New York Fall 2021: 3.1 Phillip Lim

3.1 Phillip Lim’s Fall 2021 collection is superb. In the cuts, in the colour palette, in the fabrics, in the contrast between the rigorous masculinity and the female sensuality. Lim is well known for his tailoring skills, and part of his charm lies in the rigour of his creations: a Lim suit will stay with you for a very long time, and its cut will remain up-to-date and desirable even after many years. The Fall ’21 outfits speak of a near-future where, hopefully, we will return to the offices and the daily social life, therefore needing smart suits with which to face the world. Suits are worn with linear coats, flared skirts with blouses or chunky sweaters. At the feet, pumps with low heels, bold lace-ups, or suede boots: it’s a minimized summary of all we need in our wardrobes.

Even if the combinations are basic and bon-ton, each outfit is completed by a detail capable of modernizing the whole. This is a truly American characteristic: they make the basics ultra-modern with a few tricks that make all the difference. This is because of the fabrics: the crisp wool of the suits, the irreverent knitwear (shaped, layered, buttoned), but also the velvet, the sequins and the incredible lace. This is also because of the thin sweaters and thick tights, both with huge holes: they pop out from under blazers and blouses, but also from the deep slits of midi skirts.

It is now sure that comfort will be of main importance in the future of fashion, even in the most formal environments. On the other hand, Phillip Lim’s collection reminds us that, once we come out of the nightmare, we will have to rediscover ourselves, our body and how it communicates – physically – with the world. New precautions will be needed, small precious elements that will not only change the perception that others have of us but above all the one we have of ourselves.

Cover image courtesy: 3.1 Phillip Lim