Looking towards a post-COVID-19 world, fashion and accessory trends, like the rest of us, won’t just resume as normal. In fact, many fashion forecasters predict that this pandemic will have a direct impact on what will be in style and trending come Spring/Summer 2021, when hopefully COVID-19 is behind us.
“We are designing for a season and a world, and we’re not sure what that world looks like,” said Jessica Richards, a trend, design, and branding specialist said during a recent Accessories Council webinar. “We don’t know what values this new world, and the consumer, will have once the new world opens back up. But we do know that comfort, security, and connectivity will be more important to our consumers than ever before.”
During the webinar, Richards pointed to five macro-trends she predicts the fashion and accessories world will see once the pandemic is over.
1. Comfort classics, especially from the waist up
Richards said she predicts that comfortable and easy pieces will dominate the ready to wear segment.
“Knits and especially sweaters will be so critical as a fabrication because the consumer is focusing on cozy and comfortable,” she said.
She said these easy pieces play into the quintessential work-from-home uniform we are all used to right now – business on top, and pajamas and slippers on the bottom. But when we are ready to re-enter the office space once again, these tops will still be used and elevated to become work-appropriate.
2. Jewelry curation
Heirloom and passed-down pieces will be all the rage in Spring/Summer 2021, according to Richards, as consumers today are re-discovering these pieces in their own homes and feeling connected to family now more than ever.
Richards said we can expect to see symbolic charms and “status directional shapes like signet rings and oversized chains.”
3. Pulled-back hair
Richards said this trend will come out in what she calls an “anti-movement.”
“We’ve been so covered up lately, wearing masks outdoors, and covering our faces in public so much, so once we feel that from a health perspective, things are safe, I think we’ll see a lot more of the hair pulled back, meaning hair accessories like bobby pins and hair elastics will be so important,” she said.
She added that while hair accessories have been trending for quite some time now, Spring/Summer 2021 will focus on the basics like soft scrunchies and clean pins – to keep eye contact at a premium.
4. Comfort footwear
In what she calls her most “controversial” forecast – Richards said that whether you like it or not, comfort footwear will be all the rage next Spring/Summer.
“We’re coming off of two months so far of people barely wearing shoes,” she said. “And there’s a huge uptick in the sneaker market. I believe we’ll be seeing a lot of clogs and other comfort features in footwear moving forward. I also think certain brands, like Crocs, will be critical.”
Richards said the reason for Crocs and other comfort-first footwear brands (think Teva and Birkenstock) will take centre stage in Spring/Summer 2021, is because they have been so closely aligned with healthcare heroes during the crisis.
5. Multi-functional bags
Handbag sales are down – way down – said Richards. So Spring/Summer 2021 trends in the handbag world will really focus on what the consumer wants, which points to careful handbag design that has lots of pockets for organization, and is worn close to the body for security.
“Consumers will want that ‘grab and go’ sensibility,” she said, adding that handbags will be the most challenged commodity in a post-COVID-19 world.