It’s the quintessential New York moment: sprinting through a snowstorm in a sparkly dress, a mismatched coat thrown over your shoulders. It’s that iconic look of early 2010s Raf Simons for Jil Sander, where white tees were paired with taffeta mermaid skirts. It’s the early aughts Balenciaga aesthetic, Nicolas Ghesquière merging sparkly going out tops with military green cargos and strappy sandals. It’s Veronica Webb gracefully removing an orange fur-trimmed puffer jacket to reveal a shiny corset and skirt on Isaac Mizrahi’s runway in the mid-’90s. It’s Dries Van Noten’s collaboration with Christian Lacroix, and now, it’s Mrs. Prada and countless others at the spring 2025 shows.
The trend has a name:
going out dresses under technical outerwear
. It’s a high-low fashion moment that’s both timeless and perfectly practical. Sure, it’s nothing revolutionary. We’ve seen it countless times before. Every New Yorker throws on a puffer jacket over their clubby dress during the winter. But this season, it’s back on the runways, and it feels right.In New York, Brandon Maxwell sent models down the runway in silvery sequin ensembles topped with khaki raincoats. London’s Daniel Lee proposed wearing his Burberry anoraks over resplendent going-out dresses. And in Milan, Mrs. Prada and Raf Simons delivered a decisive, and utterly fabulous, pairing of orange and yellow windbreakers over feathery and sequined frocks.
This trend is a masterclass in styling, merging evening wear with casual wear and functional outerwear. It’s a perfect example of how to make the most glamorous fashions feel relatable. It’s how we dress: tank tops with taffeta skirts, sequin tops under puffer jackets, sparkly going out dresses under anoraks. It’s the epitome of New York style, the “it’s snowing outside and I walked here” aesthetic. As my Vogue colleague and loyal ferry commuter Willow Lindley put it this morning after the Prada show: “it’s ferry couture!”
It’s fascinating how a touch of practicality can elevate a look. Mixing pragmatism with frivolity makes fashion feel real. Trends come and go, but one thing remains constant: you’ll always need a sturdy winter jacket to wear to the club in the middle of winter. So embrace the high-low, the practicality, and the effortless chic of the going-out dress under outerwear trend. And as you navigate the snowy streets, remember: you’re channeling a timeless fashion moment, one that’s as stylish as it is practical.
