models and celebrities, I was nervous that the silhouette would pronounce my lower stomach and harshly cut into the widest part of my body: my hips. But to my surprise, Abercrombie & Fitch’s top-rated Giselle dress (shown here in two colorways) proved me wrong.
The bodice has boning and fits like a corset, which made me feel secure and gave my body definition. And unlike a traditional straight low waist, this waist is curved, landing above my belly button and slightly curving down to the sides of my hips, which I found very comfortable. The pleated skirt is also flowy and skimmed off my hips, rather than tightly hugging them, which created a nice soft line to the look.
While the black-and-white polka-dot style channels Old Hollywood and would be perfect for a black-tie wedding, the green print would add a nice pop of color at a destination wedding.
Abercrombie & Fitch Bubble-Hem Dresses
Yet another dress trend that I was skeptical about was the bubble-hem style (I don’t love the low waistline). While I didn’t find either of these looks to be as comfortable as the Giselle drop-waist dress, I did think they were pretty.
I felt like a ballerina in the pink bubble dress. The matte fabric feels more casual, making it an appropriate look for a backyard or a casual wedding. The black mini was flattering from the front, but the low back and short skirt felt better suited for a bachelorette (especially in brighter colors).
Abercrombie & Fitch Ruched Dresses
Ruched and draped fabrics are always a winner for party dresses — they look so effortlessly chic and timeless.
I quickly fell in love with the off-the-shoulder style because of the fitted silhouette and soft mesh material (that had me feeling snatched), as well as the abstract floral print. This style was one of my favorites, though the arm holes are slightly tight and the front ruching panels slide up with too much movement so it might not be ideal for a night of dancing.
The green cowl neck midi dress is a classic silhouette. Thanks to a variety of colors, I can see this style working for any season and any type of wedding. Tip: To get more of a maxi length, order this style in a tall length.
Abercrombie & Fitch Printed Dresses
Abercrombie & Fitch has many playful prints (floral, stripes, polka dots, etc.) in vibrant colors across its dress selection, which are perfect for spring and summer weddings. I became particularly fond of the butter-yellow halter dress with abstract print splatters, which would look beautiful at a beach wedding (I took her home with me and will be packing it for my summer vacation as well!). Meanwhile, the watercolor pleated strapless dress would be great for an outdoor or garden-inspired wedding.
More Abercrombie & Fitch Wedding Guest Dresses
While the store selection had plenty of picks, Abercrombie & Fitch’s online assortment is even broader, with new styles dropping every Thursday as well as bestsellers restocked in new colorways. Bonus: You can find many styles online in petite, standard, and tall lengths.
At a time when few women designers helm a fashion house, it feels more important than ever to highlight the legacy of those who paved the way. With “Jeanne Lanvin: Haute Couture Heritage,” Atlanta’s SCAD FASH museum attempts to not only shine a light on the pioneering milliner-turned-founder of the Lanvin, the oldest continually operating French couture house, but also the woman who inspired her career: her daughter, Marguerite Marie-Blanche di Pietro.
“Jeanne Lanvin was a real talent and visionary, and she’s forgotten by the time. The name [Lanvin] remains but we forgot who Jeanne Lanvin was, so it was important to pay homage to her,” says Gaël Mamine of Fondation Azzedine Alaïa, who curated the exhibition in collaboration with SCAD FASH creative director Rafael Gomes. The pair worked with the archives of Lanvin and Parodi Costume Collection.
The exhibit — the first dedicated to the designer in the U.S. — opens with the timeline of Jeanne Lanvin (1867-1946) whose career began at the age of 13 when she started delivering hats. “She was really poor,” says Gomes. “So she would keep the bus money and walk behind the bus to deliver the hats.” Following several apprenticeships, she opened her millinery shop at 16. After giving birth to her daughter, she began designing clothes for her in 1908, marking a pivotal turning point moment for the house of Lanvin.
“She would make these beautiful clothes for her daughter and the clients, when they were coming to buy the hats, they saw the clothes that the daughter was wearing,” says Gomes, who notes that Lanvin’s daughter was “everything” to her. “They were saying, ‘This is so beautiful. Can you do one for my daughter as well?’ And then she was doing kids clothes, then she was dressing the daughters, later the mothers.”
