It’s hard to imagine a world with office dress codes after more than a year of working from home in pajamas, athleisure, or your middle school field day T-shirt. But the imminent return to office work is making us all wonder: How do you dress for IRL work? Actress Riley Keough has a suggestion — and it doesn’t involve giving up your pajamas.
Last week, Keough stepped out to do press for her new movie Zola in a white-and-blue Valentino pajama-like suit, styled by Jamie Mizrahi. The flowy set featured a printed long-sleeve top, with frontal pockets and blue feathers on the trims, and a matching pant. The actress took to Instagram to share the outfit with a photo of her lounging on a white duvet, proving the bed-to-desk capabilities of the look.
Throughout the pandemic, pajamas and athleisure have been the go-to styles for people prioritizing comfort in the midst of uncertainty, with nightgowns, sweatsuits, and nap dresses taking off as trends. Designers, too, have looked at indoor wear for inspiration, showing pieces in sweatsuit fabrics, flowy silhouettes, and all-around fuzziness. As such, Keough’s silhouette is a dream for anyone who’s worked from home for the last 15 months and can’t bear the thought of sitting through a 9-to-5 workday wearing constricting clothing or, worse, a full suit.
As we return to pre-pandemic activities, we’ll be finding ways to hold on to our work from home comfy clothes — and looking to Keough’s look for inspiration.
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Nicola Coughlan arrives for the Virgin Media BAFTA TV awards at the TV Centre, Wood Lane, London. Picture date: Sunday June 6, 2021. (Photo by Ian West/PA Images via Getty Images)
On Sunday, British television’s buzziest stars, including The Crown’s Helena Bonham Carter and Killing Eve’s Jodie Comer, came together at London’s Television Center for the 2021 BAFTA Awards. For the occasion, attendees used the opportunity to dress up in fashion as dramatic as the roles they were there to celebrate, with many — including Bridgerton’sNicole Coughlan and Golda Rosheuvel, as well as It’s A Sin’s Lydia West — incorporating statement sleeves into their standout red carpet looks.
Coughlan and Rosheuvel channeled their characters from the Regency-era Netflix series: Coughlan chose a neon orange scuba dress, from Valentino’s latest haute couture collection, with billowing sleeves, a voluminous skirt, and a fitted waist. Rosheuvel wore a see-through black dress by Simone Rocha, with a white Oxford shirt underneath and embellished Oxfords.
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 06: Golda Rosheuvel arrives at the Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards 2021 at Television Centre on June 6, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 06: Lydia West attends the Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards 2021 at Television Centre on June 06, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images)
West, along with Doctor Who‘s Billie Piper, joined the cast of Bridgerton by debuting bubble sleeves at the event. West’s take included a black, high-necked gown from Loewe that featured cloud-like sleeves. Piper went the more daring approach, wearing a black mini dress with one oversized, hot pink sleeve and sash from Moschino’s pre-fall ‘21 collection. Sex Education’s Aimee Lou Wood followed the cottagecore route, choosing a pink-and-white floral dress with a statement collar by Miu Miu.
Though not volumnious, I May Destroy You’s Michaela Coel’s sleeves absolutely made a statement. Coel, who created and starred in the HBO show that took home two awards at the BAFTA TV Awards — one for Best Leading Actress and another for Best Mini Series — chose a black, cut-out gown from Maximilian that featured flared sleeves the color of the red carpet.
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 06: Michaela Coel, accepting the Best Mini-Series award for “I May Destroy You”, poses in the Winners Room at the Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards 2021 at Television Centre on June 6, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 06: Billie Piper arrives at the Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards 2021 at Television Centre on June 6, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images)
All that’s to say, if you were considering recycling your statement sleeves in a post-lockdown closet cleanout, don’t. According to the BAFTA TV Awards red carpet, this is one trend that’s only just getting started.
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Whereas Instagram was once the go-to for finding viral fashion — think: Ganni’s seersucker check dress — more recently, these trends have been taking over TikTok. Over the last year-plus, styles like the Aerie cross-over leggings, Aritzia Melina pants, and Amazon butt-scrunch leggings have exploded on the Gen Z-approved platform. With so many items turning into viral sensations in next to no time, though, it can be tricky to keep track of its buzziest styles.
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. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.
Zara Satin-Effect Short Dress
From a now-sold-out Kermit green, printed mini to the more simple white or red version, this cowl-neck slip dress from Zara is a hit across the board. Get it while it's still available, because, as Zara lovers will tell you, once something sells out, you're unlikely to see it again.
