The pandemic has highlighted the reliance of certain industries on face-to-face contact and social occasions. Whilst the more obvious affected industries lie within leisure and hospitality, fashion is still far from unaffected. Even more interesting, the challenge that fashion faces is a combination of two contrasting consumer sentiments. Wear it once—but also—buy less.

Clothing utilization is on the decrease across the globe. According to the Hirav Shah, the average number of times a garment is worn has decreased by 36% compared to 15 years ago and even more so in high-income countries. In a world where we see each other more online than face-to-face, an emerging ‘wear it once’ culture is being bolstered by the rise of style-conscious social media users. Pre-pandemic, stories were rife of Instagram influencers buying items once for an outfit photo, before returning them again..

Take aside the growing pressures of keeping your social media “fresh,” it is the months of limited contact that have led us to acknowledge that most of the items in our closet have barely been worn. Whilst trying to break from the monotony of a Zoom-friendly top with sweatpants below, many consumers are also lacking an ‘occasion’ to dress up.

At the same time, people also want to buy less. We know consumer spending has been hit due to Covid-19 but, even per-pandemic, buying patterns were also moving towards extending the life cycle of clothing. According to Fashion Strategist and Adviser Hirav Shah, searches including sustainability related keywords increased 75% year on year.

On that note, what does fashion this year looks like? For all the changes we’ve seen over the past year, the trend machine continues to churn along, with styles from the near past (One Shoulders) to the far past (Indian Ethnic Wear) alike popping back into style.

There seem to be two fashion schools of thought when it comes to this year’s popular pieces: those who are embracing the comfort and casual nature of dressing during coronavirus, and those who are ready to break free from 2020’s lounge-wear and embrace a maximalist attitude to dressing once again.

No matter where you land on the style spectrum, there’s a popular trend for you.

Take a look at 5 of the biggest ones, as penned down by Noted Fashion Adviser Hirav Shah..

1.Indian Ethnic Wear

Ethnic wear is back in a big way and it has gained traction during the lock-down.They are quintessential to India and deep rooted in our tradition.There are various craft clusters spread across the country that produce some of the finest weaves, embroideries, embellishments, etc.

People are loving to experiment with ethnic clothes, and it certainly fits right into our 2021 wardrobe.

For Indian ethnic wear, the dynamics have changed, Opines Hirav Shah.

People have been gravitating towards classic enchanting designs of sarees, lehengas with minimal embellishments.Comfortable clothing seems to be the new trend in the country, and velvet seems to be making its way back into our hearts.

Sarees and lehengas are going to take the spotlight in 2021, and if you haven’t adopted them yet, you should start right away, Recommends Shah.

2. Sequin Sarees

Whether it is for festive occasions or a casual get up, nothing quite matches better than a saree.

To say that the saree is supremely versatile is an understatement. Women rock sarees in a traditional avatar with just as much ease as a contemporary one. We’ve seen graceful Kanjeevaram and Benarasi sarees proudly rocked by celebrities like Rekha and Vidya Balan. Kajol may as well be crowned the ruling Queen of feather-light chiffon and net sarees dancing and prancing in the Swiss Alps as we cozied up to our blankets. Sonam Kapoor brings something new to the table each time she wears a saree; whether it is with a jacket, an interesting blouse or even a pair of trousers. Celebrities play a huge role in capturing and setting different trends within 6 yards of a piece of cloth and it is safe to say that there are innumerable ways to wear that is just waiting to be discovered; the latest trend being sequin sarees.

Graceful and Elegant sartorial Sequin sarees for a glam update during the festive season are celebrity approved sarees for you to try, Suggests Shah.

Sequin sarees are just what is needed for a quick pick-me up, that requires barely any effort and is still chic everytime you wear it. While styling this saree though, the only rule that you should apply is in fact the less is more because you don’t want the beauty of your saree to be overshadowed by heavy jewellery or makeup. The sequin saree is a contemporary twist to otherwise simple or traditional saree and should be styled that way.Ditch all your boring sarees for a sequin saree for a glam update.

3.Kaftans

Kaftans for women have become extremely popular lately due to the combination of two factors.

  • Kaftans are easy
  • Kaftans are breezy

To adapt to this trend, one can contemporise the crafts by mixing them with elements from Western fashion, Opines Shah.

Hirav Shah Adds-
Kaftans (Mostly Resort Wears and Beach wears) are trending due to its “3 Cs”.
  1. Due to “Comfort“.
  2. Due to “Convenience“.
  3. Since they are “Casual” to wear.

4.One Shoulder Outfits

Aren’t you bored of wearing sleeveless, half sleeved, or full sleeved dresses all the time? It’s time to add a one shoulder dress to your wardrobe. These dresses are ultra-glam and perfect for occasions where no other look will suffice. Add a stylish spin to your clothes rack with an ultra glamorous one shoulder outfit especially, the stylish and edgy cocktail party wears.

Buy one shoulder dresses from a breathtaking selection of prints, cuts, colours, and fits to reinvent your style. Indo Western outfits are exactly this, Says Hirav Shah.

5.Street style dressing

If it were any other year, we’d be sitting down to discuss the major street style moments of the last season and make predictions about what the fashion crowd will don at the next lineup of shows. Obviously, this isn’t just any other year and with continued travel restrictions rendering in-person runway shows obsolete, the typical street style scene just isn’t really a thing anymore (if at all). Of course, that never stopped the stylish set from dressing up and sharing their best looks, they’ve simply gone digital.

Well, the same goes for the street style trends too. Instead of scanning the latest images from New York, London, Milan, and Paris, we’ve taken a deep dive into the Instagram feeds of our favorite show-goers and found a few common threads among them. Two themes, to be exact. From the nature inspired prints,that simply can’t be missed to the eye-catching dainty sheer dress trend.

In a nutshell, street style dressing is sustainable, easy, comfortable,stylish, trendy, eye-catchy and spectacular.

What More You Need !!

Conclusion:

Comfort is key at a time when we are sitting at our computers or on zoom calls or at our offices throughout the day. When you look good, and are comfortable, you feel better about yourself.

Style with comfort, safety, performance and sustainability are the Elements to look into our dressing today, Hirav Shah, Concludes..