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slang.fyi

resort wear

/rɪˈzɔːrt wɛr/

Uncommon

Clothing designed for vacation or warm-weather leisure, or a fashion industry collection shown between main seasons.

Casual speakers use it to mean vacation-ready clothes. Fashion insiders use it to mean the specific pre-spring collection on the industry calendar. The aesthetic overlaps: both are about leisure and warmth.

Real-world examples3 examples
#ExampleWhat it meansSource
01packed all resort wear for the trip. linen everything.The trip wardrobe is all lightweight, vacation-appropriate clothes.instagram, 2024
02chanel resort 2025 was actually wearable. more than i can say for the main show.The off-season collection was more practical than the main runway show.x, 2024
03wearing resort wear to brunch because i simply refuse to be cold anymoreWearing vacation-style clothes in a regular setting as a lifestyle choice.tiktok, 2024

Use it when

  • Describing clothes that fit a beach, pool, or vacation context.
  • Referring to the fashion industry's off-schedule 'cruise' collection season.
  • A look feels vacation-ready even in an everyday setting.

Do not use it when

  • You mean activewear or sportswear.

Variations and related forms

cruise collection

The fashion industry term for the same off-season collection, often shown at a travel destination.

Origin and context

Resort wear developed as a category in the early 20th century, when wealthy Americans began traveling to warm climates in winter. The fashion industry formalized a 'cruise' or 'resort' collection season to serve buyers who needed warm-weather clothes before spring.

First seen
early-20th-century
Confidence
medium

Cite this page

Use this stable URL to reference the entry.

https://slang.fyi/resort-wear
Updated: 2026-08-28License: CC BY 4.0

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