Naked dressing reached new extremes in the summer of 2023. Here in New York, at least, it wasn’t unusual to see young women stepping out in boxer shorts and tanks, and in many cases bra tops were replaced by bras, plain and simple. Anticipating another hot one in 2024, Rachel Comey has put together a steamy lineup for pref-fall. With an eye to the thermostat, she’s added portholes to everything from ribbed knit sweaters to smocked cotton dresses, and otherwise zeroed in on abbreviated and body-baring silhouettes like undies with built-in belts and crocheted camis.
Comey’s kind of sexy is oriented to the female gaze, however, and the quirkiness that has defined her work for more than two decades is still very much present. The portholes, for example, appear on the back of a little sweater and sundress, and for her contribution to the boxer shorts as outerwear phenomenon, she styled a white pair under a black midi-skirt with discreet potential.
A “kitchen sink” skirt embroidered with all manner of holographic sequins and paillettes tapped into that eccentric streak, as did, to a lesser extent, the swirly knit jacquard separates with drawstrings for adjusting the amount of midriff or leg to show off. But the collection was well-rounded enough to include a linen knit dress in a tawny light brown and a three-piece pant suit in a certified viscose and linen blend, either of which would be suitable office attire for Comey customers with desk jobs. She also has an interesting take on “event dressing.” Instead of a cocktail dress or even a jumpsuit, which have become fairly ubiquitous, she proposed a matching off-the-shoulder top and pants set in a highly textured “foam” fabric; it looked like a lot of fun.