How to Get the Model Off-Duty Look in 4 Easy Steps

Reported by Vogue.

Fashion week produces two kinds of content: what happens on the runway, and what happens outside it. The second category — models navigating cobblestones between shows, looking effortless in a way that feels both accidental and deeply considered — has become its own cultural institution. Model off-duty style is one of the most closely watched aesthetics in the industry, and according to Vogue, it's built on a surprisingly consistent set of moves.

The foundation is easy basics done with intention: straight-leg or wide-leg jeans, simple trousers, vintage tees, lightly distressed knits. Outerwear leans utilitarian — leather jackets, trenches, field coats — and everything runs a size or two large. There's a tomboy undercurrent that keeps it from tipping into try-hard territory. But here's what separates the look from plain laziness: one deliberate fashion statement always sneaks in. An It bag. A pair of designer sunglasses. A sneaker everyone wants but pretends not to care about.

Four Combinations Worth Stealing

The formulas are replicable. A slouchy leather jacket over distressed jeans is the platonic ideal — add a ringer tee, black sneakers, and something with a logo. For maximum slouch (models believe in committing), try an oversized trench with baggy wide-legs and a fitted baby tee underneath; the volume contrast does the heavy lifting. If you want something slightly more unexpected, a field jacket over a pleated denim midi borrows from the same boyish energy but lands differently — pair it with a sleek tank and thong sandals. And for spring specifically, classic blue jeans with a suede bomber — finished with a knit tank and raffia flats — hit that specific sweet spot between relaxed and put-together.

What makes these combinations work isn't the individual pieces, it's the calibration. Nothing is too fitted, nothing is too precious, and the one elevated element never feels like it's overexplaining itself. That balance — between ease and edge, between basic and fashion-forward — is exactly what the industry has been chasing for years under this particular label.

Model off-duty isn't a look so much as a philosophy: dress like you have somewhere better to be, but make sure everyone notices you leaving.

Read the original at Vogue.