This Spring and Summer is shaping up to be the season of the great cover up, with looser relaxed silhouettes, long sleeves, midi lengths and higher necklines. We've entered a fashion moment of so called modesty dressing. This look apparently first surfaced in Brooklyn with young women creatively cocooning themselves in layers of long loose garments from head to toe. Now, it's all over the runways and heading rapidly towards our closets.
Phoebe Philo, the creative director at Céline wrote in an email for Vanessa Friedman's Times article Women, Fashion Has You Covered, "Images of women being intensely beautified, sexualized and shown like dolls over many years has had an impact on me, as I believe it has on us all." Ms Philo's signature aesthetic is about soft, loosely structured clothing, that's also feminine and as you can see in the photo above and below the models look ever so chic though covered head-to-toe.
Stella McCartney Spring 2017 New York Times
Whatever's driving this trend it's certainly a welcome departure from the down-to-there necklines, up-to-here hems and body-con frocks of recent seasons. The pendulum had swung to quite an extreme degree and is now recalibrating.
I, for one am loving the elegance and sophistication of these outfits, emphasizing comfort and style can be mutually compatible.
Belted voile dress by Cefinn - nothing says summer like white
Ruth Negga at the Academy Awards this year ahead of the curve in full-on long sleeves high neckline sweeping gown - she was certainly noticed! New York Times
Fatima at Loewe - New York Times