Stopping a New Yorker on the street is usually not an easy endeavor. People are always in a hurry, the next meeting or the Uber driver is waiting. But since the beginning of the pandemic, which hit the metropolis hard, especially last year, the clocks are ticking more slowly in this otherwise breathless city.
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On a sunny weekday, people linger in Tompkins Square in the East Village, a band is playing jazz, and the dog park is filled with yapping terriers. Many office workers who worked in the glass towers of Midtown before the crisis have moved to their homes in the Hamptons or upstate New York. The result: the streetscape in Manhattan is younger and more colorful. Second-hand clothing, souvenirs from previous vacations, and expressive designs by local designers have replaced Brooks Brothers suits and J.Crew blouses.
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Instead of status and position, fashion now expresses personality and attitude. “People have mucked out, fewer appointments and more time to think about what they want to say to the world with their clothes,” says Stephanie Otto, designer of a US fashion chain.
Kaley Roshitsh, who reports on sustainability issues for the fashion magazine “Women’s Wear Daily”, agrees: “People dress more consciously.” And show solidarity with local designers and companies who earn extra money with merchandising items. The hoodie comes from the one-man label from Brooklyn, the jewelry from the designer who sells chains on Instagram, and the jute bag with the logo of the favorite bagel baker is worn as proudly as a handbag with a Gucci monogram. The outfit thus becomes a declaration of love for the city in which money is no longer everything – also because many New Yorkers have less of it than before.
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“You can tell that people are paying more attention to prices. They buy comfortable, affordable fashion, ”says Bayr Ubushi, who works as a stylist for the“ Flying Solo ”boutique in Soho. Street and sportswear form the uniform of everyday home office life, which allows more casualness and laps during the lunch break. The mask also belongs outside on the mouth and nose and is often chosen to match the look. “We’ve been locked up for so long,” says Roshitsh, “everyone feels the need to express themselves.”
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