In the December 23, 2020 issue of Women’s Wear Daily, Thomas Waller named the biggest accessory trends of the year.
“[2020] saw frivolities give way to pragmatism as the world navigated COVID-19,” he said. “The global pandemic created an urgent need for women to find optimal ways to function and protect themselves for most of the year — while still looking fashionable.”
The most prominent pandemic accessory trends he cited were: the “Zoom earring,” a dangly accessory noticeable on video calls; the “Zoom necklace,” another way to establish a look in a digital space; blue light-blocking glasses, which can protect eyes from fatigue from an excess of screen time; cozy house shoes that are fluffy furry and feminine-looking, which are a good way to relax in style when no one can see your feet; and novelty masks, since masks became a requirement in many places, and many women like their masks to stand out from the surgical-looking blue ones.
These trends aren’t only created for women; Waller points to the accessories brand Very Important Puppies from sisters Sabrina Albarello and Katerina Karelas. The duo decided to partner with Ugg because they loved the brand so much, and they wanted to have something matching with their dogs for the winter. The article shows photos of dogs wearing dog-sized Ugg booties, which sell for $80.
Will these trends continue through 2021? In his recent article in Forbes, Joseph De Acetis put it this way: “Let’s face it, the fashion industry has been hit hard by the effects of the coronavirus pandemic; since there was a shift in consumer sentiment, people now tend to focus on buying necessary items.
“According to Boston Consulting Group, revenue generated by the fashion industry dropped by more than one-third in 2020, which is equivalent to around $640 billion in lost sales,” he continues. “This is tremendous. Additionally, many fashion brands had to close down retail stores. In fact, the world’s second-biggest fashion retailer, H&M, plans to close 250 of its 5,000 stores globally, and at press time, the Zara owner Inditex SA has already closed over 1,000 retail shops.”
The article goes on to propose that many brands have shifted to digital and e-commerce solutions.
This brings us to the subject of fashion in the Biden-Harris era, as witnessed during the Presidential Inauguration on January 20. We saw a return to more formal fashion as exhibited by Jill Biden, Kamala Harris, Michelle Obama and dozens of other celebrities. The men also exhibited a return to classic fashion with suits and coats designed by Ralph Lauren. Even Bernie Sanders exhibited what have turned out to be fashionable winter mittens.
The display of fashion was a far contrast to the events of January 6, when hundreds of rioters stormed the Capitol in the greatest display of insurrection in modern times. The Capitol was cleaned up and polished for the inauguration, and every American who watched in person or on television showed pride in our country.
In a prior article of mine in the Fashion Mannuscript, I speculated on what fashion would be in the Biden administration. But I could not predict the truly sensational display of fashion on the first day of President Biden’s administration as shown in the inauguration and the evening’s events.
As De Acetis pointed out in his article and as we saw at the inauguration, social media will continue to play a huge role in shaping and spreading trends as the year continues.
Benjamin S. Seigel, Esq. is of Counsel to the firm of G&B Law, LLP. He can be reached at bseigel@gblawllp.com.
