2021: Have we changed the way we shop?

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we live our lives in a lot of ways. It’s changed how we work, how we shop, how we travel, and especially how we dress.

Fashion has morphed over the last year, following our lead as we ditched the office clothes for some more relaxed alternatives. After all, no one said you couldn’t be comfy and look good at the same time.

The pandemic hasn’t just changed what we’re buying, it’s changed how we buy too. Athleisure and casual-wear sales rocketed alongside the online sales platform. When we couldn’t browse clothing rails instore, we took to pages and pages of online shops. In fact, it has been reported that consumer around the globe spent $900 billion more at online retailers last year than in the past two years.

Our casual clothes become our work clothes, and our work clothes become our casual clothes. Wardrobe boundaries blurred once we realised that we really can wear anything. With the occasions we usually dress up for being cancelled – weddings, concerts, work – we didn’t only change how we dressed, but also what we were choosing to buy.

The rise in athleisure and loungewear sales revealed our love for fashion – even when stuck inside. We didn’t want to sit in our pyjamas or do Zoom calls in our suits. The athleisure and loungewear arenas show the value in both style and comfort. Even if we’re sat watching reruns of Friends, we want to know we look good in our two-piece co-ord.

Self-expression doesn’t go away because we’ve been through a pandemic. As we start to look towards a future where we might just be able to talk about the pandemic in the past tense, we’re bringing what we’ve learnt with us. Whilst we’re still dressing our best on those days when we’re out and about, we’re bringing a degree of comfort into our looks. If the clothing is comfortable, feels good, and falls well, then it’s already a winner.