This article was originally published In VOGUE Singapore by Kelly Khua. Check out the full piece here.
Game, set, match: Sette is fusing the worlds of loungewear and sustainability
Taking a luxurious and sustainable approach to off-duty dressing, Sette is setting a new standard in comfort and style for loungewear.
Finding a comfortable outfit that’s suitable for all occasions—jet-setting, working from home and scrolling on Tiktok—may sound like a sartorial challenge, but to Dallas-born designer Monica Millington, luxuriously soft loungewear sets are the go-to solution. Her newly launched brand Sette focuses on creating such mix-and-match unisex pieces that are easy to style and sustainably made.
Now a Texas native turned Singapore resident, Millington found inspiration for Sette in her beloved velour tracksuit from the noughts. The Y2K wardrobe staple became a vessel for special memories and followed Millington everywhere until it frayed after 15 years of use. The process of conceptualising Sette’s athleisure and luxury aesthetic also saw Millington going back to images of her muse: the late Princess Diana in her tennis club outfits from the early ’90s.
Sette currently offers the Sweat Sette Collection and Towel Boy capsule collection, both of which are built around wardrobe essentials and neutral hues. Optimal for casual and sporty looks, the Sweat Sette line offers crewneck pullovers, sweatpants and socks fabricated in a bamboo and cotton blend. Aside from giving standard staples an elevated look, the material has a low carbon footprint, strong fibres and antimicrobial qualities.
Meanwhile, the Towel Boy line features cabana shirts, bralettes and shorts crafted in a plush bamboo and cotton Turkish toweling fabric. Every Sette piece is emblazoned with the brand’s logo of two crossed tennis racquets. The offerings in both collections can also be paired together and dressed up or down for any occasion.
With a motto of ‘kinda sporty, kinda not’, Sette emphasises the importance of finding a balance between luxury and casual, hustling and indulgent moments of self-care. For Millington, whose personal style can be described as “lazy chic”, putting on a Sette piece should feel like home and it’s what to reach for to look effortlessly put together.
“As we have transitioned into post-pandemic life, I feel that there’s an appetite for a more polished and sophisticated twist on our everyday lounge uniform.” says Millington. “There’s been real enthusiasm from Sette’s social media community since our launch. Myself along with many others experienced fashion fatigue during the pandemic, so much so that our personal styles evolved as our priorities shifted.”
This personal aspect is why Sette focuses on sustainability too, which is informed by Millington’s own experiences of travelling to Bali. Upon learning that Indonesia is heavily affected by deforestation in the world, Millington partnered up with One Tree Planted, a non-profit organisation whose mission is to restore ecosystems around the world. Through their programs, a tree is planted with every Sette garment sold. The packaging Sette uses is fully recyclable and minimal wherever possible.