Fall's Top Trend? Dressing Like a Greek Statue, of Course
I don't mean to talk myself up too much, but I will say this: It's rare that a trend sneaks up on me. I spend hours every day combing through sartorial research of all kinds, be it on Instagram, runways from both the past and the present, movies, and more. Yet, I'll be the first to admit that one particular trend that's proving to be quite popular this fall lived right outside of my periphery for weeks, even months, before I was finally able to see it for what it was. Or rather, until our editor in chief, Kat Collings, gave it a name: Greek-statue dressing. Immediately upon hearing it, a full picture of what this trend looks like appeared in my head, complete with exact products that fit the bill, as well as runway looks and IG examples.
The name is really quite self-explanatory, but generally, if an article of clothing is drapey, twisted, knotted, or sort of 3D in shape, it's probably a good fit for the Greek-statue trend. Brands such as Christopher Esber, Jacquemus, Vivienne Westwood, and Paris Georgia have been working with these techniques for seasons now, as have other labels including Loewe, Toteme, Khaite, The Row, and Christopher John Rogers. Basically, if you type "Greek statues of women" into Google and the resulting images look similar to the dress, skirt, or top you're referring to, you've successfully mastered the art of dressing like a Greek statue.
To familiarize yourself with the trend that every chic brand is embracing right now (and beyond, as proven by the spring 2024 examples below), scroll down.
At Tory Burch, heavily draped minis with asymmetric sleeves and delicate bubble hems were worn solo as well as with contrasting tailored blazers, proving that if you're interested in pieces that fall under the Greek-statue trend but don't want your look to be solely defined by it, all you need is something stiffer and more tailored to add on top.
This Toteme top is beloved by fashion girls in Paris and Los Angeles alike.
If I were posing for a statue, I'd wear this Reformation x New York City Ballet gown.
Hailey Bieber wore this fire-engine-red dress during her NYC press tour for Rhode's collaboration with Krispy Kreme, and I haven't stopped thinking about it since.
Jonathan Anderson's London show for his experimental brand JW Anderson heavily featured drapey peekaboo dresses like this one, with other colors including mossy green and sky blue.
I bought this top not knowing there was a matching skirt to go with it. So I'm sure you can guess what I did next.
Shop the matching Crepe Draped Midi Skirt ($70).
A work of art.
Shop the matching Bow-Detailed Cotton-Blend Poplin Mini Skirt ($700).
At London Fashion Week, 16Arlington's show featured a bevy of sculptural pieces, but the ruched, almost molded look of this LBD on Paloma Elsesser is easily my favorite.
Jonathan Anderson continued doling out Grecian-inspired looks at Loewe, where these heavily draped strapless dresses caught the attention of attendees and online watchers of the S/S 24 show alike.
Get the same look from Loewe long before the collection hits stores with this available-now Paris Georgia dress.
Christopher Esber has long practiced the art of Greek-statuesque design, using draping, ruching, and asymmetry in many of his brand's collections. His S/S 24 collection was no exception, with cutout and textured frocks like this one especially standing out from the Paris Fashion Week show.
At Prabal Gurung's NYFW show, held in the rain on Roosevelt Island, models donned draped, flowing garments made even more Grecian with sculpture-like gold earrings.
Eliza Huber is an NYC-based senior fashion editor who specializes in trend reporting, brand discovery, and the intersection of sports and fashion. She joined Who What Wear in 2021 from Refinery29, the job she took after graduating with a business degree from the University of Iowa. She's launched two columns, Let's Get a Room and Ways to Wear; profiled Dakota Fanning, Diane Kruger, Katie Holmes, Gracie Abrams, and Sabrina Carpenter; and reported on everything from the relationship between Formula One and fashion to the top runway trends each season. Eliza lives on the Upper West Side and spends her free time researching F1 fashion imagery for her side Instagram accounts @thepinnacleoffashion and @f1paddockfits, watching WNBA games, and scouring The RealReal for discounted Prada.