Two closets, two continents
For the last two years, I’ve essentially had two separate wardrobes. One for home in Los Angeles, and one for University in St Andrews. In LA, it’s been strictly athleisure or loungewear but always a matching set, so my mom can’t berate me for putting no effort into my outfit.
But I can’t wear sweatpants anywhere now…?
St Andrews has them unofficially banned in public, and now, back in the States, my favorite influencer, Eli Rallo, says she’s not wearing them out of the house anymore. When I’m home, it is strictly athleisure or comfy sets. And they are normally intentionally matching to maintain some semblance of togetherness, but apparently, that is not enough going forward. There will be no escaping the polished, smart-casual look. Has America finally decided to fall back in line with the mother country? Are we putting real clothes on again?
A cultural shift
Getting dressed at school feels more deliberate. We’re not afraid to look like we tried. Effort is celebrated instead of criticized. Even casual looks have structure with a stiff wool coat or pleated trousers. Elements of an outfit that say I was considered, not just thrown on. If you were to wear sweatpants out, the choice would be just as much of a statement, but it would say something very different. This is not an explicitly defined rule, but it is definitely understood within the culture of college couture, which I explained in my last style article.
The strange part is how quickly all of us students adapted. What felt completely normal to me in Southern California felt wildly underdressed in Scotland. I played into the persona of who I wanted to be as a student. But every summer and winter break, I fall right back into who I want to be as a stay-at-home daughter. As a Los Angeles native.
That’s why this shift I have watched on social media and felt in the US is so jarring to me. Influencers, like my people’s princess Eli Rallo, are signaling the end of public appearances in sweats and athletic clothes in non-exercise settings. This raises a big question for me: are we completely abandoning the comfort prioritization that defined my wardrobe post-pandemic?
death to my double life
In America, athleisure has long dominated streetwear fashion. Brands like Lululemon built their entire platforms on the idea that you can and should be comfortable wherever you go, whether it’s running errands, going to lectures, or even out for dinner.
After 2020, this mindset only intensified. During the early post-pandemic era, the loungewear and athleisure outside was more of a survival tactic. We were fatigued and in need of small comforts. Six years later, the art of the matching set has come quite a long way. They bridged the gap, extending the acceptance of this attire beyond the confines of working out or working from home. Comfort is justified by the appearance of coordinated effort.
But I am beginning to think that we have stretched this for as long as it might go. The American fashion pendulum seems to be swinging back towards structure. Towards the outfits that outwardly require a little more thought and intention. We are turning back towards the mother country.
dressing up or growing up?
I do wonder why this is. Have we simply been running on borrowed time with the lounge aesthetic? Or maybe this is an age demographic thing? Is it just because we are growing up and our style has to mature with us? I think not, though, because have you looked at how twenty-something girls dressed in the early 2000s? Is our generation aging itself, then? I mean, I have fallen victim to it. I tend to dress the same for lectures as my mom does for her corporate job.
If America is catching up to the UK’s more intentional approach to dressing, it is not just a fashion trend but a complete mindset shift. I’m not sure yet whether I think this is a good thing. Even though I enjoy the polish of getting dressed in St Andrews, a big part of why I can fully embrace it is that I have time to slip back into athleisure when I return home.
As of now, I am not ready to give up my double life, but we will see how long US standards will allow me to continue it.