Trish Wescoat Pound said she founded TWP in 2021 with a simple goal of making the perfect white button-down. It’s obvious now that said button-down (which the brand calls the Next Ex shirt) wasn’t just a foundation but a catalyst: On a cold yet sunny February day four years later, Pound sent 31 looks down the runway in front of a crowd that included Leandra Medine and Andrew Rosen (their sole investor).
Nearly every look was “about layering—a lot of layering,” Pound said. White turtlenecks sat underneath silk blouses, which sat underneath blazers; a chocolate brown silk evening dress was wrapped in a one-sleeve sweater. Another model wore a hunter green cotton shirt with a quarter zip, knit tunic, and fur-lined leather duster on top, all put over a pair of wool trousers. “I think about weather and the world that we live in, and it’s always changing,” said Pound.
Practicality is at the root of TWP. Asked about her fall inspiration, Pound said she just thinks about what women need to get dressed in the morning—roughly, a good pair of jeans or trousers, a button-down shirt, a quality knit. “I focus on versatility and utility,” she added. Since this is a cold-weather season, she put an emphasis on coats, including a cropped mocha brown puffer and a classic trench. She added, “I also think that outerwear is the most important piece of a woman’s wardrobe—this is what changes your entire outfit, you know what I mean?”
Pound starts with the fabric, whether denim or cashmere, then focuses on fit. (For example, TWP molds its own shoulder pads for its blazers.) From there, she moves onto silhouette and settles on color. She prefers muted tones—this season there was a focus on navy, browns, and green—but rarely black unless it’s evening, as she likes her clothes to have “feeling to them.” And a number of pieces did: A pair of denim capris tucked into boots exuded an equestrian energy; a denim button-down was an homage to traditional westernwear, as was TWP’s tactile flannel. Then there was the eveningwear: sequined, simple, but still a statement.
When the term sportswear was coined in the 1920s, it described the relaxed, casual separates Americans wore to watch spectator sports. Over the past century, its meaning has morphed to mean, well, not much at all. Everything short of a ball gown or spandex leggings, it seems, falls into the category.
But TWP appears to revert to that classic definition. It offers a style of separates that may be basic on their own but when paired together make a statement. And whereas a brand like Toteme is for the Scandi minimalists, and The Row boasts a Parisian edge, TWP has an unmistakable air of Americana. Said Pound: “I’m just trying to see American sportswear through a different lens that feels a bit more personal, a little more real.”
