The $20 billion fashion industry has gone bankrupt as of last week. Since the beginning of COVID-19, millions of Americans have discovered they already own clothes. Instead of wasting time and money shopping, people are opting to get creative with what they already have.
An anonymous survey conducted on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill reveals 82 percent of college students attribute saving money to running fewer loads of laundry. With less social pressure to look presentable, people are turning to DIY crafts for fashion inspiration while they procrastinate cleaning their actual clothes.
“Every morning, I drape an old curtain around my body and call it a day. I haven’t washed anything since the pandemic began and I’m not gonna change that anytime soon—it’s one less thing for me to do,” said local high school student Izzy Gradice.
For the creative souls of the younger generation, wearing a tablecloth, although comfortable, becomes monotonous after seven months. These people, due to their dearth of clean clothing, are now turning to costumes as a wardrobe alternative. While older generations are choosing to lounge in Halloween decor in the safety of their home, younger Millennials and Gen Z are starting to go out in public more often, claiming costume-wearing as their new normal.
“I was pretty unphased when Darth Vader walked in to do his grocery shopping the other day. Last week a guy came in dressed as a T-Rex. And the week before that, I saw a couple in a hamster ball in the parking lot. As long as they aren’t bothering me I’m ok with it,” said local Trader Joe’s employee John Smith.
COVID-comfort fashion can’t be confined to a singular trend. There’s only one thing that’s certain, by the time COVID-19 passes, any remaining conceptions of fashion will be replaced with whatever is most comfortable, no matter how ugly or unusual.
Photo courtesy of Saksham Gangwar/Unsplash
