How the Pandemic has Affected Fashion

2020 has been a mess for many aspects of life. Public health, mental health, and the economy have gone down the tubes. Let’s just throw this whole year away. 

But instead of dwelling on the negative this year has brought us, let’s focus on how society has changed. Let’s focus on how our priorities have changed.

For starters, the fashion industry has taken a huge hit. Because our priorities have changed. We are not going out to events, we have hardly anyone to impress besides our online friends, so the demand of buying new garments has plummeted. I can’t tell you the last time I dressed up for work or a business meeting. I actually ordered some nice work clothes at the beginning of the pandemic because they were on sale, thinking I would have some nice new pieces when I returned to work in person…. But I’m still working from home 8 months later.

Indeed, the pandemic has truly affected the fashion industry. We are no longer shopping for the latest trends, nice work clothes, or cute outfits to wear to the club. But I will say, the pandemic has halted the fast fashion industry quite a bit. Our priorities are no longer meant to impress our peers in person with the hottest trends spotted on instagram. We are now donning sweatpants and fuzzy socks and effective hair scrunchies as our daily attire.

The first items listed on The Urban Outfitters Women's Clothing page inspire coziness and home comforts.

Instead of shopping every other week for a cheap item that falls into the same genre as the latest trend, we are now online shopping for the coziest garments. Outfits that will bring us comfort physically and mentally. 

Shopping is still about lifestyle, but the lifestyle we are aiming to achieve now when we search for new outfits is one that brings us comfort and peace.

Besides our work from home attire, fashion has evolved even for the brief moments we are out in public. One thing to notice is that many popular garments worn by the masses and trend-setting influencers and teens are baggy, oversized clothing. The theme of comfort is still not lost when we dress up to go run errands at our local Target.

Perhaps wearing baggier clothing is not just a comfort trend that this year has brought on, but also a safety trend. The more fabric that covers our body, the safer we feel from this invisible, airborne virus that plagues the world.

Long ago were the days we were shopping every other weekend for the skimpiest, trendiest fast fashion pieces. We are now hunkering down and spending our dollars wisely, only shopping for the most essential, coziest, and safest outfits to wear.

How do you think the pandemic will affect the fashion industry and fashion trends long-term? Is baggy, cozy, safe clothing the new normal, or just another adaptation to our current crisis? Do you think fast fashion will resurrect itself after this is all said and done, or do you think that society has finally adopted sustainability and will start only shopping for long-lasting pieces, with less trips to the mall?

These are uncertain times, but only time will tell how this all plays out with the fashion industry. For now, let’s enjoy our cozy sweats and fuzzy socks as we sit in our makeshift home offices, and wait out this health crisis virtually together.

-Lorraine

Historical Fashion - Brothel Creepers

Hey guys! This week’s blog post is going to be a tad educational, about a topic I love to cover most - how historical fashion circulates into modern trends years later. One of my favorite trends that has stayed strong in the underground and alternative subcultures but has come back into vogue are creepers. 

Creepers are typically known for their suede bodies, platform soles, and D-ring grommets for laces. Creepers have remained popular in the alternative and goth subcultures for decades, and sales of the shoes have risen the past decade after years of being a dormant expression of fashion aggression. 

But what if I told you creepers have an even older history than the days of the Velvet Underground and Vivienne Westwood?

Brothel creepers originated from the days of World War II, where British soldiers would wear suede boots fashioned with repurposed rubber soles from tires to “better navigate the climate” (Rebel Circus). They were deemed “Brothel Creepers” because troops would creep into shadier venues when returning from war in London. 

Brothel creepers were then appropriated with the Teddy Boy style in the 1950s - the first of the “goths”. The rest is, for a lack of a better term, history.

Creepers are any goth’s staple statement piece, offering height and malevolence to the wearer. I remember my dad once calling them “Frankenstein shoes”....

Well, there you have it. Many modern styles have vast and interesting history and stories behind them, and creepers’ history is one of my favorite stories to tell.

Hope this post was interesting and educational! Thanks for reading, 

Lorraine

Here are some more reading materials on the history of creepers:

Rebel Circus Article on Creepers

TUK Shoes Article on Creepers

The Story Behind Brothel Creepers

How Pop Culture Affects Fashion

Hi all!

This week I am going to discuss how pop culture (mainly focusing on musical artists) have a strong influence on fashion, and the bottoms-up theory.

Life imitates art, and art imitates life. Years and years ago, when fashion originally became dubbed as a marketable art, most trends were birthed by new designers and high-end fashion houses. But as creativity took hold of the everyday population, and music started booming past the crooners of the 1940s and 50s, creative icons started to influence fashion trends more than expensive designers. (I.e. Twiggy, Andy Warhol’s pop art movement, and the influence of disco and punk through multiple artists).

Skip ahead to modern times, and fashion trends come and go so quickly, and they are often created by online influencers and oddball musicians. (I.e. Lady Gaga, goth subculture and music).

Vivienne Westwood is a fashion designer that brought the punk and new wave fashions into the mainstream with her designs. Working with creative musical acts of the underground, she made those fashions come into vogue. Vivienne Westwood is the reason of the genesis of the term “bottoms-up theory” in relation to the fashion industry. She popularized trends from everyday creatives and made them fashionable for the masses.

I like to compare my designs to Westwood, and aspire to bring pop-cultural inspirations into my own work. By grabbing inspiration from other avenues of creativity in the world, fashion can be more accessible and understandable to more people wanting to express themselves.

I hope this quick little history tidbit has enlightened y’all. Fashion is not just a business, but a form of expression, as seen in many alternative subcultures. I encourage everyone I know to express yourselves through your appearance and what you decide to wear.

Thanks,

Lorraine