A luxury version of H&M is taking over in 2025 — and making it cool to be basic

Business Insider

17-05-2025

COS is having a major moment. Lyst just named it one of the "hottest brands" of Q1.
The London-based fashion label, owned by H&M, is known for its high-quality basics.
Its menswear pieces and new fragrance line are boosting its appeal with shoppers.
I promise it's OK to be basic. In fact, it might even be cool.
A few months ago, I started hearing friends and colleagues regularly talk about the London-based fashion label COS, which is owned by H&M. Admittedly, I tuned them out. Its clothes looked a little too simple for me.
But I couldn't escape the brand.
Fashion influencers started raving about COS in interviews when I asked about their wardrobe staples. Then, I saw Lyst, a fashion search and shopping platform, name COS one of the "hottest brands" of Q1 this year, jumping 11 spots since its Q4 listing in 2024.
That's partially because COS is ideal for shoppers "seeking the 'quiet luxury' aesthetic without the luxury price tag," Turner Allen, a 32-year-old personal stylist, told Business Insider.
It's also because COS has done something many other brands haven't: created basic clothes that people actually want to wear.
Men and perfume: two ingredients to success
Women have long been touting COS as the ultimate aspirational luxury line. BI reporter Sam Grindell Pettyjohn described the store as "H&M's more sophisticated, socially conscious, and luxurious older sister."
Men are now coming to the same conclusion. Alex Nicoll, 29, a former Fortune 500 employee turned fashion influencer, swears by COS.
"It's really slept on for men's fashion," he told BI. "It's a good place to play around with classic silhouettes, and pieces that are a little bit more playful and different."
COS has put in the effort to attract shoppers like Nicoll.
While it's long offered classic styles like trousers and blazers, the brand is now also selling utility bags, cropped polos, and tinted sunglasses specifically for men. This appeals to current trends while remaining timeless.
Allen said that mix of "clean, approachable, and still fashion-forward" styles is key.
"It's a winning formula for men who want to elevate their style without stepping too far outside their comfort zone," he added.
The brand also reflects those styles in its marketing, from prominently displaying men on its Instagram page to making menswear a huge part of its Spring/Summer 2025 runway collection.
All the while, COS is still equally catering to the rest of its customers.
The brand's $99 barrel-leg trousers for women became an instant success this year, and most sizes are now sold out. Lyst has cited the pants as the sixth most-popular garment of Q1.
In mid-April, the brand also launched COS Perfumery, a unisex line of fragrances and candles retailing between $49 and $99.
Lyst said the scents are another factor in the brand's 44% increase in demand this year.
After all, COS shoppers no longer have to turn to brands like Byredo and Le Labo for luxury fragrances. They can buy their favorite clothes and perfume in the same online order.
Luxury clothes without high price tags
New tariffs and a potential recession are changing how people shop, and luxury lifestyle brands are already being affected.
COS, however, holds a unique spot.
It's technically a runway brand that sells luxury-adjacent garments, many of which lean into the old-money aesthetic. Its products retail between $15 for small items like socks and $1,390 for shearling-lined coats.
However, they aren't as expensive as those from retailers like The Row, Bottega Veneta, and Loewe.
COS also boasts brand ambassadors like Adrien Brody and celebrity fans like Jodie Turner-Smith. If the brand is good enough for Hollywood actors, it's golden for fashion fans.
COS clothes look and feel good, plain and simple
Nicoll said he loves COS because the brand "keeps up with trends like a fast-fashion brand would" without compromising on "materials or construction." Fashion fans on social media have said the same.
"This is like Skims but for men," TikToker @stefffanos wrote about COS T-shirts after trying them in April. Skims does sell menswear, including T-shirts.
Andrea Cheong, a fashion writer and influencer, also applauded the brand's stitching, fabric reinforcements, and thick materials in a video.
The clothing is made with a variety of classic materials like linen, denim, and wool, many of which are said to be sustainably sourced. COS also publicly shares a list of its current suppliers on its website.
That craftsmanship completes the COS fashion puzzle. With its reputation for high-quality pieces — as well as reasonable prices, coveted menswear, and timeless styles — there's nothing the brand doesn't have.
COS is trendy, unisex, and feels rich, though you don't need to be to shop the brand.
"It's a great option for shoppers who want to step off the fast-fashion hamster wheel, but still look current and put-together," Allen said.