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What does a pandemic-era fashion show look like? It's complicated.
On the one hand, people tend not to need as much professional-looking, go-to-the office, dress-for-success stuff. Never mind the casual Fridays dilemma - banker chic has given way to everyday Zoom meetings in your PJ's!
Nor is there much call for party clothes. Montreal-based Le Chateau apparently had become the go-to place for prom wear in recent years and some are attributing their bankruptcy to the lack of demand for formal wear. But you know, when I first discovered them back in the 70s, they weren't like that at all. Yes, they catered to youth - but the hippies mostly weren't into all that. And they sold record albums in addition to their various fast-fashion clothing lines. With the resurgence of vinyl and the thirst for at-home entertainment, perhaps they could have gone back to that niche market - this time targeting the boomers and "golden oldies" generation!
Of course, the big thing these days is face masks. New official recommendations for non-medical masks were recently issued, prescribing a three-layer mask with filter-pocket. Fortunately most of our masks already meet that standard, although I was a little disappointed when I got my freebie PIPSC mask in the mail - a single layer of stretchy material, non-adjustable ear loops and no pocket for a filter. Still, it'll do as a spare or I suppose I could wear it over a regulation mask if I wanted to sport their logo for whatever reason.
Many fashion retailers are getting into the mask business - and I certainly don't blame them. Clothes shopping is awkward during a pandemic if you do happen to need more clothes - and many telecommuters don't, preferring just to make do with what they've got, since hardly anyone is going to see them anyway! But for people with places to go and things to do - even if it's just grocery shopping or getting a flu shot or prescription - the mask at least is a minimum requirement, along with serviceable outdoor clothing. And maybe you can even snag a dress shirt or pair of socks to match that mask:
https://jeffalpaugh.com
They do caution that if you have more than an inch of beard-thickness, the masks may not fit as snugly as they should. So, let's see - beard-binders, anyone? They already sell various hairbands that you can button a mask to and make it a little easier to wear, especially for active kids. How about ski-masks, balaclavas and such that incorporate all the features of a regulation non-medical face masks? Including clear plastic mouth-pieces for those who lip-read? Skis and ski-poles with physical-distancing marks on them?
The possibilities are limited only by your imagination!
On the one hand, people tend not to need as much professional-looking, go-to-the office, dress-for-success stuff. Never mind the casual Fridays dilemma - banker chic has given way to everyday Zoom meetings in your PJ's!
Nor is there much call for party clothes. Montreal-based Le Chateau apparently had become the go-to place for prom wear in recent years and some are attributing their bankruptcy to the lack of demand for formal wear. But you know, when I first discovered them back in the 70s, they weren't like that at all. Yes, they catered to youth - but the hippies mostly weren't into all that. And they sold record albums in addition to their various fast-fashion clothing lines. With the resurgence of vinyl and the thirst for at-home entertainment, perhaps they could have gone back to that niche market - this time targeting the boomers and "golden oldies" generation!
Of course, the big thing these days is face masks. New official recommendations for non-medical masks were recently issued, prescribing a three-layer mask with filter-pocket. Fortunately most of our masks already meet that standard, although I was a little disappointed when I got my freebie PIPSC mask in the mail - a single layer of stretchy material, non-adjustable ear loops and no pocket for a filter. Still, it'll do as a spare or I suppose I could wear it over a regulation mask if I wanted to sport their logo for whatever reason.
Many fashion retailers are getting into the mask business - and I certainly don't blame them. Clothes shopping is awkward during a pandemic if you do happen to need more clothes - and many telecommuters don't, preferring just to make do with what they've got, since hardly anyone is going to see them anyway! But for people with places to go and things to do - even if it's just grocery shopping or getting a flu shot or prescription - the mask at least is a minimum requirement, along with serviceable outdoor clothing. And maybe you can even snag a dress shirt or pair of socks to match that mask:
https://jeffalpaugh.com
They do caution that if you have more than an inch of beard-thickness, the masks may not fit as snugly as they should. So, let's see - beard-binders, anyone? They already sell various hairbands that you can button a mask to and make it a little easier to wear, especially for active kids. How about ski-masks, balaclavas and such that incorporate all the features of a regulation non-medical face masks? Including clear plastic mouth-pieces for those who lip-read? Skis and ski-poles with physical-distancing marks on them?
The possibilities are limited only by your imagination!
