The year 2020 will go down in history as the catalyst of a life-altering, turning the whole world upside-down kind of situation for everything and everyone.
Covid changed our lifestyles, how we look at things, people, our daily lives, commuting, and more. Besides social developments, many businesses took a hit, be it in the finance, transport, medical, fashion or food industry.
Fashion Industry Rises During Pandemic
The same can be said for the fashion industry, a trillion-dollar business. The economy declined; everything became purely based on the internet.
All manufacturing and production have reached a standstill, along with sourcing raw materials and retail distribution due to the market shutting down to meet covid protocol.
There is a silver lining here as well; in fact, even more than just that. On the one hand, real physical shopping, fashion shows, and more may have come to a halt, but the pandemic changed the global fashion e-commerce market forever.
People worldwide have startups on apps like Instagram or their own websites selling sustainable garments or thrifting, earning a good profit from the same.
Well-known retail brands such as Zara, H&M, Myntra, TataClique, Urbanic, Shein, Fashion nova, and more have opened the world to the comfort and ease of purchasing their products at the tap of a finger on their phones or laptops.
Be it net banking, credit or debit cards, or cash on delivery, and all these companies earn huge profits since people have nothing else to do but sit at home and scroll through all they have to offer.
Fashion shows are virtual when it comes to luxury brands like Dior, Chanel, Gucci, and others.
Most of the spring, summer, and fall collections have been showcased on digital platforms such as live streams, presentations, and videos posted on the official sites.
As we begin to talk about the trends, of course, fashion is forever evolving. As humans adapt and evolve to our surroundings and environment, so does our form of expression, i.e. the way we dress.
2020 comes up with New Trends
The period between early 2020 up until this year has seen many trends despite being indoors for most of the duration. For most, a more laidback, comfortable yet chic attire was the outfit of choice.
Think loungewear, neutral comfy sweats with sweatshirts, or tank tops with shorts and co-ords. Cut-out clothes also appear, such as dresses cut at the waist or the back, pants, and tops cut in random places.
The pandemic also gave people a chance to work on themselves and connect with themselves. This was more evident in athleisure wear, leggings, sports bras, windbreakers, and of course, the never-dying sneaker culture.
Party to formal wear as cases started easing and restrictions reduced reintroduced us to early 2000s fashion, also known as Y2K fashion. Think flared pants, low-rise jeans, lots of colors, shoulder bags, and block heels. Ribbed cardigans and crop t-shirts, and spaghetti tops also made a comeback.
While talking about pandemic fashion, we cannot fail to mention the most important accessory of all: the mask. Mask business is booming like no other. Not just the surgical ones, but even designer fashion houses produce masks. From Louis Vuitton to Burberry, getting onto the bandwagon of mask production is genius. It’s a cultural reset, something no one has ever seen until now.
Fashion Culture Post Pandemic
So, a year and a half later, where do we stand in the face of fashion?
Things seem to be looking up. More and more people are getting vaccinated, which means less cases and fewer people falling ill.
Everything seems to have gone back to normal, stores have reopened their doors, fashion shows are happening, people are attending, manufacture, sourcing, and shipping have resumed.
But one thing remains; the current status of fashion and its digital future. Now that the general public has got a taste of what online virtual style is like, it’s often hard to let go of it, especially when it’s so easily accessible and convenient.
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