Originally published in print February 2021.
2020 was a year like no other. Society was engulfed in a pandemic that changed everyday life as we all knew it. The fashion industry changed alongside the pandemic, with social media becoming a primary marketing source. Tik Tok became a virtual world stage for fashion and gave birth to a variety of trends. With the new year, I thought it was the perfect time to review what clothes dominated the market last year and give you all a slice of my thoughts.
- Tie-dye anything.
There are certain things I believe all of us associate with the first initial lockdown. That is whipped coffee, Animal Crossing and, of course, tie dying absolutely anything and everything in sight. I believe the accessibility of being able to tie dye was the reason it went viral, and having tik tok as a tutorial centre made it even better. Spray bottle of bleach and an old jumper? That’s now a trendy garment babes.
- Those nylon Prada bags
As seen on every influencer, the 2000s nylon Prada shoulder bag was a must have for the fashion forward around the world. Coming in eleven colours, this shoulder bag was it. I honestly love the aesthetic, very y2k vibes – 10/10 for this trend.
- Everything beige?
Beige seemed to be the IT colour for clothes this year. I feel like my entire Instagram feed was just filled with different shades of beige everything, from bags to jumpers. While it was not my cup of tea, I still feel obliged to say it was very aesthetically pleasing, mainly because I love a bit of colour blocking.
- Flares, flares and more flares
Bringing disco back, flared trousers truly were a staple this year. I would back this trend 100% as I adore a flared trouser. However, flares are not the same as a boot cut (aka the devils incarnate in denim). No, flares give you that Mamma Mia ‘sleeps with three gorgeous but random men and buys a hotel in Greece’ energy that I personally feel akin to. Flares will never die and I will fight anyone with a different opinion at the back of The Buttery.
- Layers. Lots of layers.
Honestly layering is not a new concept, but it is one that took over, thanks again to the virality of tik tok. Turtle neck, a t-shirt, and a cardigan? At least you won’t catch a cold. I feel this trend was very popular with the e-boy/girl aesthetic/alt fashion scene. The vibes were very tik tok couture anyways, so I loved it! It was a great way to reuse old pieces and bring them to life again.
- Anything Harry Styles wore in 2020
Man is a fashion icon. Need I say more?
While there are many more fashion trends to note, I feel like 2020 is a year to be left behind, buried, locked away and never been heard from again. On that note, stay safe
