Normcore Is Spreading: Sweatshirts Are Now Fashionable

Sweatshirts are the hot trend for fall, you know, the time of year when you’ll probably be wearing sweatshirts anyway, because the air is crisp and long-sleeves are helpful. I, as a fashionable lazy person, am thrilled about this news. Et tu?

Every autumn, designers try to fit round fashion pieces into square holes and I’m weary. Sleeveless turtlenecks. Peep-toe boots. Cropped tops. Dude, it’s September and it rained all morning, what the fuck am I going to do with boots that leave my toes to the elements?! Trends don’t justify soggy toes! But now, the sartorial gods have heard my cry because sweatshirts, those comfy, baggy garments our mothers wore to the gym and then to the grocery store, are in style. Houses like Givenchy, Dolce & Gabbana, Richard Chai, Rick Owens, Richard Nicoll and Dries Van Noten are making sweatshirts that will be viewed as dressy! I’m sure GQ, Esquire and Details has a whole fashion story featuring some dude wearing one right now.

Now, when it’s cold, I can bundle up and still be part of the In Crowd. From the New York Post:

“In the last five years, we’ve been placing more emphasis on the athletic element,” says Calvin Klein Creative director Italo Zucchelli. “This collection was a celebration of American sportswear but with updated proportions and a luxurious feel. I wanted to create clothes that are right for the city in the winter and have an understated elegance to them.”

Before they had even hit stores, One Direction’s Harry Styles and Drake had been seen sporting the statement pieces, solidifying their status as a seasonal must-have.

Don’t get me wrong, if it’s cold, I’m wearing warm clothes. I’ve got several favorite sweatshirts, a vintage Mickey Mouse one included. It’s been in rotation so long every wash is testing fate. Still, it’s nice when the fashion trends fall in line with my closet.