Nudity reached new extremes in the summer of 2023. Here in New York at least, it wasn’t unusual to see young women showing up in boxers and tank tops, and in many cases bra tops were replaced by bras, plain and simple. . In anticipation of a new hit in 2024, Rachel Comey has put together a steamy lineup for the fall. Keeping the thermostat in mind, she’s added portholes to everything from ribbed knit sweaters to smocked cotton dresses, and otherwise focused on abbreviated and body-baring silhouettes like underwear with built-in straps and crochet camis.
Comey’s brand of sexy, however, is focused on the female gaze, and the whimsy that has defined her work for more than two decades is still strong. For example, the portholes appear on the back of a small sweater and sundress, and for her contribution to the boxer shorts as an outerwear phenomenon, she styled a white pair under a black midi skirt with discreet options.
A ‘kitchen sink’ skirt embroidered with all kinds of holographic sequins and sequins tapped into that eccentric stripe, as well as, to a lesser extent, the swirly knit jacquard is separated by drawstrings to adjust the amount of midriff or leg to show off. But the collection was complete enough and included a linen knit dress in tan tan and a three-piece pantsuit in a certified viscose-linen blend, both of which would be appropriate office attire for Comey clients 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 trousers, in a highly structured ‘foam fabric’; it looked very nice.
