Throughout history, women have often been told there are things they can’t do—play sports, for instance, or become great designers. Claire McCardell did both. In fact, it was through playing sports with her brothers that she discovered how essential comfort and practicality were in clothing. As a fashion designer in 1930s New York, those were the qualities McCardell championed in her work—and women loved her for it.
Tory Burch, a modern-day designer also based in New York, makes clothes that women love too. Unsurprisingly, she’s a fan of McCardell. Burch dedicated her Spring/Summer 2022 collection to the influential American designer, whose quiet innovations—like adding side zips and pockets to women’s clothing— transformed how women dressed. “[Claire McCardell] discarded the rules of what women should wear, creating clothing that was liberating, practical and elegant,” Burch said in a statement.
McCardell’s designs also laid the groundwork for what would become American sportswear—something Burch deconstructs and reimagines in her Fall/Winter 2025 collection. On the runway, quarter-zip pullovers lined with what looked like fleece turned out to be needle-punched wool. They were paired with sweatpants cut from plush Japanese jersey, and the same fabric was used to craft an elevated take on the humble rugby shirt. Burch also presented pants with the relaxed slouch of track pants—but made from velvet, a fabric more commonly associated with eveningwear. When worn with structured blazers and leather loafers, these sporty pieces didn’t feel out of place at all.
Her version of sportswear exuded a certain cool-girl nonchalance. Cardigans, once a staple of women’s tennis uniforms, were subverted with clever styling: sleeves slashed off, one side pinned across the body with an ornate brooch. Some models even tied their cardigans over tailored jackets, cinching them with an oversized statement pin.
Burch’s subversion didn’t stop there. She disrupted traditional prep—a second pillar of American style—by fraying tweed to craft fuzzy jackets and embroidering fine knitwear to mimic tweed’s visual texture. (The actual fabric was far lighter, in keeping with sportswear’s functional roots.) She reimagined skirt suits in sturdy corduroy, and paired long, wide-sleeved striped shirts with superfine knit gilets embroidered in sequins—a look that felt equally ready for a book club meeting or a cocktail party.
Speaking of cocktails, Burch even turned to jersey—the sportiest of fabrics—to create draped and pleated evening dresses, reminiscent of McCardell’s own. For tailoring lovers, there were sculpted hourglass blazers wrapped in sheer jersey mesh—impractical, perhaps, but certainly a conversation starter.
Some might call Burch’s Fall/Winter 2025 collection “weird stuff”, a phrase one of McCardell’s male critics once used to dismiss her work. But just as women embraced McCardell’s designs for their functionality and ease, they’ll likely be drawn to Burch’s off-kilter sportswear for its unexpected textures, surprising details, and sartorial freedom. Her playful challenge to conventional dress codes speaks volumes about where women’s fashion is headed.
“Women are defining ‘classic’ for themselves,” said Burch in her collection notes. And if your idea of a little black dress is one that’s artfully draped and twisted, Burch’s designs will feel right at home in your wardrobe.
Discover the Tory Burch Fall/Winter 2025 campaign ahead.
This story first appeared in the August 2025 issue of GRAZIA Singapore.
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