The Post-Covid Closet

For many of us, the pandemic switched tailored trousers into joggers and dress shoes into slippers. Zoom calls from home replaced meetings in boardrooms and style took the backseat to survival. Now, five years past the worst of the pandemic's impacts on our daily lives, fashion has moved beyond simply prioritizing comfort—but that doesn't mean the style situation is back to its pre-Covid form. It's something familiar but new, evolving in multiple interesting directions all at once.

We’re seeing a quiet rebellion against the uniform of comfort. Despite people questioning whether the suit will ever make a comeback, it never really vanished in the first place. True, there may not be as many charcoal suits in the office anymore, but is that such a bad thing? Suiting is no longer just a standardized uniform; more than ever before, it's become a statement for expressing individuality. In this post-Covid world, menswear is no longer just about dressing up; it’s about showing up. Fashion with a fresh sense of purpose. We're not just buying suits for work, we're buying suits for life. With recent memories of the pandemic lockdowns, any excuse to leave the house is an event worth dressing for. 

Fashion is more accessible than ever. While trends obviously still exist, they don’t dominate like they used to. Thanks to social media, fashion trends have become less cyclical and instead exist in parallel to each other. Mainstream labels are putting styling elements from nearly every decade of the 20th century back on the racks, while fashion subcultures continue to pull inspiration from a broad range of niches. Thrifting and vintage shopping make it easier and cheaper to change things up, integrating old with new. With so many options available, everyone can try out different patterns, textures, and silhouettes to create outfits that feel unique, building their own personal style.

The Covid era and its aftermath, rather than destroying large swaths of the fashion industry, have instead rekindled our appreciation for the power of fashion to shape the way we present ourselves and interact with each other. Showing the best version of yourself not only shows self respect, but respect for the events and others around you. People love people connecting with themselves and living authentically. People love the real you. Seattle continues to hold its head high, with individuals proud to be who they are, right where they are.