Veronica Beard Pre-Fall 2021

Much has been written about “Zoom dressing,” i.e. wearing a stylish top, jacket, or statement earrings with comfy pants (and maybe slippers) safely out of frame. For Veronica Beard co-founders and sisters-in-law Veronica Swanson Beard and Veronica Miele Beard, the shift to above-the-waist dressing explains why their novelty jackets are continuing to sell, even as tailoring softens elsewhere. The VB customer who’s still working from home may not feel excited by the black blazer she wore in the Before Times, but a modish tweed with big tortoise buttons? It has video conferencing potential.

The Veronicas’ pre-fall collection included a few more of those statement toppers—a crimson leather double-breasted blazer, a raw-edged bouclé jean jacket—and showed a new emphasis on outerwear. Swanson Beard chalked it up to another 2020 trend: outdoor activities, from our long walks on the Hudson River to al fresco dining and backyard barbecues. For New Yorkers, a coat has always been a calling card, but investment outerwear is likely to become a trend throughout the country. The Beards’ lightly-quilted army jacket has year-round appeal; wear it alone in the spring, when this collection will ship, then layer it up with heavier knits and scarves as the temperatures dip.

It wasn’t all jackets. Frequent customers might notice a bit of a tomboyish spirit, with faded jeans and easy trousers replacing the ruched minidresses of seasons past. Many of those pants were styled with matching tops, like a set in a ruby-red block print. For women who’ve spent most of 2020 in loungewear, it will register as an elevated take on a sweatsuit; for tailoring types, it’s more of a low-key alternative to a suit. In either case, its mix of ease and interest will resonate with lots of women come next spring, whether they’re back at work or not.