A good collection — but it's time for Hilfiger to decide what the brand is supposed to be.
In a palette of varying shades of blue, cream, and red — and onboard the MV John F. Kennedy, formerly the operating Staten Island Ferry — the Tommy Hilfiger Spring/Summer 2025 Ready-to-Wear collection leaned into the preppy, though perhaps too comfortably. Opening with three plaid looks in a row — two sets of pants and button-up shirts, one maxi dress — Hilfiger set the tone for the brand’s newest collection: Americana, but baggy.
While preppy clothing has historically been influenced by nautical themes and aesthetics — think the buttery leather brown boat shoes in that dad’s closet — often, preppy brands take the theme too literally. This collection falls into this, greatly in thanks to a knit cream sweater with an embroidered navy anchored on the back and small canvas handbags tied with nautical knots, although these brought some whimsy.
The exaggerated silhouettes, between the loose maxi knit dress, V-necked and sleeveless, and the tiny cropped cardigans, fitted to the chest, the collection attempted to modernize preppy. A performance by the Wu-Tang Clan seemed to be an effort to tie the collection to streetwear and the performative nature of fashion in a city like New York.
Unlike past collections from Hilfiger, the womenswear avoids the hyperfeminine. Even looks that could be construed as more traditionally feminine, such as the pinstripe light blue and white mini dress, are broken up by rougher, more androgynous items; in this case, a loose white trench coat. I see this as an attempt to, once again, appeal to a more streetwear-leaning audience, with success.
But the real hit of the show, and perhaps what Hilfiger does best, was the outerwear. From understated suede jackets to plaid maxi coats to a classic puffer in the white, red, and navy blue block-shaped logo, the outerwear stood out as the most appealing pieces of the collection. They are the pieces that tread closest to Hilfiger’s traditional brand identity, and they polish and complete the looks they are used for in a way that makes me yearn for more outerwear. Is it a bad thing that I wanted every single one of these looks to be covered by a chic, retro-looking jacket? Or is it a sign that we have learned to expect certain things from the Hilfiger brand? 🌀 6.8
Laura Rocha-Rueda is a Colombian fashion and fiction writer based in Brooklyn who holds a Creative Writing MFA from The New School. She is your local Swiftie and will gladly chat about anything glittery and soft, and about why dismissing pop culture as frivolous is misguided and sad.
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