Consider it Comfortable- How has Covid -19 affected fashion trends

There is no doubt that the fashion industry has taken a brutal hit over the past year. However, I want to be more optimistic so I’m going to write about the positives that have come out of the pandemic period; explaining how the pandemic has been a catalyst for trend development, as opposed to a nuclear missile which has exploded over the fashion industry.

Athleisure

Sporty fashion is probably the most sought-after style of the moment with 63% of us putting more effort into fitness, in the belief that it will improve our mental health during these trying times.

As it goes, current fashion trends will be reflective of the state of society today. Therefore, our predominantly isolated lifestyles which consist of exercise, zoom calls and limited interactions with society, call for comfort dressing. For much of this period people have been looking for clothes which will encourage them to get off the sofa and into their running shoes. In the USA alone, sports equipment sales went up by 55% in 2020. So, in comes the era of fashionable exercise clothing and functional yet attractive sports bras. The fashion industry is calling it the Athleisure style. Online sportswear companies have seen a significant rise in annual sales. For example, last year Fabletics saw a 100 million dollar increase in sales from last August. It is however, companies without a strong online presence which will be suffering the most at this time.

Considered Comfort

Of course, life isn’t all about sportswear, and while it has been dominating the current street wear vibe, there have been new trends which have stormed onto the scene. Last Summer saw a resurgence of ‘Nap dresses’, named for their comfortable, nap-worthy design. Loosely based on the Little Women style Prairie dress combined with traditional nighties, the nap-dress is ideal for dozing in the garden or the park, yet fashionable enough to wear to a restaurant. Harking back to these vintage styles is the fashion worlds way of bringing nostalgia into our daily lives. Nostalgia generally evokes feelings of comfort and brings back memories of youth (remember when people wore nighties to bed?). As a result, the concept of comfort in this fashion climate extends beyond physical comfort, by also addressing the consumers need for emotional comfort. On a more practical note, the nap-dress style also works for pretty much all body shapes, and was therefore the ideal Summer lockdown trend.

When it comes to the need for emotional comfort, DIY fashion has also become popular, with internet searches for tie-dye increasing significantly in June 2020. Not only does tie-dye suit most of us, but the creative process has given people a much needed distraction from the purgatory their lives have become. Bright tie-dye colours were therefore ideal for the sunny Summer days of lockdown 1.0.

Maximum comfort, minimal fuss. The fashion world is calling these latest home-life trends, Considered Comfort.

Lingerie

Who hasn’t been scrolling through the January sales looking for something to freshen up their underwear drawer? I call this ‘sinful spending’; buying glamorous lingerie in the hope that we will once again have the occasion to wear it. After all, lingerie is not just for the opposite sex (as much as they might want to think so), but an expression of femininity, confidence and individual style- in short, it makes women feel good. This year, lingerie companies’ online sales have increased, as we have more time for self-reflection and the opportunity to experiment with styles that work for us.

Face masks

I can’t write a piece about Covid fashion trends without mentioning the humble face-mask. After the initial shock of having to wear a mask day in day out they have become more and more of a fashion trend. Instead of smiling or frowning, we now express ourselves with our face-masks, using them to highlight our personality or mood for the day. Throughout winter they have become multi-purpose accessories, as people have realised that they are ideal for keeping the winter chill off your face!

I know hind sight is redundant, but I think it’s safe to say that whoever had the foresight to invest in the PPE industry before the pandemic hit the fan, is one of the few people who will have done well out of this situation.

All that’s left to ask is whether the fashion world and the consumer have done enough to help claw the industry out of this Marianas trench of a situation, or has Covid mutated the industry beyond repair? As I said before, I’m choosing to look on the bright side and therefore think that this period in fashion will be remembered as a time when comfort became cool, people became fitter and our underwear drawers became sexier.