COVID-19 has been a time of transformation for many. With the seemingly everlasting quarantines in place, students have taken this time to themselves for self improvement. In the process of self improvement, many WIS students note that they have also found a new sense of style through experimentation. 

WIS has been in both distance and hybrid learning since March 2020, which has given students ample time to explore new styles. There are many variations of this shift; some changed their preferred choice of inspiration, while others have changed their preferred style completely.  

Seventh-grader Elsa Sjöberg illustrates how quarantine has given her the time and freedom to experiment with different articles of clothing. She has chosen to fall back on more comfortable clothing. “I’ve only worn jeans once,” Sjöberg said. 

Mood is also a factor of this comfortable clothing shift, especially during the pandemic. “My mood does reflect my style, for example if I’m not feeling the best I’ll wear something more chill and comfortable,” Gonzales said.

During COVID, many students have struggled with mental health. The New York Times gathered testimonies from mental health professionals and conducted many studies to determine the correlation between student’s mental health and the pandemic. “Young people ranked the lowest in psychological well-being,” according to a survey done in Europe with 30,000 people. Students note that their mental state is a huge contributor to clothing choice. 

Usually, teens prefer to be comfortable in bad moods, thus demonstrating why sweatpants and sweat suits have become increasingly trendy in the past year. In addition, Zoom is another escape from uncomfortable clothing. Since Zoom only shows one’s torso and up, people can wear pajama pants or sweatpants.

However, when WIS implemented the hybrid model, clothing styles shifted.“I try to have cuter outfits [at school] because I’m only there for a week,” Sjöberg said.

People want to save time and energy to pick out an outfit they like when they go out. Because of this, people tend to not put too much effort in their outfits when they’re in virtual school. However, now, when people do get the opportunity to dress up or wear something other than sweatpants, many take it in order to have some more variety in their day to day life. 

Even though there had been a shift in style for some, many say the places they shop at remained the same over the pandemic. “The stores remain the same, but what I buy is a bit different,” Sjöberg said.

Specific brands have recently been popularized, especially over the course of the pandemic. Stores with more affordable clothing and fast shipping have become increasingly popular. However, given how quickly fashion trends change over the course of the year, the future of teen style remains a mystery. 

By Zoe Moskowitz