The long-awaited coronavirus vaccine has arrived and we’re on the verge of transitioning to a post-pandemic society. Nevertheless, survivalism – as both an attitude and the resulting aesthetic – wants us to know it isn’t going anywhere just yet.
As a movement, survivalism refers to actively preparing for emergencies, including disruptions to the social or political order. 2020 provided plenty of fodder. But even as we managed to avoid full-blown anarchy, we still sought spaces in which to contend with our heightened sense of catastrophe.
Some found solidarity in disaster-themed films; the prescient 2011 disease thriller Contagion ranked as the third most popular movie on iTunes in March. Others sequestered themselves with soft knits and music; Christine and the Queens’ forlorn ballad, “People, I’ve Been Sad,” was named the perfect anthem for isolation melancholy.
These diverse coping mechanisms find commonality in our sense that through them we can control the uncontrollable, that we can hit pause or fast forward. Survivalist efforts equip us, even empower us, to focus on making it.
Here’s where they’re playing out the most right now as aesthetic elements of survivalism enjoy a cultural moment, and where we’ll continue to see our endurance-oriented preoccupations made manifest.
Necessities 2.0
If accessories are the sign that we have extra time for fussing and disposable money for spending on our hands, it comes as no surprise to see that many items falling into this category haven’t made the cut. As entire continents spent more time indoors than ever this year, consumer investment in accessories like jewelry, belts and handbags took a noticeable downturn. Their replacement within the Necessities 2.0 cohort? The face mask.
This accessory-turned-necessity quickly became engrained in our daily lives, demanding duplicates for every occasion and in every storage nook: one for the purse, one for the car, one for the coat pocket. Non-medical masks are now an evergreen style in retailers’ accessory buying, with new styles dropping weekly and sales spikes coinciding with additional local lockdowns. Given that masks will continue to be required in many places even as vaccinations ramp up, there’s no indication they’ll be slowing down in the near term; they might even attract material innovation. Improved quality, reusability, and athleisure-compatibility like breathable fabric and moisture-wicking technology may be on the horizon.
You can find a comprehensive guide to face masks that we authored here.
The utility uniform
Nowhere are society’s fixations more visibly interpreted than in the mass market. Existing themes of comfort and functionality across the fashion industry have become significantly more prominent over the course of the year, even featuring as central stories in marketing campaigns.
That’s not to say we all made a break for multi-pocket cargo pants the minute quarantine went into effect, but when even the most limited of social scenarios are stripped of the polish and conviviality we crave, all that’s left is utility. And those cargo pants we thought we’d left in the 90s? Sales are up by 32% compared to last year, earning them the classification of “wardrobe staple,” with sweatpant versions making their way into the loungewear segment.
At its core, fashion is largely aspirational, and extraordinarily affected by current events and cultural influences.
Streetwear utilitarian trends aren’t stopping there: overshirts have been hailed as the next most prevalent silhouette, boasting additional pockets (so now there are even more ways to misplace your mask!) for a practical layering piece. Combat boots with chunky lug soles and hiking-inspired boots are also the hottest footwear this year, with plenty of inclusion in Fall 2020 runway shows.
If it seems like a stretch to extrapolate a vast batch of fashion trends and a multidimensional aesthetic movement from a year with little occasion to leave home or be seen, it bears repeating that at its core, fashion is largely aspirational. It’s also extraordinarily affected by current events and cultural influences. It may be our underlying spirit of survivalism that has kept us going through the challenges of 2020, but as the virus subsides, it’s the aesthetic that we’ll wear as a badge that celebrates “getting by,” and extols the virtues of adaptability well into the future.
Cover photo by Kilian Seiler via Unsplash.
