Is Fashion Fun Again?
Street styles revival, red carpets renaissance, and the return of fashion month
J’Nae Writes is a newsletter exploring fashion, design, and style.
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I've had the same boring hobbies for the past year. Watching the same shows over and over again for a sense of comfort and familiarity, adding things to my basket, then quickly closing the tab as money anxiety kicks in, and stressing over what the future may hold when the outside world seems so bleak. So it's no surprise then that I've pretty much worn the same clothes on rotation - loungewear, gym gear (with no intention of exercising), and pyjamas with my comfy dressing gown. Why would I want to dress up, if the furthest I've gone is from my bed to the sofa and back?
Maybe this is why post-pandemic dressing is getting me excited about fashion again. Yes I haven't forgotten about COVID, whose presence still looms large in all of our lives, but getting out into the world and interacting with people IRL has made me put more effort into my outfit choices - and I bet you feel this way too. I’ll be the first to admit I did my fair share of online shopping over the course of the past year for momentary sparks of joy, which resulted with me having a wardrobe full of new clothes with no actual place to wear them. Until now.
Meeting old friends again, going into the office, even going to mundane appointments like the doctors and dentists has me planning my outfits days in advance. Shall I wear my new faux leather trousers, and if I do, do I pair them with my silver boots or my Nike Dunks that have been sitting in a box for months? Either way when it comes to exploring my sense of style with fashion once again, I'm raring to go.
Street Styles Revival
We've become all too familiar with the ways we can now experience fashion digitally. Virtual shows streamed online, 3D rendered outfits promoted by influencers, and the social media ads were constantly bombarded with when we were just trying to have a harmless little scroll. With all of that being said, street style is one of those things that you just can't replicate in digital spaces. There's no virtual equivalent, there's nothing quite like stopping a sassy dresser on the street and gushing over their outfit (if you admire someone's outfit tell them - you'll make their day, trust me).
No-one quite knows what's going to happen in the realm of fashion post-pandemic, but one thing we can be sure of is that street style is most likely going to be a mix of sweatpants and heels. I'm here for the creative, unique, and fresh looks we've been greeted with after such a low-key year. I’m seeing skin and body positivity. I’m seeing experimentation and trendy attire. I’m seeing real passion, and I'm seeing people having fun with fashion again. It was hard to predict what street style would look like when we were all re-released into the wild, and it's even harder to know what's appropriate to wear in uncertain times like what we’re currently living through. But alas we are back in action, and everyone is getting dressed for the occasion.
Red Carpets Renaissance
I love pouring over red carpet fashion, judging celebrity outfits from behind the comfort of a screen (usually with a hearty cackle and a bag of popcorn in tow). Celebrities are gracing back-to-back red carpets as a feel of celebration dressing lingers in the air, with many believing were about to experience a second stint of the roaring 20’s. Famous folk are going big - think naked dresses, embellished gowns from head-to-toe, feather boas, lace and leather, latex, jewels, the absolute works.
I can't blame our acclaimed, and slightly out of touch, stars for relishing the opportunity to go big or go home (though no-one wants to go home after, well, you know). This must be a return to some sense of normality for them, flaunting themselves and their accomplishments on a glorified stage for the world to see. As in-person events such as red carpets have begun to make a comeback, I’d highly recommend you look to them if you have any doubts about the excitement of our post-pandemic fashionable resurgence.Â
The Return of Fashion Month
In the world of fashion September has always meant one thing and one thing only, its fashion month baby! And even though this season may look a little (or a lot) different for obvious reasons, that doesn't mean the spirit and chaos of this season's runway calendar has been dampened. As the four major fashion hubs, New York, London, Milan, and Paris, begin to reopen and negotiate the restrictions of the pandemic, many designers have planned for a full-on comeback with in-person shows and events that follow suit.
We've seen a mix of digital events thrown in with the physical, we've seen socially distanced shows and front-row attendees donning face masks that coordinate with their outfits. Following a hiatus that couldn't be avoided, real life fashion month has returned and I am ecstatic. Not only for the shows, and the drama, and the fanfare. But for the spirit of fashion month, the coming together of people from all over the world, the sense of togetherness and solidarity that can often be overlooked in fashion. Yes it's a superficial industry in many ways, but there's so much that's also good about it. For me personally, the comeback was worth the wait.
After living in loungewear for over a year my attitude towards clothing, and fashion in general, has changed. The cultural aftershocks of the pandemic have shifted the way we think when we interact with our clothes and our purchasing decisions have been altered, whether for better or for worse remains to be seen. The idea of a return to the roaring 20’s is appealing, but the sheer extravagance and thought of all of that glitz and glam seems a little bit off.
With the revival of street style, the renaissance of the red carpet, and the return of fashion month, our insatiable appetites for the allure of fashion have been satiated. We're becoming daring and inventive, we’re taking pride in getting dressed again. Whether you're going to your best friend's dinner party, attending a wedding for a distant cousin you don't even like, or donning your glad rags and wearing your highest heels just to the supermarket, whatever you're doing or wherever you're going, try and have fun with it. Fashion can be fun once again - if you let it. Let the good times roll, and long may they continue.Â
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Catch you next time,
J’Nae
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