Quarantine, but make it fashion

Typically, fashion changes with the seasons. In the fall, you see boots and flannels appear; in winter, we break out the cable knit sweaters. Come spring, light jackets start showing up, and summer means it’s time for shorts and sandals. But this year, I’ve been wearing a nearly uninterrupted uniform of workout clothes since March.

I wanted to see how widespread the effect of quarantine was on personal style, so I turned to Google Trends to find out. Here’s a look at some of the latest fashion-related Google Trends that people are searching for:

While searching for shorts seems like the status quo for hot summer months, according to Google Trends, search interest in “shorts” reached an all-time high this June in the U.S. More specifically, “biker shorts” was the most searched type of shorts over the past three months (interestingly, we also saw an increase in search interest for “cycling” in March). “Biker shorts” was followed by “short shorts,” “running shorts” (my personal faves)—though “denim shorts” and “cargo shorts” followed next, so apparently there is still some interest in “real” clothes out there.

One garment has remained buried in my dresser for quite some time now: pants. So I wasn’t surprised to see that while search interest in pants isn’t currently at an all-time low, there was a significant dip in the U.S. in March...which certainly corresponds with the period of time that sheltering in place caused me to move in a comfier direction. Meanwhile, even though much of the U.S. is currently experiencing warmer temps, search interest in “sweatpants” has been much higher this summer than it was the previous two years; same goes for pajamas:

Of course, pre-quarantine fashion pieces have taken a hit: Searches for wedding dresses, tuxedos and neckties are all down. Heels haven't gotten much love in recent months, either. U.S. search interest in “high-heeled shoe” hit a 10-year low in April of this year. On the flipside, in May “running shoes” hit an all-time high. 

But what about new fashion trends that sheltering in place has inspired? You may have seen social media feeds consumed with the idea of the nap dress—a dress you can both wear while going about your day (whether that be running errands or just working from home) as well as...well, for napping. “Nap dress” saw an all-time high in search interest in July in the U.S.

Here’s to my—and maybe your—most casual summer on record.