Being thrust into a world that is shaped by social distancing has arguably cemented this demand, but now, comfort is at the top of our tick list, closely followed by a craving for mood-boosting styles. “Although there is a global pandemic and people are stuck at home, you can still put on a great dress and instantly lift your mood,” says Lily Russo-Bah, a former fashion editor and the co-founder of Beach Flamingo. “I know for myself, making an effort in the morning has really helped my frame of mind, especially when working from home.”
The numbers don’t lie: According to online fashion database Lyst, searches for comfy styles, such as wrap and maxi dresses, are up, with the former seeing a 13% rise week-on-week and the latter a 16% rise year-on-year. “Anything casual and comfortable is selling right now,” confirms Isabel Spearman, journalist and founder of Daily Dress Edit. “As I have discovered over the 12 days of hosting a virtual pop-up selling purely dresses, the top sellers were the easy-to-wear day dresses in looser-fitting styles made in good-quality fabrics.”
