By Naseerah Nanabhai

The new year has highlighted revealing insight into our frustrations regarding social distancing and the mundanity of working from home.

Our clothes it appears are now the most vocal expression of our emotions. Not only has lockdown changed the way we work, spend our free time and interact with others, but it has also impacted how we dress and feel about ourselves.

The pandemic has changed shopping forever, with a heightened need for more practical and comfortable clothing items. Consumers have begun opting for clothing that is more suitable for a lifestyle of working from home and occasional trips outside.

Items that proved a greater demand included, tracksuits, Ugg boots, elasticated trousers, hoodies and most commonly pyjamas. This desire for leisurewear and comfy alternatives to office fashion and going out gear revolutionised the fashion industry globally.

How consumers purchased their clothing also changed drastically, with a skyrocketing boom in e-commerce. Sales occurred over the internet with online shopping, the most common method.

The fashion trends that began in 2020 and continues into 2021 have helped coin new terms such as “sad wear” and “comfort blanket”.

“Sad wear” is a collective term for clothes that make us feel better when we’re sad, specifically born, out of the existential ennui of lockdown.

“Blanket wear” encompasses something unexpected or luxurious, depending on how it makes the wearer feel.

Along with pretty much everything else in a new COVID-19 reality, the way we dress and represent ourselves has theatrically changed.