2020 hit us all a bit hard… The impact the national lockdown had on all of us has quite quickly changed society as we know it. Throughout history, we continue to see how major events in society directly impact the fashion industry, e.g. WW2 led to rationing fabrics. The 2020 lockdown has most definitely succeeded at this. It completely changed people’s view of what items of clothing are necessary. The increase of Zoom meetings and people working from home, meant that people could roll out of bed, throw on a cute top, pyjama bottoms and call it a day. This meant more people started searching online for more comfortable clothes!
Dressing for comfort:
As restrictions started to ease up a bit for the summer, we continued to see people dressing for comfort more and more. Nike techs for example were already popular among young boys in London aged around 15-25, now, it’s almost impossible to go out in London without seeing a group of Londoners in this tracksuit, it’s almost the uniform for boys in London. No one expected the drastic impact that Covid19 would have on streetwear. This however did benefit some brands that focus on being cosy at home such as SKIMS.
Bringing back DIY:
One thing that lockdown brought back into fashion was DIY, people were becoming more creative with clothes they already had. The longing for new things was still there, however people were able to make do by up-cycling and recycling things they forgot about. Instagram, TikTok and YouTube was flooded with DIY videos. Tie dyeing and bleaching fabrics and clothing quickly became popular once again.
What does this say about society? It says that when forced into a corner, people tend to come up with creative solutions with limited resources. It means as time changes, people change and so do their priorities. Fashion is an integral part of society and is massively impacted by major events!