SCAD Atlanta – Spring 2025 – Exhibitions – Jeanne Lanvin – “Jeanne Lanvin: Haute Couture Heritage” – Teaser Documentation – SCAD Fash – Photography Courtesy of SCAD
The exhibition, which contains more than 60 garments and focuses on Jeanne Lanvin’s most active dress-making periods (1920s to mid-‘40s), kicks off with a vignette dedicated to the drop-waist silhouettes of the ’20s — a period when Lanvin expanded to not only women’s clothing but also men’s (marking one of the first times that a couture house had a dedicated men’s department), sportswear, and perfume. The exhibition then breaks into themes, with sections dedicated to techniques Jeanne Lanvin became known for, like overlaid embroidery and top-stitching, as well as signature looks, like robe de style (a silhouette characterized by a drop waist and full skirt and inspired by 18th-century court dresses) and open-back dresses.
“The very low back and showing the back — this was something completely new… it was the first time in history that they had the nudity on the back,” says Gomes. “This was something very, very sensual. You didn’t need to wear a bra or hide the bra straps.”
Some other garment highlights include what’s been presumed by the press as the last look that Jeanne Lanvin worked on before her death in 1946 — a strapless ballgown with an intricately ruched bodice that set the stage for the landscape that would adopt the New Look that Dior would go on to introduce in 1947 — as well as a stunning embroidered V-neck with a bubble skirt displayed alongside a photo of it in a Vogue editorial in 1926.
While there are only a few photos throughout the exhibit, to complement the garments, illustrations of the dresses are showcased on the walls, which women artists drew for the house and the press. (According to Gomes, this is notable as most of the illustrations were done by men at the time.) In addition to highlighting Lanvin as a designer and a mother, the exhibit aims to show her innovation and range as an entrepreneur. “It’s remarkable because many great fashion designers always have other people for the business side but she was also a great businesswoman,” says Gomes. “She was great at marketing… she was the first designer that used a logo in the labels.”
According to Gomes, by the 1920s, she had more than 800 employees working for her, which pushed her to keep the house open during World War II. “She had so many employees that were dependent on her, and she did really the best you could to keep it open,” says Gomes, adding that she refused to collaborate with the Nazis, which so many designers at the time capitulated to.
It’s an interesting time to show the exhibit, given the recent appointment of Peter Copping as the artistic director of the house. Copping, who was in attendance at the opening reception of the exhibit, following being awarded the SCAD Étoile Award in Savannah earlier in the week, gets his corner outside of the main exhibition space, with a vignette featuring prototypes of the looks and samples used in his debut Fall 2025 collection, inspired by Jeanne Lanvin. “To have this vignette shows that the house legacy lives on,” says Gomes. “You can see the inspiration of Peter Copping, how he researched the archives, what he’s doing now.”
Despite names like Alber Elbaz having designed for Lanvin, Copping’s pieces aside, the only non-Jeanne Lanvin-designed garments in the exhibition are the three dresses that her daughter oversaw following her mother’s death — something that was intentional on the curators’ parts.
“It’s almost impossible now to talk about Lanvin without talking about the love story between mother and daughter. Her daughter was her everything — her muse, her inspiration, what gave her the power, the energy to do everything she did,” says Gomes. “We wanted to show that the story of the house didn’t die with the designer — the daughter took care of it and then, of course, in the 100-plus years [since] there were many names [who did it justice].”
“Jeanne Lanvin: Haute Couture Heritage” runs until August 31.
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Does one-size-fits-all actually fit all? Is there a hemline that can simultaneously work for petite and tall shoppers? Our Does It Fit? series sets to find out as our team of editors and contributors take fashion’s latest launches and trends — likePilcro’s denimBermuda shorts — for an IRL spin to discover if they’re up to snuff, one outfit at a time.
Whether you love or hate them, there’s no denying that jorts are having a moment (yes, again). Gone are the days when knee-length denim shorts were reserved for skateboarders and ‘90s sitcom stars (or your dad). Now, the jean style is beloved by everyone from your trendsetting friends and favorite influencers to off-duty supermodels. And, while they started to make their way into the spotlight last summer, they promise to be a mega 2025 fashion trend, with many pairs strutting down recent runways, ranging from Diesel to Skall Studio.
With this in mind, we decided to put the comeback style from Anthropologie’s popular Pilcro denim line to the test. The brand’s Classic Bermuda Denim Shorts currently have a 4-star rating from over 50 customers; are available in four washes and three size ranges (standard, petite, and plus); and come in under $100.
But, with a hemline that could fall between the thigh and knee depending on your height and body type, do they actually fit on everyone? How does the standard 10.75-inch inseam work for tall shoppers? How versatile are they really? How can they be styled for fresh looks? These are the questions we set to answer as we tried them on petite-, straight-, and plus-size, as well as tall, editors.
