Hello readers, I hope everyone is safe and keeping well, both mentally and physically! I have been in quarantine now for 27 days… It is almost unbelievable to think that this period has come and gone! Although there is no end in sight of the dreaded COVID-19 virus, I have started to think about and consider life post quarantine. Perhaps something to just defer my thoughts for a short period.

What season will it be when this is done?
How does life go back to normal?
What will fashion be then?

The future of fashion has already been decided for 2020, as fashion is ahead of time. The Autumn/Winter 2020 collection has already been down the runway… So, we know what we should be wearing post quarantine life (which I only hope will be over around summer 2020). Although, this season was interrupted by coronavirus the designs have already been created – coloured suits, baggy trousers tucked into boots, large coats and slouchy bags remain.

So, what will be the future? Will masks be a part of our daily look? I guess it all depends on how long this problem continues and how much we fear the future without them. I wonder if fashion houses will incorporate masks into their runways… this has occurred in the past, prior to the infamous epidemic.

In many Asian countries, wearing a mask before going outside is as routine as brushing your hair, and as the coronavirus threat continues, the West is catching on to the custom. In the midst of this pandemic, wearing a designer logo on your face may rub some people the wrong way. (I’ve seen ones with prominent Gucci, Balenciaga, and Chanel logos on Instagram.) It can come across as flashy and inappropriate, especially when so many people — including medical professionals — lack personal protective equipment. However, with the recommendation of wearing face masks in public to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, they’ve inevitably become a form of self-expression.
From a public-health perspective, it doesn’t matter what your face mask looks like, where you got it from, or how you made it; wearing a functional one is what matters. That said, we are not used to covering our faces and instead require it for expression and familiarity, and now it has to be covered. It is natural to want to be creative, perhaps unique with your mask as you would with your makeup, and wearing a face mask that makes you happy can be one way to make a terrible situation slightly less terrible — to feel like an individual person, and not be reminded of this virus and its fatalities every time we reach for our mask. Some may say this is naïve and delusional, but in a world of being serious and facing this sad reality, what is wrong with something that makes you smile and brings a dash of glamour to your day.

However, women want to wear their makeup and express themselves in this light and so some will never accept the idea of the mask. In the supermarkets I have seen most wearing some form of mask… whether it is their scarf or a clinical mask, but there are a few that have nothing on, and feel comfortable and safe currently without any further protection. We know that the clinical masks are actually not that protective, but I almost feel bare without some sort of coverage when coming into closer contact with people. The reality is I try to keep away from people when shopping for essentials, but the average person seems to have no consideration for the social distancing rules! I actually hate going to the supermarket (about once a week) because it can still be crowded in there and again people just do not understand the idea of keeping their distance… it is pretty appalling!

What will happen when they finally say we are free to head out? Will people just go about and do what they did, or will precautions be taken with masks? I do not see myself getting on the underground without a mask for a very long time, even when this is done. I think I can see where the asian culture of wearing masks out and about has now stemmed from.

I will be keeping up with my masks, for now, even though I know they may not stop spreading, they just give me a sense of security, and if I am wearing some sort of coverage then I am going to make it something fun and exciting! I wonder if the fashion world will use masks as a statement piece in the near future, or if the trauma of this tragedy will be too much to even consider continuing any form of relation to this horrid period.

I hope you have enjoyed the read!
xxx