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Take a look at the recent spring 2025 runways. That normcore Lorde look—a simple dress shirt, loose-legged jeans—was all over the high-fashion catwalks. At Balenciaga, a striped polo was paired with baggy jeans (Lorde even wore this exact look recently); At Tommy Hilfiger, an extra-long dress shirt was also paired over slouchy denim, while Casablanca showed a printed bra top with its swishy jeans. If summer 2024 was all about sexy and raunchy dressing (very Brat!), 2025 seems to be much more sober in aesthetic—a deliberately plain and classic mood. It is both rigid (dress shirt), yet undone (baggy jean)—a combination of finance bros meets Lower East Side creatives.
For Lorde, the new look mirrors where she is creatively and artistically. In a recent interview, the singer said she is “in the middle gender-wise,” adding, “I’m a woman except for the days when I’m a man.” Her “What Was That” outfit reflects this intentionally: It blurs the lines of masculine and feminine, and plays up a more androgynous feel.
Of course, one could also look at the political and culture landscape of the moment to inform such a choice of fashion, too. With many human rights under threat with our current administration—including LGBTQ+ rights and resources for trans youth—a more nondescript and label-free uniform can act as a form of protection, or even a form of rebellion. In other words: Maybe it’s not just about wearing a dress shirt and jeans, but about resisting something bigger—a form of armor.
Lorde Summer may just be kicking off, but we have already seen the nondescript uniform appear on plenty of street style stars during Fashion Month. (The combo is also everywhere in New York City; I saw four iterations of the look on my commute this morning alone.) And when Lorde kicks off her tour in September, we are calling it now: One can expect plenty of Lorde Outfit cameos there, too.
The good news is, the outfit is easy to replicate, should you be a fan of the movement. Get a classic button-up (or steal one from your partner), and throw on your baggiest pair of jeans. Voila! (But don’t forget the carabiner adorned with keys and charms.)
#Lorde #Summer #Influencing #Wear