Read on for our reviews and verdicts, and to see how we styled our jorts to inspire your own festival season and summer denim outfits.
“I was a Bermuda shorts girly back in the day; you know, the colorful ones paired with an equally vibrant polo. Now that jorts are back, I’m ready to revive the trend with a more sophisticated twist. My first thought when I saw the Pilcro jorts from Anthropologie? Hell yes.
I went with my usual size 29, but wish I had sized up for a slightly looser fit. If you like more room in the waist and thighs, consider going up a size. At $98, the quality is solid — these feel built to last without fading or breaking down after a few washes.” — Cortni Spearman, R29 Director of Social
“I’m typically a short-shorts girl, so when I first saw that longline denim shorts were trending, I had a little trepidation about whether this cut would work for me. Happily, after a bit of trial and error, I realized that this can be a really cute style — if the fit is right. I ordered my usual Pilcro size (20W), and they were tighter than expected. Just like with classic Levi’s jeans, these 100% cotton shorts needed a couple wears to break in for me. After that, they were fitting better, albeit than I’d prefer for this style (I like a slouchy, rather than snug, fit for this type of piece!). They still look great on though, and paired with a crochet tank, Luar bag, my favorite Baacal trench, and gorgeous wide-calf leather boots from New Amendment, I had a perfect tonal spring transitional-weather look for a day of coffee meetings and errands.
Based on the quality of the denim (which has substantial weight), and how much they’ve already broken in, I think with more wear, these have the potential to become a go-to piece. The length and volume in the leg are great, and I love this medium wash color (even if it is somewhat confusingly named ‘Denim Light’ on the product page). I can already envision lots of outfits with them, whether worn casually with a ribbed tank and sneakers or an oversized silky button-down and heels for a night out. I’d just recommend ordering one size up if you have a belly and don’t want to have to break the stiff non-stretch denim in before wear.” — Sarah Chiwaya, Contributing Editor
“I’ve always been a jorts girl, typically opting for styles with A-line silhouettes and mid-thigh hems for a retro look. However, at 5’3”, I’ve never ventured into Bermuda-short territory, nervous that the longline style would make my legs look even shorter, so I was both hesitant and eager to take the denim trend out for a spin. Luckily, this Pilcro style is available in petite sizing. While my typical pant size, 31P, was out of stock at the time, I opted for the 32P, which was quite fitted, so I’m happy that I sized up. And I appreciate that the petite length still lands above my knees.
The light-wash denim and decorative shoelace tie feel casual, so I styled them for a warm spring daytime look. I opted for sheer butter-yellow tops (which I snagged from H&M’s spring collection), a complementary denim tote bag, and metallic sneakers (with shoelaces that happen to match the jorts’ laces). And I absolutely love how my look turned out — it feels so cheerful and youthful. And while these jorts may be too casual for evening looks, I can see myself continuing to style it for farmers market runs, al fresco brunches, and festival season.” — Victoria Montalti, Associate Fashion Writer
“Even though these shorts are a standard size, rather than tall, I feel like they were made for a tall girl. I love that they hit right above my knee (I’m 6’0”) and that the waist level sits right below my natural waist, still falling within that high-waisted category; low-rise is not it for me.
I ordered a size 28, and my one negative is I feel like the leg opening is a bit too flared and could have been reduced a bit. They were also loose in the backside area for me. Overall, I loved them though. They check almost all the boxes for the Bermuda jort category: high-waisted, just the right length, etc. I styled them with my hero of the season, a barn jacket, and a pair of mesh Bottega Veneta heels for a little play with texture.” — Emily Kammeyer Sumner, Contributing Writer
The Verdict: Does It Fit?
Yes! Despite our height and size differences, these Pilcro denim shorts were a surprising winner for all of us. Whether we styled them for casual outings or nights out on the town, these jorts proved to be a versatile warm-weather staple with staying power.
Editors note: Although this ‘90s-inspired style is pretty relaxed, the denim is very rigid, so we recommend sizing up if you want extra space in the stomach, butt, and thighs.
The last year has been a disheartening one for body positivity and size inclusion in fashion, from the least size-diverse Fashion Month shows in years to brands pulling back on plus-size offerings to endless off-brand Ozempic ads treating plus-size bodies like a problem to be solved. As a plus-size influencer who has been advocating for a more inclusive fashion industry for over a decade, it’s been both heartbreaking and infuriating to see hard-won progress be undone so quickly and cavalierly — yet not surprising.
