From pajamas and sweatpants to jeans and blazers, fashion trends and styles have changed since the beginning of quarantine.
After spending over a year at home in quarantine scrolling through social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, teenagers have developed new styles. At home, some students were able to try on clothes or try out new styles that they would have avoided at school for fear of being ridiculed.
With this newfound confidence gained over quarantine, some students feel more comfortable in their new style and have stopped following the trends.
“I think people are more focused on expressing themselves and wearing what makes them feel comfortable than solely what’s trendy,” said sophomore Talia Bartelstone. “[Social media] made me want to explore different types of clothing and looks, so I stopped mirroring what I saw in other people and started mirroring what I saw in myself.”
Fashion trends have a way of constantly changing, but according to USA Today, quarantine and other factors have accelerated these changes. At Carlmont, some students feel the need for a change after staying home for over a year, while others get used to the comfort of wearing sweatpants and pajamas all day long.
On the other hand, several students believe that their fashion sense and style have not changed much. During quarantine, these students had been dressing for maximum comfort and never stopped after returning to school. As a result, pajamas are a popular choice of clothing item to wear to school every day, regardless of whether it is a spirit day or not.
“I don’t think my fashion has changed because I had no reason to actually change it. During quarantine, I’ve had even less reason to dress well since I was on Zoom,” said sophomore Kevin Tomita.
For some students, the presence of new styles on social media showed them that one could be price-conscious and still try out new styles.
“I think it pushed for more sustainable and affordable fashion. Before people looked more at magazines and shows where really extravagant clothing was always shown. Now people can see more affordable brands on TikTok which makes fashion more accessible and interesting,” said freshman Ashwika Narayan.
New fashion trends have progressed from past trends, specifically the 2000s and 80s, and spread during quarantine since teens were more active on social media.
“Before quarantine, 99% of people I saw only wore Lululemon, Brandy Melville, and other mainstream brands. Now I still see people wear that, but there’s a lot more variation. Also, people have started wearing clothes from thrift shops, and guys actually participate in fashion now,” Bartelstone said.
Adding a personal touch to the trends she noticed, Bartelstone wanted to highlight the impact of social media on her fashion choices.
“Social media changed [my style] the most because I was exposed to so many different kinds of beautiful. There’s a lot of variety and diversity in social media, which translates into fashion,” Bartelstone said.
