Something happened a few years ago that changed how we wear clothes — as a culture, we adopted the word “athleisure” as a style of dress. What was meant to breathe creative reinterpretation into loungewear and workout clothing became a regrettable (to us, at least) excuse to wear a sports bra and leggings while calling it “chic”.

While there’s obviously nothing wrong with rocking sweats or workout clothes (you’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do, especially with kids), it felt like the creativity had been scrapped for ease of use and mass appeal. “Solutions-based” clothing brands became a dime a dozen as “athleisure” slowly morphed into a strange hybrid where we simply reimagined well-known clothes in athletic materials.

Was that the goal? To make suits stretchy and dresses moisture-wicking? Again, these concepts were not and are not inherently wrong, but they felt like we had strayed a bit from the original mission: comfort with a creative and elevated twist — as we like to call it, effortless elegance.

Effortless elegance is something more of us are after than we even realize. It’s why those old 90s airport photos of celebrities always resonate so much with clothing enthusiasts — there’s a je ne sais quoi about them that feels both carefully curated and “devil may care” in nature.

After years of brands and designers trying to bridge the gap between “effortless” and “elegance” in the loungewear space, it seems like we’ve finally found the right balance. One of my favorite brands threading that needle beautifully is Varley! Their pieces are made with wonderful materials and are built to last while feeling extremely elegant and comfortable.

I’m linking some of my favorite loungewear, knits, and outerwear from Varley below!

*This post is sponsored by Varley.