Mainstream fashion’s disregard for plus bodies is why I’ve long supported small businesses, highlighting the brands that came to size inclusivity of their own accord (and didn’t have to be dragged into it kicking and screaming after customer outrage). The combination of cool, color-forward styles and size inclusivity is still all too rare, which made Wray one of my go-to brands. So when the founder, Wray Serna, announced in March that the New York-based brand was shuttering due to “personal health challenges,” the news hit the plus community hard.
“My health has been declining for a while now, and recently, it took a sharp turn. My doctor told me, in no uncertain terms, that I needed to step away before it was too late,” Serna tells Refinery29. “When you’re a founder at this scale, you’re involved in every single aspect of the brand. There’s no delegation, no stepping back for a few months, it’s all or nothing. And when you’re sick, you just don’t have the creative energy to bring your vision to life the way you want to. I didn’t want to keep going just to go through the motions. I wanted everything I created to be intentional and beautiful. And right now, I can’t do that.”
I’m happy Serna is taking care of herself, but I am pre-emptively mourning the loss of Wray as a label. I first fell in love with the brand, which launched in 2015, when I saw its signature wave print sets on my plus fashion influencer peers like Jessica Torres and Kellie Brown. Since then, its pieces have become closet staples I reach for year after year, with the type of fit and quality that make them stand out even in my very crowded wardrobe. “My mission was simple yet deeply personal: to express my voice as a designer and build a brand that resonated with people — clothing that wasn’t just worn but loved,” Serna says. “I wanted to create pieces that made people feel seen, confident, and celebrated.”
According to Wray shoppers, she did precisely that. When I put out a call to my online community of readers asking about their experience with the brand, I received an outpouring of responses about the positive impact Wray had on their lives.
“From its size offerings and ads to showing garments on multiple bodies on the website and getting the fit proportions right, Wray has always been fully committed to inclusivity,” Malessia Howland noted. Architect Ashleigh Walton said, “Knowing that I could get something well made, beautiful, and unique [that] also fit my body was a dream — some of my favorite and most highly complimented pieces in my wardrobe.” Alexis Hope Krase, founder of resale store PlusBKLYN, noted that this was particularly true for those on the upper end of the size range: “As a 4X/5X, Wray is one of only a few options available to me that are both stylish and well-made.”
That inclusive ethos of the brand (which carried sizes XXS to 6X) was no accident. According to Serna, when she started designing for Wray, she realized that the “traditional methods” of grading designs up from a sample size weren’t working. “The proportions were all wrong. It wasn’t just about making things bigger; it was about truly understanding different body shapes,” she says. So Serna turned to the community. “I asked people directly: ‘Are you a size 5X? Let’s work together.’ We paid individuals to provide their exact measurements — every detail from wrist circumference to neck width — so we could build a fit standard based on real bodies, not just theoretical ones,” Serna says. She notes that this wasn’t, as some fashion brands lead consumers to believe, “prohibitively expensive” — “it just required care, thoughtfulness, and a genuine desire to do it right.”
The effort Serna put in was apparent to shoppers. “Wray made cool clothes for fat bodies and never made us feel like we weren’t the target demo. They wanted and cherished us!” Victoria Edel said. Joanna Spilker also noted the respect for the customer that was evident in Wray’s offerings: “Unlike many other size-inclusive brands, Wray never made me feel like I had to pay a price for the privilege of wearing their clothes — whether an actual exorbitant up-charge or a sacrifice in taste level or quality. The respect shown to the buyer/wearer and the experience of shopping was as beautiful as the textiles themselves.”
The plus-size versions were identical to the straight-size [ones]… We didn’t get a frumpier sack version. We didn’t get the solids while straight sizes got prints, it was the exact same. That type of inclusion was so revolutionary for me.
rACHEL Marcus
For so many plus-size shoppers, Serna’s designs — which were never offered in watered-down, matronly versions for extended sizes — felt like a revelation: “Wray was probably the first brand where the plus-size versions were identical to the straight-size [ones],” said Rachel Marcus. “We didn’t get a frumpier sack version. We didn’t get the solids while straight sizes got prints, it was the exact same. That type of inclusion was so revolutionary for me. It altered my brain chemistry.” Fashion industry vet Kellie Brown agreed: “Not creating separate or limited items might seem obvious to a brand that has an inclusive size range but it almost never happens.”
