Theory – Pre Spring Summer 2016 Ready-To-Wear
Anybody who still thinks of Theory as a department store brand for office staples needs to take another look. Of course, ideas about appropriate corporate attire have shifted since Lisa Kulson designed Theory’s famous stretch trousers in the ’90s, but now that the label is back under her creative control, she’s giving it a much more casual lean. Kulson said she asked herself, “What’s the new fashion tracksuit?” The answer she came up with for Resort was pull-on knit pants. These first started turning up on the Fall ’14 runways; where Marc Jacobs and Céline’s were clingy and over-long, Theory’s are cut more generously through the thigh and higher above the ankle to make them easier to wear.
“Easier to wear” was the season’s general refrain—and not just for the knits, which tended toward the oversized or elongated. Kulson’s favorite proposition for evening was a velvet jumpsuit with a relaxed silhouette. As for the brand’s bread-and-butter tailoring, it too has softened up. The best blazer we saw was unstructured with a tie belt in place of buttons.