Are We “Pre-Styling” Now?

In February, New York designer Sandy Liang released the first drop of her SS24 collection, including cardigans tied diagonally across the model’s shoulders into large bows. The double-layered effect could easily be considered a campaign styling choice — but it was actually built-in tied detailing. For fans of a two-for-one special, the pre-styling is a moment to rejoicing (as long as you don’t want to wear the cardigan by itself or switch the layer onto your other shoulder). But Liang is just one of many designers as of late to sell styling as a sewn-in feature that’s preassembled, Polly Pocket style. With Commission offering a similarly styled scarf sweater, Paloma Wool releasing double shirts, Mowalola selling a dress shirt with a T-shirt layered overtop, and Lioness even sewing a built-in tie, is the pre-styling trend coming at a cost to both our personal style and bank accounts?

Alexander Wang currently offers an array of pre-styled pieces, including cropped cami and button-ups retailing for $450. Considering that a singular shirt from the brand costs $295 and the camis are on sale for $105, you’re currently paying an extra $50 for the pre-styled twinset. Of course, you could also just buy any similar shirt and cropped cami, put them together, and save even more. The same goes with Miu Miu’s single-breasted gabardine jacket with peek-a-boo layered shirt detailing, retailing for $4,200. Or Liang’s tied sweaters. One cardigan from the brand costs $395, so getting a double-layered version for $475 feels like a bargain — until you realize you could throw a Zara cardigan over your shoulder for $45.90.

Before luxury designers hopped on the pre-styling bandwagon, Depop sellers like Catrina Medeiros were selling pre-styled bundles. The 19-year-old from Toronto joined the app in 2018, selling singular pieces here and there, then noticed other sellers were creating themed styling offerings. “In 2022, there was a huge demand for Y2K bundles with Ed Hardy and Juicy,” Medeiros says. Her buyers were mostly girls starting high school or finishing middle school. “It’s harder for them to curate their style when they’re still in eighth grade,” Medeiros says. She adds only around $10 extra for finding, sourcing, and selling a $30 item.

The pre-styled requests that have remained consistent over the years are those looking to copy-paste the style of a celebrity or influencer. According to Medeiros, bundles offering ​​Enya Umanzor’s “entire vibe” are currently in high demand. Jalil Johnson, writer of the newsletter Consider Yourself Cultured, says this is part of a larger shift toward fashion as a means of trying on different aesthetics. “We can cosplay with anything previously deemed a subculture that we want,” he says. “You don’t have to live and breathe preppy, go to Ralph Lauren and go through all the sweaters to match your polo.”

In the world of pre-assembled pieces, there seems to be no bigger pre-styled price increase than in-built underwear — hopping off the low-rise, exposed-boxer trend popularized by Black hip-hop artists in the 1990s. Wang’s layered boxer pants sell for $750, but similar pants (without the peek-a-boo mesh underwear) are only $330 (originally $550). You can buy mesh underwear from Parade for $14 and white boxer briefs from Target for $13. Or you could buy MM6 Maison Margiela’s boxer jeans for $610.

The good news is that despite the extra cost of designer pre-styled pieces, Johnson believes the trend could encourage people to try out certain styling choices that they may otherwise be fearful of. “It cuts out all the work because you can buy just one item and get the look you’re seeing on Instagram,” he says. “So I think it’s a great option for people who don’t have the time to research because personal style involves so much exploration.” On the flip side, that exploration is also a large part of what makes fashion exciting for many people. As Johnson puts it, “I love the freedom of choosing how to tie the scarf and then deciding what sweater I’m matching with the scarf.” Thankfully, that decision-making still comes at zero cost.