Published May 18, 2021
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Woman resting in garden

When was the last time your wore your favorite outfit? What about lipstick? If you’re like me and being extra cautious with life right now, it’s been a while.

For me, it was my 40th birthday. I wore heels and a silk dress…with a velvet embroidered mask. Gotta be safe and stylish!

Dressing up and going out is episodic these days as the outside world of dinner with friends, concerts, and weekend brunch slowly returns. You might have retuned to your office and your pre-pandemic wardrobe with glee… Or perhaps dread? A dread for the comfort of your leggings and tunics while Zooming in a comfortable chair.

While I can't control where you work, I can advocate for your comfort and style, in whatever environment you’re conducting business.

How Will We Dress?

Zeitgeist determines trends. As a fashion professional with an interest in anthropology, I know that trends are more than one passing fad after another.

To me, a trend is an indicator of societal direction—provoked by political shifts. The European Renaissance was provoked by the Bubonic Plague. The Harlem Renaissance was birthed because of the Great Migration and World War I. 

The global COVID-19 pandemic is provoking shifts, too. Here are my two predictions for post-pandemic trends:

Trend: Ethereal Womanist
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Zora Neale Hurston, between 1935 and 1943, photo at Library of Congress (https://www.loc.gov/item/2004672085/)

Starting with literary great Zora Neale Hurston, this is a lifestyle that demands freedom from societal constraints, with the centering of Black women in their community and the unintentional benefit of a transformed society. Stacy Abrams, Patrisse Khan-Cullors, and Tricia Hearsy live it. Alice Walker, Audre Lourde, and Octavia Butler revealed it.

Vibe: Nature Leisure
Purpose: New Futures
Fashion: Soft Simplicity

Ethereal Womanist key words:
Rest
Abolition
Black fairies
Sustainability
EarthSeed
Resistance

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Trend: Reckless Abandon
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Woman in dramatic black hat and black and white dress

Opulence, individualism, and saccharine happiness marked by consumption a often a result of being trapped inside. The vaccinated and never-vaccinated will now be able to resume their pre-pandemic lives with a determination to make up for time lost. And the making up will be ginormous. This is a revival of the Roaring 20s with 1980s extravagance in a technology driven world.

Vibe: Instantaneous
Purpose: Exclusivity
Fashion: Loud

Reckless Abandon key words:
Travel experiences
Neon
Pleasure
Now
Celebrity culture

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Have you noticed any societal trends that are affecting fashion? Let me know!

A version of this post was previously published on Jana Coke’s website.

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About the Author

Jana Coke is the principal consultant in her eponymous full-service wardrobe consulting company, Jana Coke Style. Described as “the wardrobe whisperer,” she provides luxury shopping experiences and wardrobe solutions to women of influence. Her knack for purposeful shopping and coordinating a curated wardrobe was shaped by 20 years of professional experience in the fashion industry. Jana’s contributions to the Los Angeles fashion scene have been recognized in nominations for the 2017 and 2018 Los Angeles Business Journal Fashion Awards. She maintains partnerships with retailers including South Coast Plaza, Nordstrom, Escada, MaxMara, and Jimmy Choo. Jana is a licensed Christian minister who views her wardrobe consulting company as an extension of her ministry.