COVID Revenge Dressing Is Totally a Thing (Goodbye, Sweatpants!)
Southern stylist Cynthia Kelley explains how the post-COVID climate is lending new meaning to the term 'revenge dressing.' Plus, she includes a few examples of the ways this trend is showing up in the fashion world.
Many of us have been βrevenge dressingβ these last few months, maybe without even realizing it. I first heard the term while I was on a trip to NYC for Fashion Week, and it piqued my interest, so I did a little research. Turns out, revenge dressing is nothing new.
What is βrevenge dressingβ?
Today, revenge dressing is showing up in the way we are approaching style after the pandemic β¦ COVID revenge. Our outfits are the outward expression of feelings shaped by experiences weβve missed this past year-and-a-half. Itβs dressing intentionally with outfits that are bold, extravagant, expressive, and definitely colorful. Itβs dressing just a little βextraβ and βfinished.β
Women are going out in style after staying inside and wearing loungewear or business casual from the waist up for the past 18 months. We are enjoying getting ready, looking forward to dressing for events, and pulling ourselves together in a big way.
Once I became aware of the concept, I realized many of us are revenge dressing, whether we intend to or not! Weβre making up for lost time with our daywear, workwear, and dressy outfits. Weβre celebrating the return of events and the opportunity to come out from behind our masks. As a result, fashion is bursting at the seams!
How It Started
The term βrevenge dressβ first emerged in 1994 after Diana, Princess of Wales, first wore a stunning, low-cut black dress to a dinner at the Serpentine Gallery in Kensington Gardens. (You know the one! Diana emerging from the back of a vehicle wearing said dress will forever be an iconic moment in fashion.) The dress has been interpreted as having been worn βin revengeβ for the televised admission of adultery by her husband Charles that very evening.
Fast forward to 2021, and revenge dressing has emerged as a fashion statement. But, instead of sticking it to Prince Charles, women are dressing to the nines to make up for lost time.
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How Itβs Showing Up
Lots of Color, Texture, and Self-Expression!
Many women are taking more fashion risks, determined to have a little fun with their choices β whether theyβre trying colors they never would have worn pre-pandemic, or pulling out all the stops with high-end pieces theyβd previously reserved only for special occasions.
Dresses and High Heels
Google defines pandemic revenge dressing as βmelodrama and excess,β and this is actually backed by financial data on βrevenge shoppingβ habits. Global fashion search platform Lyst recorded a 197% increase in online searches for high heels and a 176% increase in online searches for dresses in 2021.
Dressing up is BACK!
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Eye-Catching Accessories
Over-the-top statement accessories are showing up in current trends, and these are a few favorites Iβve seen lately. They are definitely a little excessive β but fabulously so. Major revenge!
Revenge dressing embraces our feelings of joy, hope, and confidence through fashion. Weβve missed a lot, and revenge dressing is a trend we are embracing β even if merely by accident. It feels great to get out, live life, and make a bold statement with our style. Embrace it!
Cynthia can be found online atΒ cynthiakelleystyle.comΒ or onΒ Instagram.Β Got a burning question for an upcoming Style File? Email us atΒ [email protected].
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Cynthia Kelley
Known for her fresh and modern styles, Cynthia Kelley is a Nashville-based personal stylist who provides custom expert advice to clients throughout the Southeast.