In the last couple of months, almost everything about our lives has changed, especially the way we dress. But for fashion, will we ever go “back to normal”?
Fashion in the age of the Covid-19 isn’t that complicated. From sweatpants to loungewear sets everyone is reaching for what’s practical and comfortable. If it requires too much thinking, like suit pants with buttons or a button-up dress, then its most likely transferred to the “Maybe” part of your wardrobe. We are dressing for comfort rather than expression.
In Australia, Lockdown orders are easing slowly. As people begin to start visiting friends and family again, will we see a colourful range of ensembles? or will months of Iso-fashion hold us back from going back to normal?
In my opinion, I think that head-to-toe looks will probably become more common after Covid-19. We will see more carefully curated outfits from both men and women as we begin to express ourselves again. People are beginning to think about when they can wear a nice dress or suit again, go to an event or a nice restaurant.
Coronavirus and its effects have already manifested in a variety of ways. We are no longer wanting maximalist designs, we are looking for more minimalist designs. After years of emphasizing status through logos and brand symbols, people are no longer subscribing to those styles and trends. We are seeing a more enlightened and considerate customer focusing more on sustainable clothes and the quality of garments rather than the seasonality of fast fashion and single-use behaviour.
We are even seeing changes in how we receive information about new trends and designs. Covid-19 has caused an almost total loss of all of the traditional outlets of fashion information. We are no longer viewing celebrities walking red-carpet events or looking at carefully curated Instagram feeds. Even the simple act of observing a stylish person walking who makes us consider different ways to style our clothes is gone. Instead of looking to others, we are suddenly looking to ourselves, Individuality is on the rise and this trend is here to stay.
Many people simply don’t or won’t have the extra spending money like they previously did, so the simple task of “shopping your closet” could be a big player in the “Fashion 2.0” trend. The great thing about the Fashion 2.0 trend is that it can be whatever you want it to be. It could be “Versatility”, it could even be “Practicality”.
In my mind, the rise of Fashion 2.0 will see clothes that people can be wear for multiple occasions, like a sustainable white t-shirt that you could wear to the office then to drinks later that day. We are going to see a rise in fashion that is more subdued and comfort-focused. Clothes that people can wear multiple times does not mean the end of people wanting to look nice, in fact, it could be the best thing to happen to fashion.
Fashion has always been important. How we dress can both comfort and empower us, it can make us feel exposed or safe and it can even intimidate. When we dress, we have knowledge that we will be seen even if we refuse to admit it. As Humans, we are visual creatures and we use fashion as a means of visually expressing our individuality. “Fashion 2.0” is all about that.
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