By: Maha Ali Rizvi
I’d like to start this blog by stating the obvious because that’s how I am, the last year and a half have been life-changing. We’ve practically had to unlearn living life as we knew it and switch to this mind-boggling lifestyle. Masks? Super alien. Constant sanitization? Alien. Work from home? Hmm, alien but not really. These drastic lifestyle changes compelled some parts of our lives to take a backseat; not in a car, like in a bus or something, really far behind. Fashion happened to be one of them. Only two things seemed to dominate the sartorial space tie-dye and sweats. But finally, when the world grasped the intensity of the situation and started to coexist, among other things, fashion also started getting back into the spotlight!
But even with the limited amount of interaction I’ve had with fashion during this time, it dawned upon me that this new reality has taught me some pretty important lessons on fashion.
Comfort over everything
Covid-19 practically cancelled the outside world so naturally no one was dressed to kill at home. This prolonged time within the four walls of our abode, mostly in pajamas, sweat sets and occasionally in baggy jeans or so to hit the grocery store, truly made comfort my only lookout while dressing up. Sure, all this time at home also made people (and me) miss wearing anything but pajamas, but if I ever got the opportunity to dress up, comfort is what I prioritized and continue to do.
Appreciation for old clothes
Back in the day, I never really felt so emotional about clothes that were old because I was a mindless consumer and an ardent believer of retail therapy. So that habit never let me develop a relationship with my clothes. (Relationship with clothes? Really?) Yes, a cute little relationship with all my clothes, but thanks to the abrupt halt I (read us) faced in my shopping habits that’s made it possible now. Sometimes, when I get in the mood to dress up for no reason or pick out clothes to go to a grocery store, I just think of how nice it feels to wear clothes that aren’t pajamas. It reminds me of how good we had it back then. Makes me realize that I have more than enough for myself and if I just appreciate what I have, I never have to feel this perpetual void fast fashion has created. Get what I’m saying?
Less is indeed more
The popular sentiment—I have nothing to wear, looks like something that’s been tossed out of the emotional rulebook relating to clothes. I mean, there wasn’t or isn’t a rule where you can’t dress up at home for your online classes or work, anyway, but all of us mostly just stuck to and were happy repeating those same 5-10 pairs of clothes we own. That’s not to say that only those pairs are appropriate to be worn at home or have that comfort level of “home clothes” but they’re the only ones I really feel like wearing. And this clearly goes to show, less is more. Or a more appropriate phrase would be: less is enough. And man have I learned that well and good!
There are very few instances in life in which pants are required
By now, most of us have shown up to a video conference call looking sharp from the waist up and ready for bed. We've neglected our facial cosmetics when going out, masks will cover that upper lips or blemish -- and debated about whether it's time to actually, literally burn all the pants. COVID-19 has introduced new beauty norms that are likely to impact a post-pandemic world. There's almost been an equal split down the middle of COVID-19 era beauty/fashion from minimalist and bare-faced to anything goes to full-out glam,
On the one hand, you have those who believe pants have become irrelevant and don't see the purpose of even putting on a pair of shoes anymore. The opposing view often includes those who have a lot of Zooming going on and feel either the pressure or relief of an opportunity to dress up -- at least from the waist up and spend time on their makeup and hair.
As we move forward, we'll find a comfortable middle ground. My hope is that as we move out of the pandemic, we'll want to feel cute again without feeling pressured to chase perfection. Introducing technology to traditionally analog experiences
Introducing technology to traditionally analog experiences
In the early days of the pandemic, many retailers were able to pivot quickly to focus on and grow online sales. the impossibility of conducting transactions in brick-and-mortar shops made industry leaders realize just how important the physical connections of the store experience really are. At the same time, as customers got used to e-commerce transactions, retailers started looking for new ways to incorporate the advantages of technology-based buying into traditional store experiences.
These kinds of omnichannel customer journeys were already sprouting up before 2020, but as a result of COVID-19, these innovations are no longer experiments—they are pioneering a new reality. Or in the food service industry, individual restaurants needing to come up with their own online ordering and to-go solutions that enable them to maintain higher profit margins than they can with third parties like Food Panda or Uber Eats.
Going on a shopping detox is good for the soul and your pockets
Lastly, just not having to constantly worry about whether I have a new set of clothes to wear every day or whether I have enough money left to buy those pants I’m eyeing or that jacket, is truly refreshing. I love that I’m happy with what I have!!
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