The effect of the pandemic on the fashion industry has been widely written about. From the proliferation of leisure wear, which eventually made it's way into formal wear, to how everyone became obsessed with outdoor gear.
Retailers and designers have shown sports and leisure luxe inspired garments and this winter sees South Africa finally get onto the trend.
It's called Gorpcore and it's one of the biggest trends for menswear this winter.
Gorpcore. Weird name, no?
I was also confused when I first heard about it from fashion buyer Matthew Jooste.
"This winter there are three main trends that most retailers are exploring, with the biggest one being gorpcore. And the best way to describe it is like a fusion of normcore and total outdoor wear. It's like a Saturday survivalist that takes all these outdoor inspirations and toning them down. It's all about the fabrics and also the utility. It's part why the big luxury brands have collaborated with active-wear brands – it's where the consumer is at," he said.
But what is gorp? Well, it’s an acronym for ‘good old raisins and peanuts’. It's basically a humorous take on all the snacks that hikers and mountain climbers have in their pocket to help them keep up their energy.
"There's a massive move to 90s nostalgia, as well as academia inspired trends. The college look in our jackets, sweaters and the slogan T-shirts," Jooste said.
"But the main trend is gorpcore. It's a trend that we are going to see in summer and next winter," he said.
Jooste, who is the the head menswear buyer at Edgars, says that the gorpcore trend will see many wearing raincoats with formal wear, to shell trousers and fleeces. Mainly, clothes made for enjoying the great outdoors, but also adaptable for everyday life.
Another trend that stems from the impact of the pandemic is oversized clothing.
“It’s all about comfort wear. We re steadily moving from slim fit, because it also allows you to layer nicely. It’s not only for the men, but for the women as well. It harks back to the 90s trend, which saw a lot of oversized, sport and collegiate inspired fashion, which has come back in the fashion trend guide,” Jooste said.