142/ What I'm Wearing: La Rentrée

Casual vs. Intentional Casual + #NewBurch, all red & shedding metaphorical weight

What I’m Wearing is a series where I share all of the outfits I’ve worn over a given week (or two), along with styling notes, links and related thoughts. If you see an outfit you like on my Instagram, you’ll find it here.

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By now, many of you have probably heard of the “Toryssance,” the fresh new direction taken by American lifestyle brand Tory Burch, observed in its early days by Substackers like

laura reilly

¹ and

Liana Satenstein

.

In February, Burch spoke to Nylon about managing what has become a global $1B brand: “Over the years, I realized that I was running the business, and in the end, that wasn’t my passion….I was designing maybe 20% of my time.”

The brand’s turning point began as far back as late 2018 when Burch handed the CEO reigns over to her husband and former LVMH executive Pierre-Yves Roussel (the main force in placing Phoebe Philo at Celine and Jonathan Anderson at Loewe) freeing herself up to dedicate all of her time to designing.

In her spring 2021 collection, we saw the first hints of change, and by spring 2023, the brand’s rebirth was official in the eyes of fashion insiders and onlookers.

The layering in Tory Burch’s spring 2023 collection reminded me of the layered jerseys from Calvin Klein circa spring 1997 (which was the only thing I wanted to wear at the time!). Japanese getas were having a moment then, too. Right on cue for the 20-year trend cycle, The Row debuted the Ginza in 2019. RIP Stella Tennant.

Outfits for a Night Out

Curious to see more #NewBurch in person, I popped into Tory Burch’s Design District boutique during a visit to Miami in December.

I didn’t have a lot of time — I was en route to a rendez-vous with

Hey Mrs. Solomon on Style

— so I scanned the racks quickly, mentally referencing images I had seen online.

Really, there were only two pieces I wanted to try on, neither of which were on the floor. A long shot because they were previous season, I asked the SA and, hooray, both were in the back! This dress (which I loved on Anny Choi here) was way too short on me and my long torso. Instead, I bought the skirt version and sized up to get more length. Made from a gauzy, ever-so summery silk, a sheer black tight brought the skirt into winter party season. (Side note: I find it jarring navigating the website, with thrice if not 4x more expensive #NewBurch pieces side-by-side with OG styles.)

Raey raglan sleeve coat via TRR, COS hero sweater & mens tee, Tory Burch ruched silk mini skirt (cheaper on NAP), Magda Butrym boots and vintage Prada bag via 1132 Consignment, Zara boots.

The second piece I had been eyeing were the pierced slingbacks, with which I felt inspired to wear head-to-toe red for a round of holiday drinks. People have asked me if they’re comfortable but I didn’t walk enough in them to get a good sense. Will report back after the next couple of wears.

Aritzia long sleeve tee, H&M skirt, tights via Amazon, Tory Burch pierced slingback.

For a milestone family gathering, I turned to a more conservative outfit with bare legs on an aberrant 13C(55F) January day:

White + Warren cashmere turtleneck, Comme des Garçons via Rewind Couture, Chanel bag via VSP Consignment (get 10% off regular price with code IRENEKIM10, exclusions apply), Miu Miu flats via Komehyo.

Throw-On-And-Go

Aside from the few occasions, my holidays were — per usual — a low-key, casual affair. For errand runs and hangouts, I was throwing on whatever easy-to-pair neutrals were lying on The Bench.

Referring back to my three levels of effort when getting dressed, the next two outfits are “zero effort”:

For taking the boys toboganning: Aritzia puffer, Janessa Leone Dakin hood, Zara ski pants, Cariuma boots, vintage Vuarnet sunglasses via Yvonne Vintage.

There’s toothpaste on my sweater. Max Mara teddy coat, COS hero sweater, Aritzia Pegasus tee, Nike mens joggers via VSP Consignment (get 10% off with code IRENEKIM10), Cariuma sneakers.

This is a “minimal effort” outfit:

Aritzia puffer & balaclava, COS mens tee, Celine wool sweater via Ragtag, Tibi Calder jogger, Adidas Miss Stan sneakers.

Intentional Casual

On the other hand, Intentional Casual outfits take the third (and highest) level of effort, i.e. “reasonable,” requiring thought, consideration and experimenting.

Intentional Casual outfits are deceptive because they look “casual” and “effortless,” but they actually take just as much time to put together as the Going Out outfits above. In a summer AMA newsletter, a reader asked this question:

Q: Hi Irene, would love a deep dive into style.. how do you make your outfits have that “special factor”.. the thing that is truly you.. what’s your thought process when putting together everyday outfits.. what makes something work or not.. your thought process in words! Thank you xx

I responded with a long-winded answer, the TLDR of which is that I consider proportions, balance, and interest, in that order. I took into consideration all three factors in each of the following “casual” outfits.

If you haven’t read that AMA yet, I encourage you to read my answer in full!

115/ AMA: Fall's New Neutrals, Comfy Work Shoes, Raey-esque Brands & My Thought Process When Getting Dressed

Raey coat, James Street v-neck sweater, Another Tomorrow sweater, COS mens tee, Tibi Calder jogger, Vee Collective bag, Tods loafers, Warby Parker Lupita glasses. I chopped off 12 inches of hair which felt like getting rid of three years of baggage! I’m also feeling like it’s time for lightweight, wire frames after many years of heavier, acetate ones.

Guest In Residence cashmere rugby, La Ligne Marilyn jean, Vee Collective bag, Dries suede sneakers, Janessa Leone Dakin hood.

Marina Moscone windbreaker, Rag & Bone sweater, Isabel Marant jeans via VSP Consignment (get 10% off with code IRENEKIM10), Tod’s loafers, Zara bag, bandana off a stuffy.

Aligne quilted jacket & zip-up hoodie, Aritzia Only turtleneck, Tibi Calder jogger, Tods loafers, Vee Collective bag.

Finally, check out My 52 Coziest Outfits of 2023 for more zero, minimal and reasonable effort outfits that are comfortable, cozy and casual for the winter months. We’re in 2025 now, but I’m still wearing almost of these pieces, bien sur.

074/ My 52 Coziest Outfits Of 2023

À bientôt!

Irene

1. In the New York Times.