The COVID-19 pandemic changed many things about our lives and, our fashion choices came first. As governments shut down and businesses closed temporarily, we found ourselves confined to our homes without a reason to don high heels, business suits, or makeup.
We were already heading towards a more casual look for the office. About 50% of the senior managers interviewed in a recent survey said their workers wear less formal clothing than they did five years ago. The pandemic has pushed fashion into a much more casual form.
Of course, working from home lets us dress much more casually. The advent of cloud apps allowed businesses to immediately transition to a work-from-home environment. Medium and large-sized businesses use anywhere from 300 to 400 cloud applications today enabling their staff to work from anywhere.
Zoom lets staff meet via video. You can conference one on one or as a group. This means you still need to dress nicely from the waist up. While many people started working in their pajamas, the “Zoom top” also became a thing. These tops, typically pullovers, look dressier than a pajama top but are made from a similar material. They give the conference attendee a polished look they can pull on quickly. You can dress up your pajama look with a kimono, too. You’ll seem dressier and there’s nothing like a silk print to make you feel pretty.
Video conferencing also requires a different look. Many women do not want to put on full makeup but do want to stand out on camera, so they turned to false eyelashes. These lashes may reach half-inch length as pretty extreme looks have become fashionable. We’re wearing less lipstick though because no person wants lipstick smudged masks.
Forget dressy shoes, too. During the months of March and April, sales of those shoe types plummeted by 70%, according to NPD. Slipper sales doubled in April though. Sneakers have also found their way onto most people’s feet for their comfort and utility when running errands. If you’re one of the female editorial models showcasing the latest fashions, you do not need the heels. Those tall, slim models typically stand about 5 feet, 9 inches in height with measurements of about 33 inches around the bust, 23 inches around the waist, and 33 inches around the hips.
The malls that have reopened experienced sales of jeans in classic cuts, T-shirts, plus khakis. Consumers have turned to joggers and other loungewear for a monochrome, comfy look. Those who do choose dresses have used their ability to work from home to go shorter with their hemlines.
We’ve even changed the colors we love to wear. The best-selling clothes come in earth-tone colors like yellow, blue, olive green, and rust-brown.
Activewear and athletic gear continue to grow in popularity. Lululemon lets you have style and comfort during the virtual fitness classes that got everyone through the worst of the pandemic. Leggings look great with a Zoom top, plus you can wear them to the grocery store, and they easily go with your sneakers.
You might purchase your clothes in solids, but tie-dye became popular again. People bought kits instead of purchasing already tie-dyed items. That provided a craft to keep them entertained at home, too.
Of course, face masks remain all the rage. Colorful masks sprang up almost overnight in bright colors, neutrals, and prints. Kids’ masks use cartoon characters or playful prints as decorations to a serious medical device.
Gloves have also come back into vogue. Our grandmothers’ kid gloves once seemed so quaint, but they seem like such a smart move now. Match them to your mask for the best look.
We’ll have to wait for the fall fashions to debut to see more changes. This year’s spring lines and resort wear though have revealed a determination to remain comfortable.
