Your post-COVID Fashion Forecast
Your Post-COVID closet, part two.
Hopefully you’re here after reading part one of our sartorial take on post-COVID life, so you’ve already said so long to some things and created a list of other needs. That brings us to the question stylist Samantha Dowson has been getting most often lately: “What is even ‘in’ right now?” With a reminder that you’re a grown-up—so you need not worry so much about being on trend—Sam shares some theories about where our clothes will take us next.
Design your uniform.
There’s something to be said about the power of simplifying choices, now more than ever, since our brains are so overwhelmed. Designers like Michael Kors and the late Karl Lagerfeld, executives like Emmanuelle Alt and the late Steve Jobs always wore the same uniform every day for just this reason. Leaving only the best pieces in your wardrobe frees up both mental and physical clutter. It’s perfectly acceptable to find a go-to outfit formula that works for you and to play around with different versions of those same pieces. See Everlane’s recently launched uniform offering for men and a surplus of articles about capsule wardrobes for evidence.
No muss, no trendy fuss.
Sam suggests we start saying no to items that are too “precious” and overcomplicated to care for or wear. Don’t chase after trends. Sometimes trends align with your own personal style (jackpot!) but don’t stray away from your aesthetic just because someone has decided something is “in” right now. If you stay true to who you are, you will always look classic and modern.
Spark joy.
After a year of so much loss, Sam believes we will more routinely purchase pieces that bring some joy to getting dressed—whether that is a color, a pattern, personalization or vintage pieces that we connect with emotionally.
Comfort: the new black.
Just to be clear, we should give our sweats a rest, but we should not absolutely not, at any cost, return to uncomfortable clothes. Sam says you should start asking more from your whole wardrobe—as in, if it doesn’t fit or the fabric is itchy or you find yourself tugging at it, it needs to go.
Get camera ready.
While we will resume IRL activities, it’s clear that many virtual get togethers will remain a new-ish norm. A focus on eye-pleasing colors and prints (nothing too busy) will make you a stand out. Take the opportunity to show off how you do you with accessories and jewelry.
Fewer, better things.
Having less is always more in Sam’s view. A great white tee shirt > 10 bad ones. An investment in the right pieces to build your foundational wardrobe is worth it—though better is not always necessarily more expensive. What’s “better” to us these days? Considering carefully the provenance and impact of manufacturing the garment itself.
