New Wave Utility: How to Wear the Utility Trend
What is New Wave Utility?
Utility wear is one of the most widespread trends with a tentacle in every fashionable orifice there is, from Gorpcore to Dadcore, sportswear and high fashion runway shows.
With a recent uptick in the micro trends that are born out of the broader utility trend, the current pattern of consumer behaviour comes at an interesting time.
That the pandemic is still rife and with an impending winter wave just over the horizon doesn’t appear to have made a noticeable difference to the timing of this trend. Prone to speaking about the pandemic in the past tense, people are seeking out a new type of fashion to mark the era of the illusion of post-COVID freedom. The desire to “get-out-and-see” fostered by COVID lockdowns has now morphed into a desire to “get-out-and-see-and-do.” This means people are looking for clothing that can withstand long walks and negate the need for a cumbersome bag.
Additional to living a more active and adventurous existence, the pandemic has taught us to better balance work and life. With many companies hanging on to remote or hybrid work, a new generation of digital nomads has been born. This category of workers, comprising freelancers and full-time employees, can work from anywhere at any time. Logging on from a café in Melbourne or a balcony in front of the Eiffel Tower, earning a living has come to rely less on physical location and more on skill and conscientiousness. Travel and movement have called for a reduction is classic office-wear, and an increase in reliable, utility wear. You can’t traipse around the cobblestones of Italy in high heels on your break, after all.
Frivolity vs Practicality
During the pandemic, the comforts of loungewear and activewear were preferred over more societally acceptable "outside clothes". In the months after emerging from the cocoon of lockdown, terry towelling and brushed fleece were left forgotten in a crumpled heap on the wardrobe floor. Frivolity - satin dresses, crop tops and skin-bearing body-conscious fits, frills and cutouts in the most inopportune places, high heels and chunky platforms - were embraced, and practicality shunned.
Nothing was practical and everything was for show. From the lashing out of these competing attitudes towards dressing, to coming to accept the merits of both, fashion has finally arrived at the nexus of the two. Utilitarian style has us craving pockets and weather-proof materials, oversized fits for warmth and layering potential, and detachable details for versatility. At the same time, our ever-increasing distance from lockdowns has us wanting a bit of pizzaz. Utility has melded with frivolity to create a look rooted in aesthetics – Gen Z’s method of creating their preferred reality. With the benefit of two trends behind it, the new aesthetic has an elevated feel and leaves it to the wearer’s creativity to style a look.
Clothes to do a Bank Job in
And we’re not talking about working in one.
Gorpcore and its slightly more disconcerting cousin, Warcore, are set to continue trending this year in amongst continuing global conflicts. With Australia’s US allyship making news headlines due to potential hostility in the Asia-Pacific region, the reality of Australia’s involvement in international conflict has come into sharp focus. Dark colours such as khaki green, black, brown, coal, and navy blue lean into the military origins of many of the utility styles and are a hallmark of high-performance materials and construction.
Increasing Authenticity in Fashion
Thanks to the styling capabilities of this trend, what we have now is the most authentic product since pre-pandemic days. No longer conforming to the comfort of lazy days at home, or the pain of beauty, we are now constructing personalised looks by blending trends together. This focus on individual style is a more authentic direction for fashion, coming from the bottom-up of what people are wearing on the streets, rather than the top-down of luxury fashion runways, far removed from reality.
Here is Glue Store's definitive guide on how to get started with the new utility trend.
Leather-Look Jackets
At the nexus of cruelty-free and fashion-forward affordability lies the faux leather jacket. Providing all the attitude you could possibly desire from structured shoulders and a boxy fit, faux leather jackets are ideal to give your outfit the edge of utility. The oversized hip-height patch pockets are a borrowed detail from utility wear, appropriated for a look that would be at home on a night on the town as well as a day in the city.
Style with matching pants or a skirt, or change it up by wearing over baggy jeans in a mid-blue colourway and a graphic crop underneath.
Bomber Jackets
With styling plucked straight out of an air fighter jet, bomber jackets have signified laid-back cool since millennials first became obsessed with Top Gun in the 80s, and have persisted in vogue well into the 21st century. MA1 jackets are a hallmark of utility in its truest form. Featuring original military specifications such as a reversible, bright orange lining for visibility, pull-tabs on zippers and a ribbed collar.
Bomber jackets have also been appropriated into street-ready iterations. Alternate fabrications like corduroy and cotton twill allow for myriad more styling options, such as with low-rise skirts and chinos.
Vests
Swapping out spare rounds of ammunition for keys and a phone, tactical vests can be the tactical option for military personnel and trend setters alike.
Army vests come in oversized as well as cropped silhouettes characterised by a bevy of pockets for all your essentials.
For a more refined look, a simple puffer vest or gilet can provide the desirable style without any extraneous military detailing. This means you can get away with wearing this to more business causal occasions when form is important, but function is still king.
Incorporating a military piece into a relaxed, dressed-down fit ensures you are riffing on the trend and adding your own individuality rather than going fully combat-ready.
Cargo Pants
Cargo pants have been breaching the borders of major trends for the past few years but are now back in a big way with its fellow utility trends to back it up. The low-rise fit has returned from the dead however, the look has moved away from the garish and towards the sophisticated with balanced proportions and a strong sense of context provided by utility wear. Low-rise cargo pants make up for their lack of fabric at the waist by dropping further below the ankle than regular pants, creating a perfectly stackable length for wearing with sneakers. The Vladia Spray Pants in Khaki by Misha Urban take a traditional colourway in a sports fabrication and taper in the volume of the fabric with elasticised cuffs & low waistline. Pair with heels for an easy dinner to drinks look.
Footwear
Combat boots, lugged outsoles and dark colourways… that’s what utility footwear is made of. A fail-safe way to style your utility outfit is to pair it with boots such as Dr Martens or a platform boot with expressive lugged outsoles if you’re after a solid, earth-bound look.
If rough terrain isn’t something you need to navigate, high heels are a fashion-forward way to dress up your fit. A pair of strappy sandals by Billini pairs perfectly with high-waisted cargos and a crop top to offset the baggy proportions.
Accessories
Bags
The great thing about the utility trend is it often removes the need for a bag altogether. To increase the sophistication of your outfit, tuck a handbag by Peta & Jain under your arm in a dark colourway such as black or green, or opt for a contrasting white.
Bags that look like you’ve got grenades in them. It’s not about being armed but giving the impression that you might be - a definite Americanism that slithers onto distant shores in watered-down versions of Warcore. A utility satchel or structured crossbody bag is like an external, detachable pocket to store your essentials in.
Beanies & Bucket Hats
Practical and stylish, beanies are great when layered underneath a hoodie (with the hood up of course) for a winter look to brave the elements. On warmer days, a bucket hat or boonie hat with a drawstring to secure under your chin is an easy way to add a utilitarian look to your outfit.