Zara Short Satin Effect Dress, $, available at Zara
Marcelo Gaia's '90s-inspired fashion brand Mirror Palais was destined to go viral on TikTok. It was only a matter of which hot girl summer dress would be the first to catch peoples' attention. The winner? The sparkly Fairy Dress, which has garnered over 677,000 likes on the platform. Unfortunately, even after a recent restock, the mini is no longer available. Let us introduce you to a worthy alternative, instead: Gaia's underwire slip dress.
Mirror Palais Underwire Slip Dress Rose, $, available at Mirror Palais
House Of Sunny Good Vibrations Dress
You've seen the famous green Hockney dress from House of Sunny, but have you noticed its pastel counterpart? The wave-print dress is nearing the same viral status as its predecessor, which means you should act fast.
House Of Sunny Good Vibrations Dress, $, available at House of Sunny
Princess Polly Penney Mini Dress
Is it just us or is this lilac-colored dress from Princess Polly in every single clothing haul on TikTok? If lavender isn't your color, the ruched style has seven other colorways.
Princess Polly Penney Mini Dress, $, available at Princess Polly
According to Lisa Says Gah and TikTok, babydoll dresses are back. Sadly, the San Francisco-based brand's popular zebra-print style is no longer available. But, the exact same silhouette with a pink-and-red print is. In fact, it's on sale. You can thank us later.
Lisa Says Gah Lena Babydoll Mini Dress, $, available at Lisa Says Gah
Zara Gingham Dress
Given the thousands of Zara hauls on TikTok, it was inevitable that more than just one dress would go viral. In addition to the Spanish brand's slinky slip dress, this pink-and-white gingham frock, too, is gaining attention on the platform.
Meanwhile, on another grid, the one that runs through the streets of New York City, a show of support with significantly more punch played out. Nestled between 34th and 40th Streets, from Broadway to Ninth Avenue, is the Garment District, a small and once-mighty quarter where, according to a recent study by artisans-rights nonprofit Nest, 54% of all businesses are Asian American-owned and led. According to a study by The Asian American Federation, almost 44% of the total workers in America’s garment industry are Asian. The neighborhood’s factory owners, pattern makers, fabric cutters, seamstresses, and more, have worked there for generations and play an indispensable role in the fashion industry. And yet, as Asian American-directed violence increases around the U.S., the fashion industry hasn’t rushed to support them as much as they support their Asian customers. In fact, many brands have begun seeking production elsewhere to cut costs on labor.
Rather than broadcasting their support for the AAPI community on social media, designers can make a direct impact and reroute their efforts to investing in the thousands of Asian Americans who play a crucial part in New York City’s reputation as a major fashion capital. One way they can do so is by sourcing their patterns, samples, and collections from the many AAPI-owned factories in the Garment District that are currently struggling to stay afloat.
The Asian American Federation found that the apparel manufacturing industry in New York saw a 52.8% decrease of jobs in April and 41% in May of 2020 compared to the same period in 2019. There’s only one thing that will prevent more such losses: steady work.
“The neighborhood is so diverse and rich with culture, it is almost like a second Chinatown: full of history, friendship, and community.”
“Because of my Asian background, in a sense, going to the Garment District factories that are Asian-owned is like talking to my grandma or my uncle — it’s like going home,” says Timothy Jaw, the founder of New York fashion brand Jaw x Jawshop. “The neighborhood is so diverse and rich with culture, it is almost like a second Chinatown, full of history, friendship, and community.” Though Jaw sees the draw of manufacturing abroad as his brand grows as the cost of manufacturing in New York is much higher than overseas, he feels compelled to continue working with local factories, especially now, after the pandemic caused a steep decline in business for Asian Americans that work in garment manufacturing.
Jaw’s patternmaker, William Wai, has been a key figure in the Garment District for more than 40 years, having started as a sample maker after he arrived in New York from Hong Kong in his twenties. He’s owned his own clothing manufacturing company, helped launch some of the city’s most well-known brands, and worked with labels like Christian Siriano and Mark McNary. He finds business only through word-of-mouth due to his sterling reputation in the industry.
Now, four decades after he arrived in the once-booming locale, Wai sees all the ways that the Garment District has changed. There was a time when seeing large garment trucks parked on either side of the street, racks rolling constantly through crowded sidewalks, and friendly faces everywhere was the norm. Wai says he hardly sees anyone these days: “A ghost town,” he describes.
