Tory Burch Just Created The Anti-Lazy Athleisure Look You’ll Want To Try ASAP

There are several qualities quintessential to a Tory Burch collection. First is the emphasis on tailoring and suiting — Burch covers all the bases, from ladylike trousers to sleek coats to full-on pantsuit sets. Second, is the way she pairs the different pieces together, artfully layering a turtleneck under a button-down under a coat or styling a dress with a vest (both looks seen in her previous collections.) For Burch’s Fall/Winter 2022 runway show, attendees were greeted with similar polished attitudes from her ready-to-wear and accessories. However, there was a surprise or two in store for fans.

The first outfit that came down the runway was neither a belted blazer outfit (a signature of Burch’s) nor a structured warm weather coat. Instead, opening the show was a model clad in a dark half-zip pullover with neon yellow track stripes running down the sleeves. A blue sequin skinny scarf (reminiscent of the ones popular in the early aughts) looped around her neck, eventually drawing your eyes downwards, towards a pair of tailored pants.

“The spirit of American sportswear is the through line connecting our seasons. Optimism and ease balance the collection’s heightened sense of luxury,” read the show notes. The unexpected opening outfit felt utterly relaxed — casual but not thoughtless. This theme was echoed in a few more athleisure-inspired ensembles, as guests took in a lime green version of the half zip — this time, styled with beige trousers. If you wanted to merge the casualness of sportswear with the elevated tastes of a New York City gal, these outfits serve as your home base.

Sporty looks aside, the rest of Burch’s creations did serve as recognizable touch points for her eponymous label. For instance, tailoring was a major focus this season for the designer and the collection’s hero blazer with curved hips was intentionally constructed to fit without buttons or closures. One can’t miss the pintucked trousers in Napa leather or the skirts in cotton-linen shantung, either. The pleats on the skirts gave off a prep flair and, when coupled with an asymmetrical wrap shirt, could easily be your new uptown uniform. (The aforementioned shirt could alternatively be worn with jeans, too, for those who prefer pants.)

To keep the collection dynamic, Burch sprinkled in both hand-beaded jersey T-shirts in primary hues (styled with belted skirts) and tailored shantung bustiers into the lineup. The embellishment pattern on both items was then reinterpreted as a knit motif for a mohair vest. The color palette for the Fall/Winter 2022 season, as you’ll notice, was a mix of nearly neon shades of chartreuse, cobalt, and fuchsia set against optic white and earthy shades of brown. (The latter aligns with the crowning of this hue as the new neutral for 2022.) As noted in the press release, the shades were nods to the “subtle influence from the Memphis art movement, particularly the work of [artist and designer] Nathalie du Pasquier.”

No matter how you look at the Fall/Winter 2022 collection, it’s clear Burch’s vision for next season reflects how people want to dress: daywear and activewear intertwined as one. She masterfully achieved this synergy via all her designs, which you can further explore ahead.