In 2025, you do not need to sacrifice comfort to look fashionable, because comfort has become a major focus in the fashion industry. Loose bottoms, roomy shirts and tops, relaxed dresses are now highly sought after.

To our relief, the relaxed look is back in style! Body-hugging garments, be it pants, shirts, kurtis, or salwar kameezes, have given way to comfortable, airy attire made from breathable fabrics, leaving many women, including myself, feeling liberated.

The cyclical nature of fashion has brought back the ‘90s and Y2K styles, and people of all ages are embracing this new trend. Another important factor that contributed to this resurgence is the COVID-19 pandemic, which introduced never-seen-before work models to the world. Remote work or hybrid work models have transformed the way people dress. Wearing casual attire in physical workplaces, which is becoming more and more acceptable, has also led to the resurgence of the relaxed style!

Linen or cotton pants, cotton shirts, flared jeans, colourful kaftans, kurtis and co-ord sets are à la mode in 2025. Women are increasingly choosing lighter fabrics, clean lines, and minimal embroidery over synthetic fabrics, heavy embroidery, and form-fitting garments.

To the delight of many women, skinny jeans are finally no longer in fashion. I always found the restricting style and cut of skinny jeans extremely uncomfortable, and so glad that they have fallen out of style, hoping that they do not make a comeback soon.

Hair & Makeup

The resurgence of relaxed style is also influencing women’s haircuts and makeup choices. Because the idea is to appear effortlessly fashionable, women are choosing easy-to-maintain haircuts like blunt cuts, layers, and long bobs.

In the world of cosmetics, bold eye makeup, which does not complement the relaxed style, has taken a backseat. Brown and copper eyeshadows, neutral lip colours, and soft, natural-looking blushes in shades of pink, coral, and terracotta are popular.

The new idea is to use minimal makeup, just enough to enhance your natural skin, which means that having healthy skin is the most important step to looking polished and beautiful.

In 2025, we would like to show off our skin. Therefore, we need to take care of our skin by eating and sleeping well, exercising regularly, staying hydrated, and creating a solid regimen.

Shoes

As we are embracing the retro style, we need to think about shoes that befit relaxed clothes. Slides, especially leather ones, are immensely popular right now and perfectly complement relaxed styles.

In addition to slides, wedges, jelly sandals, ballet shoes, and pump shoes featuring pointed tips are also trending in the world of footwear.

Jewellery

As the relaxed style is all about comfort, choose classic, minimal jewellery pieces that are suitable for everyday wear. These include gold studs, gold hoops, a chain with pendant, and stacking bracelets. If you want to make a statement, consider a cuff bracelet.

Pearls are timeless; their enduring appeal makes them extremely versatile. A pair of pearl studs and/or a pearl necklace will elevate your relaxed look with a touch of elegance.

The cycle of fashion has brought back the retro style, where comfort is the focal point. In the post-pandemic world, where numerous aspects of our lives have changed significantly, it looks like the relaxed fashion trend has arrived to stay.

By Wara Karim

Photo: LS Archive/ Sazzad Ibne Sayed