As fashion sales plummeted during the pandemic, many designers began looking for ways to save money, which often meant leaving their pricier manufacturers in New York for cheaper alternatives. Even before the pandemic, more and more brands that had started in the Garment District were taking their business to less expensive factories overseas as they scaled.
Having experienced firsthand the tireless work that those who craft his pieces put into every garment, as well as the family-oriented nature of the communities in the Garment District, Jaw says that he wouldn’t dare follow suit. “I love seeing my community, improving my broken Mandarin, and working with them to create new designs,” he says. “It gives me a sense of purpose and joy.”
“We continued to produce [in the Garment District] last year, and we will continue to do so in the future because the quality and craftsmanship are stellar.”
Alexandra O’Neill, founder of Markarian
He’s one of a core group of designers and brands that remain devoted to supporting the local economy. “We have been producing in the Garment District since Markarian’s inception in 2017,” says Alexandra O’Neill, whose label got a boost earlier this year when Jill Biden wore one of its designs on Inauguration Day. “We continued to produce there last year, and we will continue to do so in the future because the quality and craftsmanship are stellar,” the designer says. According to O’Neill, producing locally comes with several upsides. “I know exactly who is making [my pieces] and can feel good about the conditions in which they are working,” she says. Though she recognizes that prices are higher in New York, she says that by remaining there, she has complete control over worker treatment, production lead times, and quality. “These are essential if you want to produce a truly luxury product,” she says.
Lauren Chan is the founder of plus-size luxury brand Henning, and she agrees. According to Chan, manufacturing in the Garment District allows her brand to maintain a high level of craftsmanship while also cutting waste by producing in small batches and avoiding global shipping, which helps to keep carbon emissions down. Most importantly, though, it supports local family- and Asian-owned businesses. “As a half-Chinese person, it makes me extremely proud that the best quality clothing in New York City is produced by Asian-owned factories,” she tells Refinery29.
“As a half-Chinese person, it makes me extremely proud that the best quality clothing in New York City is produced by Asian-owned factories.”
Lauren Chan, founder of Henning
Chan and O’Neill maintain close relationships with everyone in their supply chains, from the seamstresses to the sample makers. Chan says she’s used multiple factories over the past couple years since she launched Henning in 2019, and not a single one of these relationships let her down. “I have known three generations of the family from one of our factories,” says O’Neill.
Thirty blocks downtown, the sentiment is the same. Instagram-favorite SusanAlexandra began manufacturing her popular handbags after spotting an array of beaded items in a Chinatown shop owned by local artisan Lisa Deng. Immediately upon seeing Deng’s pieces, Alexandra commissioned her to bead a bag with a watermelon on it — something that Deng had never done before. When Alexandra decided to manufacture similar bags for her then-jewelry brand, she named Deng her head of production, which the shop owner took as an opportunity to hire dozens of fellow Asian American artisans to help her.
“For me, working with these women is one of the most gratifying parts of this whole song and dance,” Alexandra says. “I feel like I have partners who are just as excited as me. I deeply cherish them.” Alexandra’s brand has snowballed into one of the most recognizable accessories brands on social media. Throughout its growth, the designer never considered taking her production elsewhere. “The women who make our pieces have been artisans for years, and have a level of understanding of this craft that constantly impresses me,” she says.
“There is a great synergy between the industry and [fashion] schools because of the Garment District.”
Adam Friedman, the director of the Pratt Center
The Garment District plays another vital role in the city’s fashion ecosystem: It’s a hotbed of talent; home to schools like Pratt, the Fashion Institute of Technology, and Parsons; and where thousands of new creatives flock to create their debut collections every year. “There is a great synergy between the industry and the schools because of the Garment District,” says Adam Friedman, the director of the Pratt Center. There, young designers can get everything done, from purchasing fabrics to making samples.
No matter how popular O’Neill’s dresses are among the First Family or how many young designers utilize the Garment District post-grad, they alone aren’t enough to keep New York’s garment industry afloat. As pattern maker Wai points out, the Garment District is almost entirely deserted right now. Many of those who are still there believe they won’t be able to stay open for much longer if designers and big brands don’t invest in the neighborhood’s factories.
Awareness and funding is a necessary first step in the fight for a safer and more equitable future for Asian Americans, no hashtag required.
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