Post Covid Fashion Trend

Post Covid fashion trends

Contributed by Itextiles team

As we emerge from our time of isolation, it’s clear as water that we have all been changed by the pandemic and our clothing is yet another reminder of that unintended and undeniable transformation. The feeling of having old clothes feel at once too restrictive and too drab, too cumbersome, too inconvenient, too not-me or the casual feeling of “I’m different now makes sense that my clothing should be too”. This feeling is not unique, anecdotally, most of the people affected by the pandemic have expressed a similar dilemma, peek at the internet and you’ll find countless strangers confused about how to dress for their return to in-person work, if you go out on the town you would feel the vibrancy is on parade. With bright colors, florals, prints, and big silhouettes, after such a bewildering rollercoaster, it seems like everyone wants to dress happy, take up space, and present themselves as their true selves.

Traditional work wear transcending to causal.

Throughout history, big global events like war, disease, depression, and revolution have directly impacted what we wear. “The periods of greatest shifts in fashion are in line with great shifts in society,” Dasher noted. Some of those moments are easy to pinpoint: the glitz of the Roaring '20s after emerging from World War I and the Spanish flu; pants for women after the factory fashions of World War II. Now casual sneakers on top of chinos with a shirt are considered wearable attire in an office. Most of the people who spent time working from home wearing casual attire as they spent 8 hours changed the perspective of not just the employees but also the employer of the company since then many businesses have changed their dress code from traditional office wear to casual. Today, major players like Apple, Google, & Quicken Loans have casual dress codes. That's trickling into traditional companies too as JP Morgan, IBM, BlackRock, Goldman Sachs, and General Electric have recently relaxed their dress code restrictions, as Silicon Valley culture has gone mainstream and relaxed dress codes are a way to attract millennial top talent. Now the main question comes: Do casual clothes lead to a casual attitude, and in turn, less productivity? If you’re always dressed in “play mode,” is it harder to be focused, alert and productive? Not. Adam Glinsky, a professor at the Columbia Business School found that clothing does, indeed, affect performance to a certain extent. Why? It’s what Glinksy calls “enclothed cognition” clothing influencing performance, if you feel confident in the attire you are wearing, you’re likely to try harder and perform better at a specific task.

Comfortable wear is the new norm

The "Netflix & Chill" concept is making people care less about the fear of missing out and more about the joy of missing out. In a lockdown, people had rediscovered the joy of staying inside, this period has given rise to a new apparel category: i.e., loungewear which can be worn outdoors as well as indoors, becoming a better choice for the environment by producing minimum waste.

The next normal saw all kinds of sartorial revolutions and disruptions from Hollywood celebrities attending award galas in their PJs, to people ditching high heels and women giving up wearing makeup. The relationship one had with one’s wardrobe transformed completely.

Staying at home, meant looking for comfort and more importantly, that’s easy to wash, iron, and get work ready.

Rise of dopamine dressing

To offset the adverse effects of 2022, dopamine dressing has transpired for consumers to boost their moods through fashion. Endorphin-inducing colors (yellow, orange, green, pink, red & blue), summer camp jewelry, and psychedelic 70s prints are being injected into retailers’ upbeat assortments, resonating with Gen Z’s affinity with nostalgia and experimentation. Keep these bold hues and fun patterns in mind for summer designers showcased joyous colors and optimistic themes on the Fall 2022 runways confirming their longevity in the cooler months. The loungewear hype may be slowing down amid these new trends. However, consumers will still be vying for aspects of comfort in their wardrobes, buoyed by the Gen Z consumer, the softcore subculture perfectly meshes dopamine dressing with coziness to carry sweats into the postpandemic age. With the seasonal and cross-category appeal, it's a risk-free investment as softcore is a bonafide trend in home and streetwear. Tactile fabrications are key think terry toweling and teddy textures in pastel and neutral hues across knitwear & outerwear.

Sustainability a new emerging trend

The Fashion industry has accelerated its commitment toward environmental sustainability, especially related to the elimination of hazardous chemicals, the reduction of CO2 emissions, and, also in the adoption of circular economy practices. This pandemic reveals the vulnerability of global supply chains as countries restricted international trade, supply chain logistics were disrupted, and orders were canceled due to sudden diminishing orders. The new business framework compelled the whole industry to review its strategies and plans. According to States of Fashion 2022, today’s consumers are more inclined toward sustainable fashion products and after COVID the consumer is opting for more sustainable fashion than in the past. According to research, the principal factor of sustainability in fashion is the customer atop of other competition or environmental activists. Eco-friendly and sustainable fashion is the focus of every fashion designer. No doubt nonsustainable fashion will still be in demand but would become critical for brands to fulfill audience needs. Garments and accessories that can be reused in a different number of ways without missing fashion trends will be in demand in the post-COVID era.

Masks becoming a new way to express ourselves.

Fashion always finds a way. Human beings are undaunted in their search for ways to stand out, communicate, to thrive in a treacherous environment. And so, the face mask once purely functional, once perceived as an exotic accessory has evolved at breakneck speed into something more. It’s more essential because the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that people wear a mask when interacting with others. It’s more aesthetically pleasing but also a more complicated cultural proposition. As the countries around the world move toward reopening, masks are assuredly part of our future. And in some ways, their evolution is the perfect encapsulation of how much life has changed in a blink of an eye and how challenging, both intellectually and emotionally, it will be for us to go forward.

“The question about face masks is how will they morally change us? To some extent the answer depends on our motivation for wearing them,” says Liz Bucar, a professor of religion at Northeastern University. “If you are wearing a mask to protect yourself from others, you are forming a habit of fear. Every time you put a mask on, every time you see someone else wearing one, you will reinforce this fear. “But if you are wearing the mask to protect others, wearing it will create a feeling of connection to those in your community,” she says. “You’ll see others wearing masks as a sartorial sign that they are willing to sacrifice some freedom and comfort for the common good.

There are masks for every taste and budget. Some are printed with Edvard Munch-like open-mouthed screams, goth masks mimic skeletal jaws. Disney is offering a preorder on four packs of masks featuring its signature characters. High-end versions are constructed from fine Italian fabrics that really should be hand-washed rather than thrown into the Maytag, others are covered in sequins. Some masks look to be so dense that they’d impede breathing; nonetheless, they’re stunning. Gamers’ leading lifestyle brand Razer has designed a face mask under “Project Hazel” which consists of N95 medical-grade respirator protection innovated using detachable and rechargeable active ventilators, smart pods that regulate airflow for optimal breathability and can filter at least 95 percent of airborne particles and highly resist fluid. The transparent device allows to see facial cues such as a smile or laugh and the interior neon light can automatically activate in the dark plus the built-in microphone and amplifier enhances the user’s speech for clear communication.