Glamor After the Pandemic
Image Courtesy: Instagram
From months of sweatpants over Zoom, people are ready to switch to luxury. Despite COVID-19, the world of glamor is expected to explode over the next few years. With people going out and socializing again, beauty trends are coming alive, and the industry is already starting to boom, just like the roaring 20’s.
The pandemic caused stores to close and cosmetic and fashion brands to plummet in sales. People are less likely to purchase high-end outfits or skincare when they have nowhere to go. Even essential beauty products such as foundation and concealer began to have a decline in sales. The motivation to purchase luxury is here more than ever. This is because luxury goods can go a long way to increase people’s self-esteem and a sense of accomplishment. We now have the freedom to express ourselves to the world in real life.
Online spending surged to 23% of luxury sales in 2020, from 12% in 2019, according to Wells Fargo analyst Ike Boruchow. Brands like Chanel, Fenty, Off-White, Dior, Gucci, Givenchy, Louis Vuitton, and more are on the rise again. Beauty products like fragrances, skincare, and serums have been released despite the pandemic as well. When Glossier released a hand cream in the middle of the pandemic, and this seemed like a short-term outlook for the beauty industry, but Glossier actually took advantage of the focus the pandemic put on beauty. These luxury and also beauty companies are popping up in smaller cities where people have been staying instead of traveling. Over the summer, there have been luxury store openings in nontraditional locations such as Louis Vuitton in Plano, Texas, Hermès in Troy, Michigan and, Christian Dior in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Are we mirroring the roaring 20’s? We are living in a time of change and transition, the beauty world of luxury and glamor has become even more important. With the slow removal of screens separating us, our clothes and style will become more valuable. This is because we have shifted the focus from the aesthetic of the clothing to how it makes us feel. We have been through two years where we’ve had to reflect on what we took for granted. Well, now we can get those things back. Adding glamor back into our lives is a way for people to see themselves as powerful in a time where everything has been so uncertain. Our desire for social interaction will give these physical stores and luxury brands a boost. Dressing glamorous and for the comfort of our own well-being is only going to thrive in the next few years. Glamor is not dead, it is alive.
Strike Out,
Writer: Kailey Tucker
Editors: Marissa DeMaio & Madison Sloan
St. Augustine
