Did 2020 End Fashion As We Know It?

The jury’s still out. But it did upend the status quo, have us question absolutes, bring forth important conversations, inspire fresh bouts of creativity and uncover incredible talent. Priyanka Khanna looks back at a year of reckoning, sartorial and otherwise

- Priyanka Khanna

When the country went into lock-down in March, I was in my fourth trimester. My pre- and post-pregnancy wardrobe, a rotation of pyjamas, man shirts with leggings, and sweatpants would soon become the norm as the world stayed home and dress codes gave way to easy comfort.

So while it was business as usual for me when it came to my clothing, I, like many others, missed the freedom of getting dressed. Even in my sleep-deprived state, I couldn’t help but crave the confidence that came from a slick blazer, the drama of an evening dress, the sensuality of an off-shoulder blouse... you get the drift.

Headlines and memes celebrated the demise of constrictive fashion—the bra, skinny jeans, heels— and initially, most women the world over revelled in the idea that it was okay in these unprecedented times (to use the year’s most hackneyed phrase) for comfort to reign supreme. Whether we were out cycling (2020’s hot yoga), in birthday Zooms or on conference calls, leggings, tank tops and sweatshirts did the trick. After years of following dress codes, we could breathe easy. After all, we had enough to worry about. Clothing wasn’t on our priority list.

But somewhere, as headlines announced ‘The Slob Chic Style of the Coronavirus Pandemic’ (The New Yorker), ‘Will Fashion Go Back to Normal?’ (Coveteur), ‘Sweatpants Forever’ (The New York Times), we realised that our new reality wasn’t going to change soon, and a sense of ennui set in. Would we never get dressed up again? We asked designers and industry experts for their predictions, realising that for them too, it was uncharted territory.