No one thought the pandemic could have upended just about every aspect of our lives. Staying at home, working and learning remotely, how we run errands, and how we prioritize things all changed. Even the way we dress, how we buy clothes, and ways we accessorize our outfit of the day (OOTDs) changed.
As the pandemic stretches on, we can expect more people to change the way they view fashion. These are but some fashion changes we can expect to see more following the pandemic.
Comfort Over Fashion
More people are dressing comfortably than they usually do before the crisis. Since many started working and learning from home, they see no reason to do extensive effort when dressing up. For some, they turned to corporate casual tops and blazers while rocking their pajamas or comfy shorts while on Zoom meetings.
For those who are now working again in offices, they too are embracing a comfier style. They turned to wardrobes that are very easy to clean instead of their usual dry-clean-only clothes. Since the pandemic demands people to prioritize hygiene, we turned to the type of clothes that won’t wear or fade even after multiple washing.
When running errands or just lounging indoors, most people prefer wearing sweatshirts, t-shirts, easy blouses, and pants with their comfy sneakers. They feel more comfortable wearing these types of clothes as they also limit their type outdoors. Many of us are now investing in clothes we can wear at home and straight to the supermarket if needed.
Styling Behind Masks
Since our faces are often hidden behind masks, people had to find ways to still look stylish. Some women turned to eye makeup and cute hairstyles to still feel good behind their face coverings. Lip product sales were affected since no one can really see people wearing them behind masks.
More women are into makeup that makes their eyes stand out. They turned to products that emphasized their smiling eyes, which included eye shadow and false eyelashes. Others went to work on their hair, from trying out other hairstyles to coloring their locks.
Before, we only consider wearing face masks when absolutely necessary. Now, it has become a must-have and many turned to fashionable masks instead of disposable and boring cloth masks. Mask makers found this opportunity to bring in more revenue by offering sustainable and fashionable masks to the public.
Aside from stylish masks and hair and makeup, some women went bold and turned to jewelry. More women are choosing luxury earrings and necklaces. This helps complete their OOTDs and still looks trendy behind their hidden faces.
Instead of regular jewelry, the bigger and more noticeable, the better. This is often true for necklaces and earrings. One can make a statement with just a pair of fashionable earrings. You don’t even need a piercing as some brands offer pieces you can effortlessly stack to your ears.
Embracing Sustainable Fashion
More consumers, especially millennials, are embracing sustainable fashion. They no longer want cheap fast-fashion that won’t last a few wears. They want clothes that are long-lasting and were made and sourced sustainably.
Consumers are now more concerned about the brands they buy their clothes from. Many are turning to sustainable fashion brands that promise a more ethical way to source, crafting, and selling fashion products. This is since many now realize how much dirty secrets the fashion industry is producing each year.
Today’s young generation is now embracing second-hand clothes. This is since recycling clothes is a great way to reduce fashion waste while saving money. They get to express themselves in unique vintage style clothes that are often hard to find in modern clothes;
Online Shopping
As we shelter in place, we found more time to shop for clothes without going to the mall. We now sit in our comfy living room, browsing endlessly for clothes, shoes, and accessories to wear using our gadgets. Even if we are merely staying at home, we found this hobby to be quite addicting, considering we can do this without leaving the house.
When the pandemic began, many people lost their jobs. But after they started working again, they went online shopping since working remotely allows them to save money. With no additional expenses like gas or transport and lunch allowance, they now have more funds to finance their shopping sprees.
One’s stress-response soon turned into a realization that they needed to spend their money wisely with the pandemic and all. Now, more are shopping for second-hand clothes online. Others are only buying their absolute must-haves like pieces they know they will use multiple times.
There are other fashion changes that occurred during the crisis. But these four are undeniably evident wherever you may be. If there is one thing for sure, that is the fact that masks and comfortable loungewear are not going anywhere any time soon.