What Is The Street Style During The 2020 Pandemic?

Few months into 2020 the world has stopped. It has paused everything for about 2 weeks only to later slowly and awkwardly come back to life affected and misshaped, but somehow happy or hopeful. And fashion – although forced to pause and postpone its FW shows at the time, and even now – has too slept and then awakened. Different. Awkward. But somehow still the same.

The 2020 pandemic had changed everything in us and around us, and our personal style made no exception.

To some minds and souls, less prone or ‘affected’ by fashion this makes no difference whatsoever, yet it affects us all, as fashion has always been a true mirror of its times. The 2020 pandemic street style bares some novelty other than the ubiquitous and mandatory face mask. Being forced to stay in lockdowns and quarantines, or just more isolated and home based has truly paved the way for loungewear, tracksuits, pjs, comfy clothes, slob friendly outfits, less makeup, no fancy hair, sunglasses, face masks, sneakers, hats. The so called celebrity look is on everyone these days, incognito, quickly popping out for just 20 min to run the necessary errands, or go for a quick run or walk.

The world has changed its priorities and with it we’ve changed what we wear to the party. (read everyday).

So is there a street style during the 2020 pandemic?

Well… tbh I came here today, after the longest time off (feels f*&*& great to be back btw!) – and my answer to the above title was supposed to be pjs and tracksuits. To be more precise the IRL street style during the 2020 pandemic transitioned to Instagram, to those #OOTD pics of influencers that look so aesthetically pleasing in their casual lounge/tracksuit pants uniform, as I’m scrolling down on insta every day. They are all wearing the same casual cool outfits, face masks and long lashes. So… this is the new street style right?

Right. Why? How?

Well, the fact that we all have to be indoors pretty much all the time has shifted our choice of clothes from maybe more office, chic, elegant, refined styles to… well… pjs all day everyday. Ish. And since instagram is a platform that mirrors reality (eyeroll… BIG eyeroll) it only makes sense that whatever we do around the house in our outfits will be shown on Instagram as #the2020pandemicfashion. And getting out if the house these days – aka IRL street style – is just a quick run to the shops or the park. And most of these errands can and are done in whatever the hell we’re wearing indoors. We’ll throw a mask and sunglasses on top of everything anyway so why bother?

Right?

Yes and no.

While this was true at the beginning of lockdown… and was the 2020 pandemic street style… something strange is starting to happen to fashion and personal style. Maybe it’s our need to socialise, to get dressed so we don’t get depressed, maybe its 2020 FW, which is half assed this year anyway – BUT aside from the Instagram street style STYLE, we also have the normal move-on-with-your-fashion-life-in-a-loud-way kinda fashions, born from our desperation of beauty and normalcy. Some people are wearing nice outfits topped with even nicer face masks. Celebrating life you know.

And THIS exact new reality, triggered by our despair and FW is what actually surprised me upon writing and diving into this post, which I had so ignorantly assumed at first to only be about pjs and slob looks.