FORM V/S FUNCTION: THE WORKWEAR DYNAMIC

With the change in work structures came the change in silhouette structures and the result? Post-pandemic fashion is quite a mix of easy breezy clothing and formal pieces, creating a never-before-seen aesthetic. Here's how form embraced functionality, and created a new variety of regular clothing

- Sanika Achrekar

Fashion has gone through multiple phases in the past two years. Social media and TikTok took over the lockdowns, thus emerged microtrends, while the fashion industry woke up to realise that seasonless shows work best. But one of the most drastic changes were seen in workwear. One no more had a wake-up-and-dress-for the-boardroom routine, and that made all the difference. Zoom meetings meant smart casuals and loungewear, which were major style trends that birthed comfort clothing. Think of a nice T-shirt or knit jumper along with shorts or regular joggers to deal with your work day, because who would really know what you are wearing?

We saw a jump in thrift stores and secondhand clothing because sustainability became the talk of the town, once again. Now in 2022, people are trying to incorporate pandemic-style trends into their everyday routines such as outfits for work, while running errands, and for outings.

"One of the biggest trends that caught a lot of attention during the pandemic was the emergence of athleisure, fuelled by consumer demand for comfort wear. It gained a lot of focus in the work-from-home days, but this trend has evolved further as people have now started incorporating various elements of athleisure at their workplaces as well," explains a spokesperson from Selected Homme.