Why It’s Time to Ditch Comfort This Spring

Please, no more sweatpants! Two Vogue writers are ready to rock torturous heels, tight pants, and constricting corsets this spring.

Pre-pandemic, the idea of “comfort dressing” never really crossed my mind. At the office, I’d always dress to impress, gravitating towards constricting trousers or blazers in which I could barely move my arms. After work, I’d then meet a few friends for happy hour drinks and slip into some Cuban heeled boots, tight pants, and a clingy top that would itch and scratch me all night. Ah, memories. Coming home, slightly buzzed from martinis—my arches aching from the boots that I stuffed my feet into—I’d have zero regrets about it all. I didn’t care because I looked good in the moment.

The words “comfy” or “practical” were ones I rarely thought about in my wardrobe before last year—but ironically, comfort dressing ended up becoming my prime fashion focus in 2020. With a stay-at-home order and a new work-from-home lifestyle, I suddenly found myself giving my uncomfy clothes a major rest this past year. The most worn item in my wardrobe has become the sweatsuit—and admit it, it’s yours, too! I’ve worked in sweats, I’ve run errands in sweats—there isn’t much I don’t do in sweats. And with nobody around to see what I’m wearing, why bother with anything else when I can be cozy?

However, that was then—and this is now. Spring is officially here, and as the vaccines are being rolled out, it seems like it’s officially time to think about reemerging into the world again. And more importantly, it’s time to start dressing up again. I certainly have missed flexing a statement outfit and wearing something uncomfortable, just for the sake of the look. Beauty is pain, after all! And it turns out, I’m not alone in this sentiment.

My colleague, Vogue market editor Rachel Besser, agrees it’s time to bust out the going-out heels, corsets, and slinky tops again. “This past year, I didn’t want to think about, let alone feel, my clothes on my body as I spent my days cooped up at home,” says Besser. “Now, with reemergence on the horizon, I have found myself craving the antithesis of comfort-first clothes. I want to wear clothes I can physically feel on my body again.”

Lucky for us both, there are a few spring trends that are emerging now, which are perfect for putting our anti-comfort sensibilities to the test. Whether it’s a skyscraper heel, a saucy tight pant, or a bold (and heavy!) earring to finish off the ensemble, there’s a number of fashion-focused pieces that one can start considering again this season—they might even make us feel “normal” again, too. “To me, earning slightly-sore feet from a pair of heels, or feeling snug and cinched in a structured top as I head out to a socially-distanced dinner, actually help mark the end of what’s been a long and turbulent year,” says Besser. “It’s time to get uncomfortable again.” So long, sweatpants!

Below, four things we’re ready to wear again this spring.

Waist-Snatching Corsets

Mach & Mach crystal-embellished satin corset

$835MODA OPERANDIShop Now

Vivienne Westwood classic corset cherry

$1,555VIVIENNE WESTWOODShop Now

Orseund Iris velvet-trimmed cotton-canvas bustier top

$685NET-A-PORTERShop Now

Miaou Leia corset

$225MIAOUShop Now

Balmain lace-up wool-blend flannel bustier top

$2,295NET-A-PORTERShop Now

Danielle Guizio bustier lace-up corset top

$192BROWNSShop Now

Fleur du Mal knit corset top

$275FLEUR DU MALShop Now

Reformation Minton bow-detailed floral-print linen top

$130NET-A-PORTERShop Now

Renaissance Renaissance firebird pintucked cotton-gauze and grain de poudre

$520NET-A-PORTERShop Now

Nanushka Dahlia faux-leather bustier top

$260BROWNSShop Now

Door Knocker Earrings

Mounser silver Found Object earrings

$255SSENSEShop Now

Paco Rabanne gold-tone flexible chain-mail drape earrings

$345BROWNSShop Now

Laura Lombardi Scala gold-tone earrings

$130NET-A-PORTERShop Now

AZ Factory gold-tone faux-pearl earrings

$375NET-A-PORTERShop Now

Sterling King gold-plated Sylvia crystal drop earrings

$409BROWNSShop Now

Alessandra Rich silver-tone crystal and faux-pearl clip earrings

$510NET-A-PORTERShop Now

Mondo Mondo gold-plated oyster pendant earrings

$325BROWNSShop Now

Kenneth Jay Lane gold-tone crystal clip on earrings

$235BROWNSShop Now

Simone Rocha white cluster drip earrings

$270SSENSEShop Now

Isabel Marant silver-tone crystal earrings

$315NET-A-PORTERShop Now

Skyscraper Heels

Gianvito Rossi 105 leather-trimmed fishnet pumps

$745NET-A-PORTERShop Now

Bottega Veneta chain-embellished leather sandals

$930NET-A-PORTERShop Now

Amina Muaddi black Awge edition crystal butterfly phoenix sling heels

$1,345SSENSEShop Now

Roger Vivier broche Vivier buckle pumps in satin

$1,875ROGER VIVIERShop Now

Mango high-heeled shoes with straps

$120MANGOShop Now

Tamara Mellon Absolute Nappa sandals

$650TAMARA MELLONShop Now

The Attico Venus leather pumps with chain anklet

$765MODA OPERANDIShop Now

Jacquemus Les Novio sandals

$700SHOPBOPShop Now

Wandler 85mm strappy slide sandals

$490$196BERGDORF GOODMANShop Now

Zara tie-back ruched heeled shoes

$50ZARAShop Now

Tight, Taut Pants

Area Lurex skinny pants

$550NET-A-PORTERShop Now

Reese Cooper cotton 3D pocket pant in Khaki

$498REESE COOPERShop Now

Khaite the Charles pant in cognac suede

$2,900KHAITEShop Now

Proenza Schouler leather pants

$1,990PROENZA SCHOULERShop Now

Nanushka Tabbie checked seersucker straight-leg pants

$380NET-A-PORTERShop Now

Rotate Birger Chirstensen jewel faux patent-leather slim-leg pants

$240NET-A-PORTERShop Now

Tibi Cassius slim-leg trousers

$475BROWNSShop Now

Tre by Natalie Ratabesi the Lynne cotton-blend twill skinny pants

$1,000NET-A-PORTERShop Now

Peter Do woven slim-leg pants

$985$493NET-A-PORTERShop Now

This story originally appeared on: Vogue - Author:Christian Allaire