PPB October 2020

This year, the fashion world, like other industries, looks a lot different in more ways than one. According to Imran Amed, the founder and CEO of The Business of Fashion, the pandemic forced many consumers to shift their priorities, with a heightened focus on purchasing essential items, causing fashion to become “an after-thought, or no thought at all in this context.” Though clothing remains wearable after time, it can go out of style, becoming less desirable to consumers; something that’s forcing many companies to offer major discounts to get rid of excess inventory. Many well-known retailers have felt the effects majorly, and safety concerns resulted in fashion week cancellations around the world, from Paris to Tokyo and São Paolo to Beijing. In “The State of Fashion 2020,” published by The Business Of Fashion and McKinsey & Company, employees of both companies and experts in the fashion industry forecast a 27- to 30-percent drop in global revenue for the apparel and footwear sectors by year-end compared to 2019, and a 35- to 39-percent decrease in global revenue for the personal luxury goods industry. With consumers spending a lot more of their time at home and indoors, their fashion needs have also shifted to apparel that’s more relaxed, comfortable and casual. Styles have migrated away from traditional evening and high-fashion looks and more toward loungewear, with loose- fitting tees and colorful sweat suits dominating the social media scene, prompted by the work-from-home and stay-at-home mandates . Vogue writes that all of a sudden, loungewear has become all-day wear, and indeed, it has. A poll of 1,327 U.S. adults by YouGov, a market research company, even found that nearly half (47 percent) of Americans who are working from home aren’t always wearing pants during their workday, and about one in 14 say they “never” do. Boxy tees are seeing a resurgence from the ’90s, with a bulkier look and square shape that’s looser, more forgiving and complements all body shapes. Crop tops, popular in the ’80s and ’90s—and even worn by actors Will Smith and Mark Wahlberg—are also seeing a revival, and have remained in demand in recent years. Also offered in a boxy style, crop tops are worn across the board, and are seen in athleisure, everyday wear, loungewear, pajamas and are even growing popular as a two-piece alternative to the traditional wedding gown. They’re also commonly paired with other “festival styles” that are signature of the outdoor music scene, according to Racked , and are often seen paired with Levi’s and accessories, like handbags or jewelry with fringe details, making them perfect selections for brand giveaways and retail items sold during concerts and festivals. And if they have a vintage look? Even better. These cool styles catering to the needs of remote employees are something that Cam Barras, custom projects senior associate at San Francisco, California, supplier Marine Layer, has been seeing a lot of at his company. “We have definitely seen a big shift with our corporate clients focusing on creating unique work-from- home kits for their employees and kits for virtual conferences as well.” Barras notes that some of Marine Layer’s bestselling items as of late include joggers (women’s style shown below) and pullovers (select style shown below). Ball caps are not usually approved by most company dress codes but when employees are working from home, caps make it easy to get dressed for the day and provide a fun way for people to promote brands or activities they are interested in when on Zoom calls. The hot trends in caps today focus on the retro-inspired trucker styles—see examples of a few best- sellers below. But perhaps what’s making the biggest comeback of all is tie-dye. Opening the floodgates of possibility for experimental, original and colorful looks, tie-dye is back from the ’60s and according to Insider, it’s one of the biggest fashion trends of 2020—and it’s here to stay, likely through 2021, writes Elle. USA Today describes tie-dye as a “quarantine fashion trend,” and BuzzfeedNews describes tie-dye sweat suits as the “official look of quarantine.” According to Trendalytics, a product intelligence engine, Google searches for “tie dye kit” increased 333 percent fromMay to June of this year, followed by a 201-percent jump in searches for “tie dye joggers” and a 108-percent increase in searches for “tie dye socks.” Read on to learn about products available in these latest styles and fashions. | OCTOBER 2020 | 31 INNOVATE