In February 2026, the fashion brand Reformation teamed up with celebrity divorce attorney Laura Wasser to launch what they’re calling The Divorce Collection — a line of clothing and accessories built around the idea of celebrating divorce. Introduced just after Valentine’s Day, the campaign carries the tagline, “We called our lawyer. And she doesn’t want you to settle.” The collection ranges from dresses and cashmere sweaters to a sweatshirt boldly stamped with “DUMP HIM,” and it’s described as “made for women who don’t settle, in court or when it comes to clothes.” That messaging would turn heads on its own — but it carries even more weight considering who’s behind it.

Reformation isn’t some unknown boutique; it’s a mainstream lifestyle brand that made its name dressing women for weddings, dates, and other momentous occasions. Now, in an effort to put divorce in the same category of recognition as other milestones in life, it’s pivoting to outfit women for the end of their marriages. As such, the move seems to be reframing what was once understood as a deeply painful, private loss into something styled, branded, and packaged as a moment to be remembered with the same level of joy and significance.

Partnering with Wasser, the celebrity lawyer who has spent her career helping women navigate the often harsh legal and financial realities of divorce, adds a layer of irony and perhaps a conflict of interest to Reformation’s latest addition to their boutique. First, there’s Wasser’s primary business of having a client sign on the dotted line of their divorce papers, followed by profiting off their pain by promoting a perfectly styled wardrobe to help them “move on.”

Additionally, to soften criticism that this might be seen as a self-serving endeavor, the brand added a charitable component, noting that 100% of the net proceeds from the “Dump Him” sweatshirt will benefit the Harriett Buhai Center for Family Law. It is certainly a philanthropic gesture. However, it doesn’t alter the broader cultural message behind the campaign — one that overlooks the trauma and heartbreak of divorce, and instead treats it not as a painful experience, but as something that deserves to be marked with a shopping spree.

In marketing terms, Reformation is selling a narrative of independence and renewal. But from a cultural standpoint, it feels like we’ve stopped encouraging couples to work through the difficulties of marriage and are increasingly finding ways to make walking away from a spouse more appealing. This shift has broader implications, especially when it comes to how young people now view long-term commitment, raising questions about whether marriage itself may become an outdated concept in the near future.

Recent research shows that while most younger adults still say they want to marry someday, far fewer express that desire compared with previous generations. Young women, in particular, are frequently the target of anti-marriage messaging, which makes a clothing line that reinforces that narrative feel even more concerning. In discussing the Reformation and Wasser partnership, The Kit columnist Meaghan Wray highlighted relationship coach Victoria Yeung’s caution: “Most of us are familiar with the statistics around who actually benefits from marriage. It’s not women.”

However, while Wray likely intended to empower women by challenging traditional ideas of long-term commitment and family, implying that a wardrobe is a solution to the void left by leaving your husband and family is inherently belittling. It suggests that women can be satisfied, fulfilled, or find healing from a traumatic experience, with little more than a stylish outfit, trivializing the depth and significance of meaningful relationships and the heartbreak that follows when they end.

Similarly, forming meaningful relationships has become more challenging than ever for young people, and the fear of starting something new after a breakup leaves many hesitant to even try. That makes Wasser’s campaign — turning the end of a relationship into a fashion moment — feel even more out of touch. As National Review columnist Haley Strack observes, “Reformation’s campaign is the latest in a series of marketing ploys that attempt to monetize breakups. But, per [Wheatley Institute and the Institute for Family Studies], young men and women are desperate for serious, long-term relationships. Pop culture should cater toward that desire instead of glamorizing divorce or trivializing marriage.”

Turning divorce — or breakups in general — into a category of merchandise that glorifies ending a commitment adds to the worry about the person you’re with. Will they be in it for the long haul, when we’re told that a trending line of clothing or accessories is available to make leaving easier, effectively chipping away at the one thing that often motivates people to keep working at it: the weight and reality of the pain involved with walking away?

This constant negative shift in messaging leaves those who recognize the value and lasting impact of strong marriages on society increasingly concerned about the direction of our culture. Those who still see marriage as an institution meant to be honored are left asking: how did we get here? When did ending a relationship become something to literally wear? When did the celebration of independence eclipse the celebration of commitment, perseverance, and family continuity?

There will always be marriages that truly need to end — situations involving abuse, neglect, infidelity, or irreparable breakdown. No one is arguing against support for those facing genuine hardship. But turning divorce itself into a lifestyle brand feels like one more depressing step on the path we are headed down.

A sweatshirt doesn’t repair broken hearts, reinvent community norms, or teach couples how to navigate the hard years. It does signal how far we’ve moved from treating marriage as a sacred, enduring commitment and closer to viewing it as a temporary experience, easily replaced and stylishly merchandised.