Words by Clarisse Mar, Founder of Rawform
There was a time when getting dressed for the day meant deciding which version of yourself you needed to be. Work clothes for the office, something more relaxed for the school run, and another outfit for dinner afterwards. The modern working day has made those distinctions increasingly difficult, and, I think, increasingly unnecessary as our lives no longer fit neatly into separate boxes. A morning might begin with school drop-off, move into back-to-back meetings, continue with a quick coffee between appointments and end with dinner with friends. We move between roles constantly, often without ever physically moving very far. What we wear needs to keep up.
As we believe at Rawform, a UAE-based lifestyle apparel brand crafting innerwear and everyday essentials from naturally breathable, plant-based fibres, we should think about clothing through the lens of movement. Not just physical movement, but the movement between different parts of our lives. The pieces we reach for most are often the ones that ask the least of us: comfortable enough to wear for hours, considered enough to feel put together, and versatile enough to work across very different moments. This shift says something bigger about how we think about clothing. The idea that comfort belongs at home and structure belongs at work feels increasingly outdated. Why shouldn’t something feel comfortable and still look polished? Why should getting through a long day require constantly changing what you’re wearing?
For me, the most useful wardrobe is not necessarily the one with the most options. It is the one where the pieces work harder. That might mean choosing fabrics that feel good from the first meeting to the last, silhouettes that move rather than restrict, or understated basics that can be layered and styled differently depending on where the day takes you. These are the pieces that quietly earn their place because you find yourself reaching for them again and again.
There is also something liberating about removing the pressure to dress perfectly for every occasion. When your clothes can move with you, getting dressed becomes less about anticipating every scenario and more about simply getting on with your day. I think this matters particularly for women, whose days can involve a constant negotiation between professional, personal and family responsibilities. We don’t necessarily need more clothes for all those different roles. We need better clothes that acknowledge the fact that those roles coexist.
The future of everyday dressing, then, isn’t about choosing between comfort and looking considered but refusing the idea that we should have to. From school drop-offs to presentations, from the commute to dinner, the best pieces are the ones that don’t ask us to stop and think about them. They simply move with us. And perhaps that is the real luxury in a busy life: clothes that make one less decision for you.
