Stuck at home during the pandemic, people suddenly had extra time on their hands. While some preferred to use that time reading, cooking or binge watching shows on Netflix, others decided to use it as a time to shop online for clothing. In the past year, a variety of trends have emerged and according to cnn.com, a few of 2020’s remarkable trends were based on functionality, comfort, statements and material.
Functionality
Now wearing face masks the majority of the time, people did not waste time to show their creative sides by matching them with their own outfits and getting ones with unique designs. If finding great quality masks is a struggle, there are a variety of companies available. For those who aren’t able to make their masks themselves and want to wear fashionable and comfortable ones, companies Alice + Olivia, Inkkas, Aviator and Knotty Tie are great options to consider.
Comfort
Spending their days at home, the majority of clothing companies’ customers had their wardrobes taken over by loungewear. According to a study done by lyst.com, with 100 million shoppers, the most purchased brands were Birkenstock clogs, Crocs, UGG slippers and Nike joggers, which are all shoe companies. Statements
Shirts with quotes and funny jokes have always been a trend; however, in the past year the meaning of the statements have significantly changed. BLM protestors started to favor shirts with powerful statements such as “ I can’t breathe” or “BLM”. Buying merchandise with phrases related to a movement such as Black Lives Matter (BLM) or feminism and gay rights allowed individuals to convey significant messages to others and feel as if they were a part of a bigger community.
Material
Taking time to not just better themselves but the planet as well, people took a liking to plant based clothing. According to fashionunited.uk.com, France saw a 132% year-on-year increase in demands for “vegan” clothing with the US as 63% and UK as 43%. These statistics demonstrate that during the pandemic, many shoppers questioned their choice of clothing material and how it affects the Earth.There are numerous possibilities on how these pandemic clothing trends may impact fashion in the future. According to Racher Weingarten, a beauty historian, author and trends expert, fashion concepts will mostly revolve around high comfort. “You might see sequins or embellishments on the comfy clothing; it will likely be unlike anything we’ve worn previously” she said.
