The Four Hundred: How Will Fashion Shift in the Age of the Coronavirus ?
Tamas Suto / EyeEm
For many of us, state-wide stay-at-home orders across the globe have translated into a newfound affinity for loungewear: sweatshirts, comfy pants, and any form of athleisure. Since only 7.78% of the American population is deemed as essential workers, the vast majority of us have been kicking back, running Zoom, and aggressively washing our hands.
Rather than attempting to sneak into Nordstrom’s Early Access for its celebrated anniversary sale, shoppers will strategically mark their calendars to storm Nordstrom’s Anniversary Sale website. Or maybe, as the unemployment rate rises to 36 million Americans seeking aid, perhaps some won’t shop at all. After all, the urge for back to school shopping has been stifled by more and more universities announcing hybrid, or fully online academic calendars for the 2020-2021 school year.
As evidenced by major conflicts and recessions, it is clear that fashion trends adapt to worldly events. For instance, the Great Recession of 2008 inspired minimalistic impulses: In the Fall 2008 Ready-to-Wear Alexander Wang collection, models walked wearing industrial, grungy pieces and shadow tones. This concept of simple patterns paired with black, white, and grey clothing pieces has mirrored in the 2020 recession and novel coronavirus pandemic.
These simplistic pairings commanded the runway in the Versace Fall Winter 2020 fashion show, which also took place right before the peak of the pandemic in February. After World War I, women’s fashion shifted, too. For example, World War I sensationalized the female bra.
Prior to the war, a staple in a women’s closet was the corset, a clothing garment that was worn by women to achieve a full-chested, small waist aesthetic under clothing. Corsets were made out of metal and there was a metal shortage. In 1917, the United States War Industries Board asked women to stop wearing corsets: freeing up about twenty-eight thousand tons of steel. Plus, corsets were restrictive, stiff, and difficult to perform labor in. Many women at the time took on factory jobs while their husbands were away at war and they needed to move freely as they dominated the workplace.
Thus, in 2020, the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic will affect more than our immune systems: it is going to jolt newfound trends, fashion pieces, and shopping styles.
Although some believe the “athleisure” look is here to stay, fashion historians like Raissa Bretaña from the Fashion Institute of Technology believe that post-pandemic, people will be more excited to be out of the house, and thus more prone to dressing up.
She says, “When we are finally able to return to social activities like parties and happy hours and even in-person work meetings, I think that the opportunity to dress up will inspire even the least fashion-forward people to make more of an effort than they did pre-pandemic.”
The influx of facial masks and latex gloves are items that are our new normal, and they are here to stay. Thus, it's possible that rather than the recent trend of statement rings, statement necklaces or other accessories will pop up. Due to the fact that many will be wearing gloves during day-to-day life, it’s not practical to have lumpy jewelry underneath. Fitted, latex gloves can snag - causing your hands to be exposed. Plus, snagging a ring on latex or fitted gloves can cause the prongs on a ring to snap, which heightens the risk of losing stones or knicking the ring itself.
Besides wearing gloves to protect yourself, there are a growing number of states, including California, New York, and Texas, which are requiring people to wear protective masks when in public spaces to protect others.
As a result, the mask is quickly becoming a fashion statement: whether it is a designer mask, a silk scarf, a bandana, or courtesy of your grandmother. A number of labels, such as RE/DONE, Rag & Bone, and even luxury brands like Fendi, OFF-WHITE, Givenchy have debuted masks.
The mask adds an entirely new dimension to a wardrobe and a new outlet for both protection and creative expression. Certain brands have even created masks that match already existing pieces in their collections, like Lirika Matoshi’s strawberry print masks that coincide perfectly with her strawberry-print dresses.
The uptick in mask-wearing may coincide with a downturn in beard-growing for men. Although a #QuarantineBeard has been trending, the importance of keeping oneself and others safe outshines this challenge.
off-whitte
According to Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease specialist, facial hair can cling onto bacteria, make it difficult to wear a mask, and even host germs that can infect those closeby. In fact, a study published in the National Library of Medicine found that “bearded men harbor significantly higher burden of microbes and more human-pathogenic strains than dogs.” For those toting facial hair, grow at your own risk.
Besides changes in how we style ourselves, the pandemic has inspired changes in how we shop. Since stores remain closed or partially opened in certain states, many shoppers have turned to e-retail to satisfy their inner shopaholic. Not only is shopping online more accessible and convenient, but it is, in a consumer’s mind, safer.
According to a retail-predictive analytics company, First Insight, 65% of women responded that they would not feel comfortable trying on clothes in dressing rooms due to the spread of COVID-19. For men, 54% of respondents agreed. Although stores are reimagining shopping policies to implement safety measures and meticulous cleaning, not everyone is ready to go back to a life of communal dressing rooms.
The way that fashion changes post-pandemic will make history, whether it may be maximalism or minimalism, a silk scarf, or a bandana. But for now, get your fix from online shopping and impulse Instagram ads. Stay safe!
