In a time of increasingly promising pandemic-related news in the United States — new cases are dropping as vaccinations continue — it brings me displeasure to report a bit of bad news: The Comfort Revolution may be coming to an end.
The Comfort Revolution is a phrase entirely invented by me and my editor, but you likely know what I mean. During the pandemic we’ve been comfy. Amid the horrifying COVID crisis — which created a new reality in which many folks worked from home and could no longer socialize — getting dressed up made zero sense. Work Zoom calls in soft pants, and hoodies, and no make-up, and t-shirts, glorious t-shirts, became normalized. Putting on a shirt with buttons or pants with a zipper became an event, in and of itself.
But now, according to some, we could be inching away from the glorious Revolution. Data hints the elastic golden era may soon end.
Read a report in the Wall Street Journal:
“In the past few weeks, pants with buttons and zippers have begun outselling those with drawstrings or elastic waistbands at L.L. Bean Inc. At Saks Fifth Avenue, sales of dresses, blouses and sandals are exceeding levels not seen since spring 2019. And employees at Haggar Clothing Co.’s distribution center are working overtime to replenish trousers and blazers at department stores and other retailers that sell its clothes.”
Let me just say: No thank you.
Everyone is, of course, free to wear whatever they please. But I’ve invested heavily in the Revolution. I, like many others, purchased actually nice comfortable clothes, in lieu of ratty Ts and sweatpants so old they’re of uncertain origin. I now wear joggers, band Ts, and hoodies. Huge difference. (Not really, but kinda.)
Let me tell you about a recent fit I wore to get a beer at a brewery near my home in Brooklyn. I wore Nike joggers, a Hold Steady t-shirt, a Margaritaville-themed minor league baseball jersey, comfy sneakers, and a hat from the maker of the Carolina Reaper hot chip.
This is my ideal outfit: It speaks to my interests, it looks good (don’t @ me, it looks good), and it is wildly comfortable. What is the point of clothes if not to one, obviously protect us from the elements, two, look good, and, three, make us feel good?
My favorite thing about the Comfort Revolution is you can look like you care while also looking like you care about comfort. The two are not mutually exclusive.
That Journal story did note that items bridging the gap between comfort and style were selling well as folks prepare for the pandemic to fade. Slippers made to go outdoors, dressier tees, and sports sandals, for instance, reportedly saw a boost in popularity.
“I think it’s going to be hard to go to older standards of formality now that people are so used to doing their jobs in more comfortable clothes from home,” Sonya Abrego, a design and fashion historian, told USA Today. The paper also noted people were getting more into bright colors and interesting patterns — having fun with comfier clothes.
Hell right. Let’s get creative with our cozy. I’m not saying there won’t be space for suits, or dresses, or, you know, shoes that don’t slip on. But a year of wearing comfortable clothes, perhaps, has made us realize that physical comfort can lead to a state of more comfort overall.
If I want to wear joggers and a Hawaiian shirt then call it an outfit for going out, why the hell not? If my coworkers have seen me in a hoodie on Zoom, why not wear a hoodie to the office? If anything it might improve my work because I feel good. Comfy clothes, or more fun, less-standard work clothing helps me feel more comfortable in my body. Some people might get that feeling in pants with a skinny cut and a fitted button-down. More power to them, but it’s not me.
Still, I imagine my next year will have far more buttons, zippers, and belts than my last year. But it will also feature more of what I want to wear than pre-pandemic times.
My future won’t be every day in sweatpants. The Comfort Revolution is dead. But it will have far more band t-shirts and Hawaiians — I might even wear them to work. Long live the Revolution.