What does fall fashion look like in the middle of a pandemic?
If you’re a lover of fashion like I am, then the unveiling of fall fashions from your favorite brand or store is an exciting moment. Last week, Intermix sent me a newsletter with the headline of, “Your First Look At The New Season”, which contained their “Fall Preview”. I quickly opened and clicked on it and began scrolling through the pages of clothes, shoes, and accessories. Right now, I fall into that fortunate group of people in corporate America who is lucky enough to be able to do my job remotely and WFH. That means I spend 90%+ of my day in front of Zoom (with video turned on!). So naturally, when I started to scroll through the multi-page Fall Preview, I started to cycle through questions in my head like, “What can I justify buying right now?”, “What could I buy regardless of what happens with the Pandemic over the next 6 months?”, and “Which items are going to make me feel (and secondarily, look) pulled together but still comfortable on Zoom?”.
For me, fashion has always been a source of fun, a way to feel more confident at work and a bit of a creative outlet. But the reality is, this fall fashion season will be unlike any we’ve experienced before -- many of us will continue to work from home, school/daycare will be a big question mark, the ability to gather for events or even holidays remains unlikely. So with the remainder of 2020 basically cancelled, what will consumers buy?
To understand where consumer behavior is going for this fall fashion season, let’s look at how consumers’ buying changed at the start of the pandemic across categories:
As The New York Times reported, “In April, clothing sales fell 79 percent in the United States, the largest dive on record. Purchases of sweatpants, though, were up 80 percent.”
According to Business of Fashion, exercise equipment sales were up 183% and home improvement sales increased by 64% respectively in the US in June year-over-year
Back in June, CivicScience found that 35% of Americans has purchased or planned to purchase loungewear/leisurewear during COVID
These same trends will likely continue, in that people will continue to buy items that add value to their largely at home existence. From a fashion perspective, I predict that people will be looking for those comfortable pieces that can be worn at home on Zoom calls, to the socially distanced hang out, or the rare date night. Personally, I’m looking for practical items that will add some fun and comfort to my world today, but will also still work (next year?) when things get back to “normal” - comfortable sweaters, fun sneakers, and high-waisted jeans are at the top of my list. What are you looking to buy as cooler temperatures set in ahead?