Skip to content

PREST: Trendwatch 2020! The year we stopped wearing pants

Hot this year: screaming into the void. Out this year: showers.
Work from home - Getty Images
The Zoom look, business on top and party on the bottom, really took off this year. Read on to learn more of the hottest trends of 2020.

It’s hard to believe another year has come and gone!

The year 2020 flew by in a blur – those 12 months felt like they lasted a mere 47 years. But it’s important at this time of year to slow down for a moment and have a look at how the world has changed and what new trends have been set. Fifty years from now when they open up the time capsule for 2020, what wonders will they uncover?

Fashion

This was the year that sweatpants stepped out of the gym locker and into the spotlight. And in that bright spotlight you can clearly see the yogurt stain I got on my sweatpants eight months ago. That stain is never coming out though, because to do that, I’d have to take off those sweatpants and put them in the wash. But how can you wash something you wear every single hour of every single day?

Another hot trend this year was the Zoom look, a slick blazer, collared shirt or chic blouse on top, matched on the bottom with a stylish pair of just underwear.

Launch meeting? No, launch sexy.

Accessories

So what is the biggest trend of 2020? Three words: masks, masks, masks. These days, heading out into public without a mask was like fashion suicide. Or was it murder? Anyway, forgetting this ubiquitous accessory was sure to earn you a talking to from the fashion police, a.k.a. the real police.

The fashion forward among us took this opportunity to make a statement. My favourite mask, for instance, is covered with skateboarding dinosaur skeletons wearing baseball caps. A respected fashion critic that I work with said it looked like I was wearing “children’s underwear on my face.” It has truly been a special year.

Home décor

All the Property Brothers agree that there was one major trend in interior design in 2020. No self-respecting decorator would allow their house to go without a front-facing window covered by a child’s massive drawing of an ambulance. So cute, so full of hope, so devoid of depth perception.

And what would a pencil crayon drawing be if it weren’t accompanied by cutout letters spelling “Thank You,” along with 47 hearts? Paint some rocks and drop them in the front garden, and you’ve got the perfect 2020 home décor design. It’s a great look for when loved ones drive by slowly and throw food out the window without stopping.

Automotive

Speaking of drive-bys, electric vehicles continued their surge this year, providing great fuel economy for those trips to nowhere. The technology has improved, providing much more oomph under the hood to help you get out of the house and stop feeling dead inside for a few minutes. There have been great advancements in sound proofing as well, providing a quiet ride for you, and preventing your neighbours from hearing you scream as you sit inside your hatchback in the driveway.

Hairstyles

What would the world look like if we all started to cut our own hair? This question was the stuff of science fiction until 2020, when we found out the real value of trained stylists. For the many of us who are now cutting our own hair in the mirror or sitting in the kitchen getting cuts from family members, I’d call this year’s biggest trend the “fluffy” look.

Trending way up: grey hair; hats; husband saying “oops!” Trending way down: straight edges; caring; showers.

Entertainment

No concerts, no live sports, no pub trivia nights. We found different ways to keep ourselves entertained in 2020. Instead of cheering on the Olympic Games (cancelled!), many of us spent the last month cheering on the fire log videos on TV.

“Look, the man’s hands! That log is really burning now. Oh, a woman’s hands! Do you think they’re married? Wait wait wait. Is that a …marshmallow?!?! Oh. My. God!!!!”

This truly was a year like no other. And as we get ready to say hello to a new year, the biggest trend of all right now is the knowlegde that it will never ever ever be 2020 again.

The year 2021: so hot right now!

Andy Prest is the News’ sports editor. His humour column runs biweekly. aprest@nsnews.com