Put your sweatpants to bed. The fashion industry is gaining momentum fast.

We are ready for personal change and it starts with changing what we wear. We are dressing to express ourselves (or at least dressing to impress or feel more productive).

Look back to February 2020 fashion week in Milan: it was among the first super spreader events. For many, life shortly thereafter became headshots on Zoom. No reason to dress up. Nowhere to go.

Sweats and athletics became the outfit of choice. They kept us comfortable (and relatively sane) amidst the chaos. Now we need to keep sweatpants sacred — reserve them for the occasions when we can really relax.

We were skeptical whether the fashion industry could withstand quarantine…

7 months later: September’s fashion month proved just how resilient and creative of the geniuses behind the industry are. They are masters at transformation, adapting and evolving. Designers are leading us to our future state, easing the transition to dressing up again with collections that fuse comfy WFH wear with street & office ready styles.

The Decode

ON THE UP: FASHION

Here’s how the fashion industry is hitting all 5 Drivers of Momentum right now:

DISRUPTION: Balenciaga flipped fashion shows on their head — from aspirational & inaccessible to more relatable & attainable.

The clothes were WFH-inspired and “ready to wear” (trench coats, silky pants, sneakers, socks & sandals, backpacks, etc) rather than abstract & out of touch. Show format was a music video on the streets of Paris (available to all on YouTube) rather than an exclusive, invite-only runway show. And rather than their typical upbeat & over-the-top show theme, Balenciaga’s show was appropriately themed: “World Turning Inwards and Waking Up.”

INNOVATION: Rihanna is known for pushing boundaries and evolving her approach to diversity & inclusion. She says: “I’m looking for unique characteristics in people that aren’t usually highlighted in the world of fashion as it pertains to lingerie and sexy.”

Her MFactor soared from 29 (October 2019) to 57 this month as she evolved her approach by including plus size male models in her Savage x Fenty fashion show. The body positivity movement traditionally focuses on women so her approach to featuring plus size male models for her inaugural mens’ collection breaks down barriers & let plus size males feel heard, represented & celebrated.

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POLARIZATION: Whether you like “fashion” or not, getting dressed up is helping us fight quarantine malaise.

Some still believe getting “dressed up” is unnecessary & relish lounging in PJs & sweats. Others are getting dressed to establish normalcy and encourage healthy habits. Whatever side you stand on, we can all agree that getting dressed in the mornings is a way to move on to our desired future state. Mango is leaning into this tension by meeting us in the middle with their ‘Every-wear Edit” featuring clothes that balance looking put-together with being comfortable.

STICKINESS: Much to everyone’s surprise, clogs have come out on top as the shoe of 2020, with an MFactor that surged from 46 (October 2019) to 75 this month.

For the last 7 months, consumers have grown to value comfort over style. Crocs started the trend and claimed the title as most comfortable quarantine shoe. They solidified their position through major partnerships with Justin Bieber & Bad Bunny. Then Adidas debuted their own 3 stripe clog. Now luxury brands are putting a more modern, fashionable twist on the “ugly yet functional” trend: Hermes and Louis Vuitton released their own version of clogs.

SOCIAL IMPACT: Throughout the pandemic, sustainability and social impact have become ingrained in all aspects of our lifestyle.

Clothing brands are leaning in & prioritizing their sustainability efforts front and center in new and evolved ways.

  • Gucci, with an MFactor that increased from 41 to 66 in just 1 year, is encouraging the “circular economy” approach by partnering with resale platform The Real Real. Together they launched a special Gucci e-shop stocked with a mix of second hand and new Gucci items. For every Gucci item purchased or sold on TRR, the brands will plant a tree through One Tree Planted.

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ON THE DOWN: SWEATPANTS

Momentum for sweatpants is on the down from 58 in January to 35 this month because let’s be honest… we can only wear sweatpants and loungewear for so many months in a row.

In a time when boundaries between work and personal time are more blurred than ever, reserving sweats for personal / relaxation time will help.

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Takeaway

To keep momentum, you have to plan for tomorrow and the day after that. So many people, companies and brands rest on their success of today.

The fashion industry is taking us there. Get up, get dressed, and move on to the future state.

kate strassman