The Year That Went By: The Biggest Fashion Trends That We Spotted In 2020.
2020 will be written in golden, nay, black words in the history and out of all the things that happened this year—good, bad and ugly—it would probably be remembered the most for the coronavirus pandemic. Every year, the fashion trends have only two seasons to watch out for summer/spring and winter/fall, however, for the first time, the world witnessed a third season, the corona season which changed the course of fashion completely not just this year but for the near future as well.
The year that forcibly put us in self-isolation and halted our lives, had a much bigger impact on the fashion industry with runways going digital and a shift of shopping platform from brick and mortar to online, fashion got a reboot during the pandemic. Fashion trends were no different. We saw a number of trends dying, new styles popping up to accommodate the quarantine schedules and trends that are influence fashion at the end of the year.
Let’s look back at the fashion trends that existed prior to the crisis, the trends that gained momentum during the course of the pandemic and the trends you are likely to see in the post-Covid era. Here’s a complete round-up of the biggest fashion trends that evolved, changed and were born in 2020.
Also Read: 2020’s Biggest Fashion Trends That Never Saw The Light Of Day, Because Pandemic. We Want To See Them Resurrected Post-Covid
Pre-Covid
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Street style fashion
The year started out with street style fashion taking the centre stage. Before sweats and trackpants took over, grungy and extravagant styles with layered outfits, mix and match colours and patterns and carefree yet chic apparel was dominating the fashion world.
Signature prints
Since it was the spring season before the coronavirus wreaked havoc in our lives, the clothes featuring the most playful and bold prints clashing with a riot of colour were in trend. And not just the classic florals, interesting and quirky prints like tie and dye, polka dot and jungle print (think JLO’s Versace gown) were huge.
Leather weather
Pre-corona, the fashion buffs were introduced to the various ways to incorporate leather in their look and this didn’t include the typical pants and jackets but unique styles like coloured leather co-ords and leather shorts. It was an exciting way to do leather but our excitement was short-lived.
The Pandemic
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Matching masks
How can we talk about pandemic fashion and not mention face masks—the survival accessory that overnight became a fashion statement from a mere utilitarian piece of fabric. We stepped into the pandemic with a boring N95 mask but now we have matching masks to our outfits, in different colours, prints and embellishments. Corona may come and go but this one fashion trend we want to stick around.
WFH fashion
As we switched from our office desks to bed table and conference rooms to conference calls on Zoom, our choice of fashion also changed. Waist-up fashion which was all about dressing up your upper half and looking webcam-ready in statement WFH tops (no pants) and minimal jewellery took off.
Athleisure
You might not be a big fan of athleisure prior to the pandemic but we are sure you came to love the style during the quarantine. Even the prim and proper dressers turned to yoga pants, sweatsuits and cotton tees to lounge at home, attend online classes and work from home.
Post-Covid
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Sustainable clothing
If you have noticed the sudden hype around sustainable fashion with more brands, entrepreneurs and customers adopting eco-friendly practices, you have the pandemic to thank. Post-corona, people are likely to be conscious of the environment and the buying habits and sustainable fashion is expected to be an official trend among the fashion lovers.
Comfy workwear
WFH familiarised us with the concept of work leisure and in the past few months, we have seen brands introducing comfier styles when it comes to workwear. String-fastened pants replaced tailored and stiff trousers, elongated blazers and loose-fit tops are now the new office normal and we love this.
Minimalist aesthetics
The year that started with vibrant prints and colours wrapping up in sublime patterns and minimal styles. With soothing aesthetics like cottagecore and lovecore influencing fashion, relaxed fit silhouettes in earthy and neutral tones, simplistic designs and classic staples are taking over the current fashion.
