The pandemic has interrupted how we dress and led to a shift in clothing that is driven by circumstance, not style.
‘Slob style’ is a fashion term. Daily lounge wear and loose middled attire, that is partly blamed for the expansion of many a waistline is becoming tiresome and the focus is now on re-finding style for a new norm.
Bloggers, influencers, writers and reporters are writing an endless supply of features telling us how even the dedicated followers of fashion are dressing down – so it must be a thing – but do we really want to dress like this? And more to the point, can we pull it off and still feel stylish?
“even dedicated followers of fashion are dressing down - surely it must be a thing.”
We’ve always had the self-styled mavericks who dress as if they don’t care, and funnily enough it’s the men that spring to mind as I write this. Think FB co-founder Mark Zuckerberg, or government chief advisor Dominic Cummings, or even our very own PM - between these 3 men alone we’ve witnessed public displays of nondescript casual, mix-match and ill-fitting attire well before the pandemic struck.
However, for most of us ladies, our newfound comfort that arrived as a result of lockdown is no longer cutting the mustard, but neither is our pre-lockdown clothing. Plus, the way we receive clothing information has changed too. No more red-carpet celebrity show downs or finely curated Instagram feeds, instead we are seeing the rise of individuality.
I think this as a BRILLIANT opportunity for us to reset. This is our time where designers are following our lead by turning to look at what customers are wearing first. And to my delight this has made both designer and consumer move towards sustainable clothes and the quality of garments rather than the seasonality of fast fashion and single-use behaviour.
“individuality is on the rise and this trend is here to stay.”
I believe the answer is a more subdued and comfort-focused style, with a personal wardrobe of selected Clothes that can be worn multiple times. However, it is important to emphasise that this does not mean the end of people wanting to look good and feel nice, in fact, it means the very opposite. We have finally reached tipping point where we have experienced the mass availability of ever-changing clothing looks, which consequently has filled our wardrobes, to suddenly experiencing one universal comfort-dressing look, resulting in lounge wear. We now have everything we need to pop the two together and decipher our own individual style from our wardrobes.
How we dress can make us feel exposed or safe, and at the moment both the latter feelings are at war with each other while we figure out our new way. 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 dressing as a means of visually expressing our individuality.
Tips on how to re-evolve your current Wardrobes to create a new style
1. Think head-to-toe - curating a complete look that includes your shoes, bag, and any other chosen accessories such as hat, sunglasses, jewellery
2. Wear your Bests - don’t limit a garment by categorising as ‘going out’. Every time you vacate your home you are going out, pair blouses with jeans and pop on your heeled boots.
3. Mix lounge wear with office wear - create a new style by pairing slouch knits with tailored trousers, silk blouse with joggers.
Plus: Visors will allow full make-up
I’m going to leave you with this thought:
Coronavirus will lead to a different world. I wonder if this will apply to clothing just as it applies to anything else. No matter how much you may wish to distance yourself from fashion, are you really going out like that?
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