On December 31st, 2020, as the clock struck midnight signaling the beginning of a new year, it’s safe to assume that many of us were hoping for a fresh start and to find some new-found hope in 2021. As the weeks now steadily move through January, let’s hope that the resolutions we made on New Years’ Eve will become true.
For me, and for others, one of my resolutions was involving fashion. Last year, there was a move for everyone to shop at more independent fashion businesses as opposed to big retailers, to help support smaller clothing stores. Due to Covid-19 and the inability to socialise with others as much, there was also a move from dressing up to dressing down and finding a style in comfort wear. Therefore, this year provided the opportunity to challenge ourselves in fashion and make a difference to our wardrobes, whether that be what we wear or where we shop.
For myself, since last year, due to most fashion stores being shut, I have made the move to shop at more online stores. This is a choice that I want to continue making, for it allows me the ability to shop in a variety of online retailers and find some new places to shop at, for example at more smaller owned businesses. This year, I also want to challenge myself to try some clothes that I’ve previously never thought that I could try. It sounds simple but one of those items is a pair of leather trousers. They’re something that I’ve always wanted to try and never felt that I could, so hopefully this is the year than I can.
To see if anyone else was planning to make different fashion choices, I decided to ask fellow Swansea University students to see what their fashion challenges for 2021 were.
One student, whilst admitting to still continuing to love and wear tracksuits wanted to wear more jeans. To quote what she said, “I wear a lot of tracksuits and leggings so I think it would be a good idea for me to wear more stuff like jeans and a bodysuit or mom jeans and a jumper.” Another student wanted to wear more baggy jeans, whilst one I asked wanted to try a whole new style. By this, they said that they wanted to explore clothes outside of their comfort zone and experiment with different colours and trends.
Those who wanted to try a new style didn’t leave this challenge to clothes exclusively. Instead, they wanted to try various new hair styles. As said by one person, “I think hair can change a look so much, this year I want to start doing more fashion-inspired hair.”
As well as experimenting with new styles, some also wanted to take the time to find and shop at more sustainable based fashion stores. I did some research and found a sustainable based store in Swansea called Hiatus, where they sell items from clothes to homeware.
Furthermore, to shop more sustainably, some wanted to shop at more independent fashion businesses because of the desire to support small owned fashion retailers. The app Depop was used as an example for where they were going to look to shop more, due to the many people selling clothes there and the variety of clothes from preloved to designed and made independently. Similarly to Depop there is also Vinted, where you can sell and buy second-hand clothes.
These resolutions that others have made cover a wide variety of fashion choices and hopefully, as we get further through 2021, these choices and challenges that we have set for ourselves will occur. Whether this occurrence will come through experimenting with a new style and finding that we love, or perhaps dislike it or stumbling upon a new favourite place to shop at, whatever happens this year will certainly be an interesting one.
