“One of the most exciting things I saw in the March data was women’s jeans [are] This is an increase of 1% from 2019,” said Tamara Szames, a Canadian retail consultant for Toronto NPD Group.

Szames said this is only a small increase, but it may just be the beginning of the industry’s recovery.

Before the pandemic, Canadians dressed up to work, go to school, and meet with friends and family, but according to the NPD Group, by 2020, sales of clothing for social purposes have plummeted.

Szames said she saw “a glimpse of hope and recovery” because sales in March 2021 increased by 6% compared to March 2019, and everyday casual wear is part of a comeback.

“Canadians have a lot of demand and they want to buy clothes.”

This is good news for the hard-hit clothing industry.Although some retailers (such as Canadian clothing manufacturers Lululemon and Aritzia) have adopted elastic fabrics and loose-fitting styles, which many Canadians are pursuing, the epidemic is a turning point that caused others to seek creditor protection, such as castle, Reitmans, Swimco with Aldo.

“The past year has been the most challenging year in our history. Through the hard work of our team and the resilience and adaptability of our operations, we are in an extremely exciting position,” Aritzia CEO Brian Hill said in the company’s recent Said in an interview. Earnings call.

Advances in vaccine launches may make things easier, because in the end, retailers will not have to navigate how to make clothing and ship orders during the global pandemic. In addition, when the restrictions are lifted, stores will be able to reopen, and when Canadians have the opportunity to re-dress, sales will increase.

Sams said: “Any opportunity for us to socialize will become an event, and these events will bring opportunities.”

Closet overhaul

An NPD Group survey found that 65% of Canadians surveyed plan to buy new clothes after the COVID-19 restrictions are relaxed. Among the 28 to 34-year-old Canadians surveyed, 28% said they plan to only buy and wear new clothes.

Sams said: “This tells us that they want their lives to be refreshed.”

(The NPD team conducted an online survey among 1,034 Canadian adults over the age of 18 in March 2021. The results have been weighted to represent the Canadian population. The margin of error generated by a probability sample of this size is plus or minus two-thirds. Points, 19 times of 20.)

At Aritzia, a Vancouver-based clothing retailer, this does not mean not wearing sweatpants.

Emily Chow, senior fashion consultant at Aritzia on Robson Street in Vancouver, said: “It is easy to match with our suit jacket and can enhance this casual wear without sacrificing our beloved comfort.”

Chow said that shoppers seem to want to dress up after staying at home for a long time and prepare to go out.

“There is a feeling of play and excitement.”

Unlike Ontario and the rest of the country, which are subject to greater pandemic restrictions, clothing retailers in British Columbia can operate. Chow said that customers will re-establish contact after a few months of online shopping, and change their figure during the pandemic, looking for new figures and figures.

“This is a new beginning for them.”

U.S. stores lead the way

The company is observing the sales in its US stores, which have already started shopping in an all-round way to understand sales in Canada.

In the United States, more than one-third of the population has been fully vaccinated, and restrictions have been relaxed to allow social activities-even Not wearing a mask.

Aritzia CEO Hill said on the company’s fourth-quarter earnings conference call: “In the United States, our clothing is increasing, and outing clothing is increasing.”

“Obviously, people don’t go to the office so much, but we want to think that people will go out a lot and need these types of clothes.”

NPD Group also collected and analyzed data from the United States, which showed that swimwear sales were one of the fastest-growing apparel categories in March.

“[Americans] Hope to escape, so travel is a big deal. “Sams said.

New York fashion trends

Canadian Yang-Yi Goh first set foot in fashion after the North American pandemic. This is not only a fashion business writer for GQ magazine, but also because he lives in New York.

Ge said: “The atmosphere in New York in the past few weeks has been pleasant. It is full of celebration.”

He said that as more and more people are fully vaccinated and their confidence increases, they will finally go out to see friends and family.

Goh said: “We have reached the point where we can feel ourselves again, feel human and really dress up at that moment.”

He hopes to see men change their sweatpants to shorts and wear more bright colors, loud patterns and soft fabrics.

Goh said: “I hope people will try to be more expressive and bold when choosing clothes.”

“I think putting on things that bring us happiness may be the number one priority.”