A common thread I heard from so many people was that Wray was the key to finding their fashion identity: “Wray was the first time I felt like my dream closet was within reach,” says Marielle Elizabeth, a Canadian slow fashion influencer. “When I first discovered the brand I was turning 30 and desperately wanting my closet to grow up and reflect how I saw myself. Wray gave me that: silk dresses that skim my curves, timeless denim, coats that both keep me warm and pull my outfit together, and on-trend pieces that are FUN! COLOURFUL! JOYOUS! SEXY! Words that I’ve wanted to reflect my style for so long, and never was able to find in my size, let alone in sizes above me. Wray was my homecoming to the woman I always wanted to be.” Chicago-based shopper Claire Fey shared a similar story: “Wray is the first brand that got me excited about dressing myself in years… Shopping as a fat person can feel so dehumanizing and Wray cut through that shame and hurt. Wray let me feel cool and hot and interesting and well fucking dressed. I will miss this brand with my whole heart.”
But Wray’s impact on the community went well beyond the clothing, it offered something that so many plus shoppers clamor for: a brick-and-mortar store. Not only did the physical store in New York allow plus-size customers, who are often forced to buy online, to try items in person but it also fostered an IRL community. Plus fashion influencer Jessica Torres said it “became our third space”: “So many times my girlfriend and I went in just to hang out with the shop girls, which we became really close to, and now have lifelong friends. We even made friends with other plus-size shoppers while hanging out. Wray became a small yet safe space for many fat people.”
Shopping as a fat person can feel so dehumanizing… Wray let me feel cool and hot and interesting and well fucking dressed. I will miss this brand with my whole heart.
Claire Fey
Its parties and events always felt community-oriented, with everything from craft nights to Pride Week flash tattoo pop-ups. (I myself hosted a New York Fashion Week wrap party there in February of 2023.) “Wray represented a world where accessible plus-size fashion wasn’t out of reach,” says Teen Vogue associate editor Aiyana Ishmael. “[Living] in NYC, one of the world’s fashion capitals, I was constantly reminded that even though fashion was so important in this city, fat bodies still weren’t considered valued consumers… [The store] was a space to actually live out my ‘NYC main character’ moments as a fashion editor… Perusing through outfit options days before something important — rather than the standard online shopping I’ve been forced to do all my life — was an absolute delight. Wray was a retail reality larger bodies don’t often get.”
And in a fashion landscape that makes it more convenient (see: cheaper) to shop big names over independent brands, it’s a reality that’s getting rarer and rarer. “I used to love spending a day down on [Manhattan’s] Orchard Street because there was a little corridor of shops I could go to and try on in person with Wray, Ilana Kohn, and Big Bud Press. Now it’s just Big Bud left there,” Morgan Carattini said. “It always blows my mind that in a place like New York City plus-size women have so few places to shop in person and the options keep disappearing. Wray, in particular, filled the colorful, joyful hole in many wardrobes bringing us all the patterns we weren’t able to get elsewhere.”
The draw of a cool size-inclusive shopping experience extended far beyond the five boroughs of New York City. It was destination-worthy for many, including Jac, a shopper from Oregon who “went to NYC just to have the experience of visiting Wray in person,” and found the journey to be worth it. “It was the absolute best in-store experience I’ve had in my body! Every item came in my size, and I felt so beautiful I teared up in the dressing room! So grateful I could experience that.”
The inclusivity fostered by Wray wasn’t limited to size, either. It was a trans- and queer-friendly space. “As a trans person, I saw their size inclusivity as an invitation that they celebrated all bodies, including trans ones, too,” said Blossom Ruby Brown. Jen Rudolph echoed that: “Wray made me feel beautiful and elevated during a time when finding my personal style as a recently out queer human was stressing me out.”
Serna says that the best thing that came out of creating Wray was “the community” and the “real connections” it fostered. “The friendships, the support, the way this brand introduced me to an entire world of people who believe in something bigger than themselves. My brand made me believe in humanity again,” she says.
Wray represented a world where accessible plus-size fashion wasn’t out of reach… Wray was a retail reality larger bodies don’t often get.
Aiyana Ishmael
Even in the announcement of Wray’s closing, Serna continued her advocacy for inclusion by revealing the reason behind it. It’s all too common for the news of a size-inclusive brand closing due to financial reasons to be interpreted as a harbinger of doom for all plus-size fashion, but by reiterating that that’s not what was the case here, Serna continues the fight for the world WRAY showed to be possible.
“I hope to return to creating one day. But more than anything, I hope I’ve inspired others to be intentional about inclusivity. I hope people felt seen when they wore my designs. I hope they knew I truly saw them,” Serna says. “At a time when inclusivity is being challenged in so many ways, I hope Wray serves as a reminder that there are brands, designers, and creators who refuse to erase people. The fight for representation is ongoing, and my hope is that our legacy helps keep that fight alive.”
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