In the morning, I sometimes stand in my closet far too long looking for something to wear. Today while I contemplated what to grace the world with, I ran across a cute one shouldered blue velvet jumpsuit It brought back memories of the last time I wore it – I was sitting next to Kid Rock in the Bellagio’s Baccarat Bar in Las Vegas. Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, I haven’t worn this beauty since.
I remembered back to that night ordering buttery nipples (one of my favorite drinks) and watching my husband across the bar smoking cigars and telling jokes. While we had a great time, the Bellagio was essentially in the process of shutting down. In fact, all of Vegas was shutting down at that point.
The Pandemic’s Personal Perks
Well, the pandemic has changed fashion for me and just about everyone I know. All of my beautiful suits and dresses hang in the back of my closet. They haven’t been touched in over a year; there is nowhere to go and clients don’t come into the office anymore. I haven’t worn pantyhose in almost a year… upside to the pandemic. I rarely wear high heels. I don’t go through a tube of lipstick every month.
Did the pandemic cancel my love of fashion? No, it just changed it. Even though I’m not in the heels and pantyhose I have found other things to love and buy like cute fashion sneakers and tons of unique jeans like I have never seen or owned before. So where am I finding these new treasures?
Luxurious Tech & Fashion
We all know the online shopping industry was already booming pre-pandemic, but I would guess without the weekends in St. Bart’s, disposable income for most Americans increased. I have read many statistics that the luxury goods market has been booming online when it was previously not a huge online business.
According to the Bain report, online sales accounted for 23% of all luxury sales during the pandemic. Take Farfetch for example, an online shopping platform with access to the world’s most expensive brands such as Fendi, Gucci, and Prada. Farfetch outperformed the industry in 2020 and added almost 1 million new customers in 2 quarters.
Why is Farfetch killing it online? The answer points to heaps of new technology. Farfetch customers in China can virtually try on a pair of sneakers using “sophisticated 3-D geometry algorithms, together with neural networks, that identify the position of the shoe in space and apply it to the users’ feet,” according to the company. Some online retailers have created online dressing rooms with try-on tools where you can digitally upload a selfie and enter some measurements.
The Future of Fashion
Am I sad that the pandemic has changed fashion for me? Not yet.
I think these changes are temporary, and therefore I am happy to have discovered new styles and new online retailers. The bottom line is shop on. Use the tips from my prior blog and enjoy your new styles and ways to shop!
March 2021
Content in this material is for general information only and not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual.
