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This month marks the one-year anniversary since life as we knew it transformed and we hunkered down at home to navigate a global health crisis turned economic crisis (in an election year, no less). As life shifted so drastically across the globe, so did what we purchased. Whether fashion or home decor, we quickly turned to essentials and mood-boosting items that brought calm and brightness to our days spent at home. With the vaccine rollout moving swiftly, there’s an omnipresent hope for re-emergence, but many of the items we’ve grown to know and love over the past year remain relevant. Here, we look back at all the things we introduced into our lives, from luxurious loungewear to house plants.
Stylish Face Masks
The face mask, once solely a protective measure, is now a stylish consideration when getting dressed. Countless designers have made their own iterations and, over the past year, each of us has grown to find a mask we love for both the function and fashion it provides.
The House Dress
When it comes to items that peaked in quarantine, look no further than the house dress. Brought on by Hill House Home’s oft sold-out range of pretty Nap Dresses, the concept of a dress comfortable enough to take a nap in but polished enough to feel dressed up took hold. The style quickly became a new wardrobe essential to add to your closet.
The Luxe Sock
While packages of bulk socks from the pharmacy or the nearest big box store did the trick in the Before Times, now, our socks are free from being shoved entirely into shoes. We’re spending more time in our socks, and investing in a few pretty pairs to wear around the house just feels right.
Matching Knit Separates
Sweats have had an interesting evolution over the past year. First, the sweatpant was a guilty pleasure to be secretly paired with office-appropriate tops for work Zooms. Then, we nestled into matching sweatsuits. As the year wore on, comfort-first clothes remained a priority and designers responded—making comfortable, elegant knit pieces from fine materials that made us feel simultaneously put together and cozy.
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Above-the-Nose Makeup
While we’re still buying lip pencils and lipsticks, this year really marked above-the-nose makeup solutions, like at-home brow lamination and soap brow kits and fun eyeliners that instantaneously sparked joy.
The Indoor Tree
Whether an indoor lemon tree or a Fiddle Leaf fig, many have spruced up their spaces with big, beautiful frondescence. By now, most of us are accustomed to spending days at home, and bringing in a little bit of the great outdoors has helped to make our homes an earthy respite.
The Practical Bag
Prior to the pandemic, small bags were having their moment. Now, life calls for medium-sized, practical bags. Bonus points if it’s a crossbody, so you can go hands-free, too.
Zoom Jewelry
At the beginning of quarantine, expressing yourself through accessories meant wearing things people could see on Zoom. So, we forewent rings and bracelets and leaned into sculptural earrings and necklaces instead.
The House Shoe
Over the past year, there were really only two shoe needs: a pair for at-home wear and a pair for stepping out to complete the occasional errand. Easy on, easy off styles like Birkenstock’s shearling Arizona sandals became the best option for both—and we will continue to wear them when all this is over.
Home Office Improvements
Once we started settling into home offices, we quickly experienced hunched shoulders, craned necks, and wrist pain. We needed smarter setups. Enter: the laptop stand, monitor, headphones, and pillow for lumbar support—all must-haves that have made going to work from your living room less physically taxing.
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The Button-Up
A classic button-up is a wardrobe staple that has become even more essential over the past year. Keep one next to your workspace to throw on over your tank top should you want to look more put together and less like you rolled out of bed when a colleague calls a last-minute Zoom meeting.
Luxe Hand Sanitizer
Hand sanitizer shortages were no joke at various points throughout the year. Luckily, as the need remains, some of our favorite brands responded with the release of upscale, better-smelling hand sanitizers.
The Pajama Set
Prior to the pandemic, pajamas were an afterthought—perhaps you’d throw on an old T-shirt. But in a world where loungewear began to reign supreme, a proper pair of sumptuous PJs felt like a worthwhile way to bring comfort to your days and nights spent at home (not to mention they make for a lovely gift for the friends and family you sorely missed).
Maskne Solutions
Consistently wearing masks inevitably led to a rise in pimples and breakouts (or “maskne”) and some of the most sought-after beauty products became spot treatments to help combat maskne once and for all.
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