Clothes shopping after lockdown: all your questions answered

Charlotte W. Campbell 1 week ago

The Government’s official 50-page guideline released this week for getting Britain back to work, says that “non-essential” stores, such as fashion retailers, may be able to reopen from June 1st, provided that social distancing measures and the correct level of sanitation have been put in place. What does that really mean? When will they be ready? And how will it feel to venture into your favourite retail haunts when their look and mood has dramatically changed?

The socially undistanced queues outside some French branches of Zara last week suggest that some shoppers strongly disagree with their government’s definition of non-essential. You have to wonder what they can get in store that they haven’t been able to buy from the brand’s website, which has been functioning throughout lockdown – other than the visceral instant gratification of trying something on and taking it home.

In the UK, management consulting firm BCG

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This is what clothes shopping could look like post-lockdown

Charlotte W. Campbell 1 week ago

Normally, spring is the time of year when fashion fans head to the shops to update their wardrobes with the latest warm weather styles.

However, in recent weeks typical shopping habits have been thrown out the window due to the coronavirus lockdown, which has seen people stuck at home and all shops deemed to be non-essential forced to close.

Drapers reported in-store sales have dropped 84 per cent compared to 2019, and – despite online grocery sales surging – for the rest of the retail landscape things look bleak.

On Sunday, Boris Johnson announced that restrictions as part of England’s lockdown will begin to ease in the coming weeks with updated guidelines on travelling to work, exercise and meeting family and friends.

But what do the new rules mean when it comes to shopping?

The Independent has spoken to a number of retailers including Arcadia – which

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Here’s What Fashion Editors Are Shopping For Right Now

Charlotte W. Campbell 1 week ago

Before quarantine, I frequently strolled into Zara on my lunch break, spent hours considering which second-handGucci loafers would impress my Instagram followers the most (both style- and discount-wise), and set alarms for ungodly hours of the night to shop sample sales going on in far-off time zones (often to no avail). Now, after weeks at home, I can honestly say that I haven’t really shopped at all, or rather, I haven’t actually bought anything. For me, half the fun of shopping is getting to show it off, so without work events to attend or Saturday afternoon lunch dates to get dressed up for, what’s the point?

After seven weeks, though, I’m starting to feel withdrawal. Shopping withdrawal, that is. 

Of course, given the current financial situation, shopping just to shop isn’t exactly in the cards. If I want to make a purchase, it has to be smart, something that

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Runway Shows as We Knew Them Are Over, Fashion’s Survival Depends on Responsible Operations

Charlotte W. Campbell 1 week ago

Plus, what the fall of department stores means for luxury brands.

These are the stories making headlines in fashion on Monday.

Say goodbye to the runway shows you once knew
Fashion shows as we experienced them in February might be gone for good — and what will take their place is still up in the air, though it’s likely to combine digital offerings and smaller gatherings that happen less frequently than the old fashion calendar mandated. “The fashion weeks were a very old machine. That is ending. Not dying — but reborn,” said Alexandre de Betak of Bureau Betak. {Vogue Business}

For fashion to survive, it’s going to have to become more responsible
Corporate social responsibility and sustainability programs will have to move from sideline to central if fashion brands are going to survive in an era where people are being choosier than ever with how they

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