They may have looked like perfect wardrobe accompaniments when we saw them on the runway at the start of the year. And yet these accessories trends for the Autumn/Winter 2020 season may well fall by the wayside because of the health crisis.
Between mask wearing and changing behaviours, some pieces seem obsolete before they even reach the shelves of the biggest retailers. This is notably the case of the statement jewellery and the balaclava, which the mask will totally eclipse.
So long statement jewellery
Have you tried wearing earrings since life with a mask? Between the hanging ones that get tangled in the elastic and the hoops that collapse under the weight of the mask, earrings are not designed for a health crisis (unless you're wearing them to dress up your Zoom look).
So what about the oversize, statement-making jewellery that the designers put on display during the Autumn/Winter 2020 fashion shows?
It is hard to imagine wearing earring – studs, hoops, drop earrings and clip-on styles – in XXL version when wearing a mask is mandatory in public places, inside and outside.
We might as well face the facts, the trend is a non-starter. But fans of statement jewellery should not worry too much – there will still be the "shiny gold chain"-type necklaces that should get some play.
Farewell to hooded styles
But the wearing of the mask doesn't mean all bad news when it comes to fashion – take for instance the hood, which the mask relegates to the level of obsolete. Where it should stay in fact.
Last February, the runways had put this "ugly" accessory – which the under-20s likely aren't familiar with (lucky them) – back in the spotlight. Total panic broke out among the fashion crowd.
Read more: Why and whatever for? 3 'ugly' fashion items the runways seem to love
Were they really going to wear a hood to accessorise their sheer designer blouse or their full leather jumpsuit? And in fact, no one has the answer and now we will never know, because masks and hoods definitely don't make a good pair.
Can you imagine the logistics and even more complicated, can you imagine the final look? Another trend that seems halted from the starting blocks.
Goodbye gloves?
While gloves, both in both long and short styles, also invaded the runways during the last shows, we mustn't forget that this is not just an aesthetic accessory. They are also practical, even necessary in some countries come winter.
However, if it's already complicated to do gloves and smartphones at the same time, wearing masks adds an extra layer of complication to gloves. Why? Because one has to be careful, even delicate when removing a mask, which is practically impossible with gloves on.
Read more: Can face masks truly be fashionable and chic? More importantly, should they?
And those who think that these accessories could increase protection against coronavirus, and thus make their daily life easier, think again. At the onset of the health crisis, the WHO warned the public that regular hand washing was more protective than wearing rubber gloves.
There is no reason why wool, cotton, or leather gloves should not do the same. – AFP Relaxnews
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