Women's workwear is changing in the pandemic

While the work uniform was popular earlier, the pandemic is seeing more women opt for professional comfort wear which includes the likes of flowy dresses and shirts with statement sleeves

Womens workwear, which was initially confined in the boundaries of monotonous monochromatic, simple solids and rigid silhouettes, has undergone a humongous change. Today formal and daily wear for work is more youthful, vibrant and chic that resonates with the sartorial choices of contemporary women.  

The pandemic, however, brought a major change to this segment, shifting from the standard of a "work uniform" to professional comfort wear.  

Rupanshi, founder of Qua, says, "Considering the current situation, consumers are likely to work from home for the foreseeable future. Key categories like work-leisure that are trans-seasonal will come to the forefront. During the lockdown, we saw a tremendous rise in our sales as consumers are now moving towards all-year-long comfy workwear by slow fashion brands."  

Qua has been catering to the workwear needs of women by including flowy dresses, shirts with statement sleeves, and comfy co-ords besides the classic shirts, pantsuits and trousers.  

So, what's the forecast in the coming months? 

After months of multiple lockdowns, consumers have invested more in comfort-wear and work-leisures, and are looking forward to styling them in a way that can adapt between professional and private environments. The coming months will see the comeback of the comfort-driven approach and it is going to be a year of comfort over trends.  

According to Rupanshi, "Amidst the chaos of the pandemic, nothing seems more appropriate and comforting than softer and breathable fabrics like cotton, viscose and linen. With the lifestyle change, the demand for functionality and versatility will take precedence in workwear. The waist-up dressing will continue to prevail which will put the spotlight on detailing like statement sleeves, necklines and exquisite pieces of jewelry.  

Puff sleeves, power shoulders, ruching and knot details, contemporary collars, wide-legged and cotton-lined pants, pantsuits in vibrant colours, oversized shirts and minimalistic jewelry will reinvent workwear and empower women while working from home.  

She adds, "Fresh and calming colours like sorbet pastels, which are hassle-free and easy to pair, will be preferred and generate a greater than usual demand. Solids might take a backseat, unusual pairing of colour and prints will be favoured to give a touch of vibrancy to the monotonous ‘WFH' lifestyle. Colours mixed with neutrals, pastel colour-blocking, combination of different prints like florals, geometric and stripes, will be seen having their fashion moments in the coming months." 

During the first lockdown, Qua introduced dresses, co-ords and jewelry in its collection. The collection comprised versatile styles that women could easily wear while working from home because honestly, it wasn't going to be pyjamas forever, and it received a pretty good response.  

"Presently, we are seeing a rising demand for comfort fits and relaxed silhouettes. Hence, in our next collection, we'll be introducing jumpsuits and Supima t-shirts along with more dresses and pantsuits," tells Rupanshi. 

Also Read: How four Mumbai thrifters gave up fast fashion for mindful buying

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