How to Dress for Virtual Events

While fans of Billy Porter gleefully meet his quarantine fashion challenge with flash and humor, should others care to dress up for virtual events? Is there even a need for sparkle in wardrobes now?

Those are but two — admittedly minor — of the many questions during the new quarantined reality, which has seen loungewear accepted as the new work uniform, and the rise of virtual gatherings on Zoom, Houseparty and IG Live.

Celebrities, entertainers and brands alike have sought to connect with customers and fans through virtual gatherings on these channels amid canceled events worldwide. Rihanna and Diplo are just two of the prominent names who have hosted parties and weekly DJ sets, respectively, offering a much-needed reprieve from the confines of home.

Even the Met Gala went virtual on Monday for the first time in its 72-year history, offering a preview of its new exhibit and rounding up at-home re-creations of standout red-carpet looks from previous years.

So, if you’re going from couch-to-party (via phone and computer), what do you wear?

With discretionary spending on apparel and accessories rising, albeit slightly, brands with an urban glam aesthetic see a need for a bit of sparkle during such virtual events.

“Yes, we definitely see our clientele moving toward sparkly, playful and fun items, not only in their buying habits, but also in the way they engage with Instagram content,” said Jaleh Farhadpour, founder of Archives Toronto, adding: “We feel that now is a time to add splashes of color and fun, glittery pieces to the wardrobe, to brighten up each day.”

The store carries unique, crystal-laced and colorful items from Area, Justine Clenquet, Eéra, Fernando Jorge and George Keburia, who are all selling well.

For their part, Beckett Fogg and Piotrek Panszczyk, founders of Area, have always encouraged beauty in diversity and empowerment through creative, high-shine, high-glam looks, and see customers responding to such tenets even now.

“Especially our more creative and special and eye-catching pieces have been really popular,” they said. “It’s pieces that make you feel empowered, strong and glamorous. One of our favorite pieces is a crystal cup chain wig that gives you maximal glamour without even getting dressed.”

-Beckett Fogg and Piotrek Panszczyk

For others, reality calls for a blend of the cozy with moments of glam. Some designers suggest leaning in to garments with sparkle, shine and pizazz works best when leveled with items of comfort.

“We’re seeing our customers starting to shed their cozy loungewear and move toward being more playful and trendy,” said Gabrielle Conforti, chief merchandising officer of Urban Outfitters. “We think there is a desire for optimism that can be expressed in how we dress, and we’re happy to have such a robust and on-trend assortment of colorful pieces from sweatsuits to lounge around in, to flirty tops and sparkly dresses for virtual celebrations.”

Designers Kim Shui and Christian Cowan both agreed.

“I’m seeing a combination of people buying the more comfy jersey sets and also the more bright and fun items — girls still want to look good and dress up for new photos,” said Shui. “I definitely think wearing things that you normally would to go out, just dressing up with nowhere to go still lifts your spirits up. I think dressing up even if you’re just staying at home can help us feel a bit more normal during this time.”

“People have definitely embraced comfortable looks, but they’re expressing their personalities too,” added Cowan.

“I think people want to feel fun but also practice responsible spending while they don’t know what’s going on financially. Escapism is more necessary than ever before. It’s not about dressing for others, it’s about cheering yourself up.”

- Christian Cowan

With digital gatherings becoming the new normal, senior women’s wear editor for Farfetch Celenie Seidel added, “There is definitely still a market for joy-sparking pieces right now: with so much focus on the face due to the nature of video calls, statement earrings have found their true platform.”

Chelsea Hansford, chief executive officer and creative director for Simon Miller — who is seeing a rise in sales for ribbed clothing at the moment — is finding shine by accessorizing the clothes with the right earrings and shoes. “You can get ready in minutes for your Zoom meetings and throw on an earring for your DJ set in the evening. I find my sparkle in accessories — I wear fun earrings every day to feel put together and sane. I also love to wear my platform shoes, in particular the Blackout Platforms, as they are easy slide-on shoes that make me feel like I have not lost my edge.”

While the fate of post-corona social gatherings has yet to be determined, in the foreseeable future brands and retailers are optimistic that consumers will bounce back and seek sparkly and uplifting options.

“Absolutely. The more pieces in a wardrobe can glisten at a time like this, the more people are able to feel inspired and creatively motivated day-to-day,” said Farhadpour.

“Even more than this however, I foresee there will be a post-pandemic wave of expressionism based on historical trends,” Seidel said.

“Over the years, times of uncertainty have often sparked reactive movements where people have craved frivolity as a means of escapism — think Studio 54 and the Weimar Republic’s cabarets. Fittingly, we saw these themes coming through in the fall 2020 collections in February and March, so this mood is in the zeitgeist for a number of reasons — expect fringing, crystals and Glomesh.”

- Celenie Seidel, Farfetch