The long and dreadful period when everyone spent an excessive amount of money and time buying clothes for their exciting and long awaited exit of lockdown. The new trends introduced within lockdown have been nothing short of comfortable. Postmen deliver bags and bags of loose fitting joggers. The question needs to be asked. Will lockdown affect the way we dress?

Now that everyone has been stuck in the comfort of their own homes for months and months, it seems like we would never see normal again. Scrolling for hours trying to fit the perfect pair of sweats for lounging around. This limits the experience of browsing through the long, winding racks of the shops trying to find the perfect piece. Thus meaning there was no purpose to dress up. Everyone’s best dresses were stuffed away in their wardrobes not to be seen while the world was in chaos. Everyone’s everyday outfit consisted of oversized clothes that hung off the body, occasionally looking a bit sloppy. If not in sweats, a lot of the public would just stay in pajamas all day long as there was nowhere to go and absolutely no one to impress. Many businesses kept designing and producing clothes, even high end companies such as ‘Celine’ who put out a whole line dedicated to staying at home. Even fast fashion brands such as ‘prettylittlething’ collaborated with plenty of instagram influencers. We also saw many trends come and go as the months went on. At the start of lockdown there was a major outcry over the very high demand of tie dye items. From tops to socks. Even though the trend did last a while and many people are still wearing tie dye, the huge demand has disappeared and people are no longer buying tie dye like it is the summit of style.

The question that needs to be asked is what is going to happen when people return to some sort of normal? Is fashion for the workplace going to change? Would people rather be stylish or comfortable? The real answer is that comfort will definitely play a major role in the way that society dresses for everyday tasks and work. Obviously it depends on the job as in many industries the dress code is lenient, the work style will continue to be suited for each person and their profession. Many women who used to wear sophisticated dresses will now choose to put on something a little more relaxed but still formal and breathable like a pair of loose trousers and a beautiful flowy blouse that is easy to move. Fashion for working people may go completely different from perception and people could continue to dress uncomfortably but smartly for work as a way to show the normality of what it was like before the virus.

The overall truth of the matter is that many brands have been affected and this may change the way that consumers choose to shop and also what they purchase. It is evident the pandemic has had a major impact. Many people will now work from home. Probably in loungewear or even still, choose to style it more casually when in the office purely for comfort. 

 

BY HOLLY MCKIE