What Are People Wearing Now? A Local Dry Cleaner Weighs In.
The last 14+ months have brought many changes to how we live our lives. The world has changed. How we work has changed. Our lifestyles and priorities have changed. And with all these changes, our wardrobes have vastly changed.
With less places to go, less in-person meetings to attend, less weekends away and less reasons to “dress up”, we have seen less of a need for closets filled with tons of clothing, coats and shoes. Instead, there has been a bigger focus on investing in high-quality casual clothing.
“Here at Fabricare Cleaners, we have noticed a definite decline in dry cleaning, but with that downturn we have seen a major uptick in the amount of laundry customers have sent in for cleaning. And when I say “laundry”, I don’t just mean cotton shirts and jeans. We are seeing high-end casual wear that have very specific care instructions.” -Michael Astorino, Owner of Fabricare Cleaners
At Fabricare’s production facility, they’ve seen a major increase in items like high quality hoodies from brands like Brunello Cucinelli and tee shirts from fashion icons like Gucci. Comfort has become key this past year, and stretchy fabrics made with spandex and lycra are now appearing in men’s clothes as well as women’s. Covid has brought a trend in merging comfort and fashion whereas, in the past, comfort used to mean sloppy and fashion used to mean “dressed up.”
As a result of this trend toward casualwear, Fabricare has launched a new service called LAUNDRYCARE that was designed specifically for this change in wardrobes. LaundryCare is a new kind of clothing subscription service that offers clothing care for your ENTIRE closet – from casual clothing to delicates to dry cleaning and behind. Customers place all their clothing into one bag, and the team picks up, sorts, cleans & delivers within days. And with dry cleaning being at the core of Fabricare’s expertise, they know how to care for all fabrics, and use only the best products, methods and equipment, so when you leave your clothing to LaundryCare by Fabricare, you know your clothing is getting the best possible care.
Now that Connecticut is loosening up restrictions, we will have more places to go. Weddings will finally be rescheduled. Family reunions will be much anticipated. Date nights will be craved. Travel will be on everyone’s list. And for many, work will be in person again. There will be so much to celebrate after a year of so many of life’s big moments being put on hold.
As our state opens up again, we will have to wait and see how this affects consumer shopping behavior but we do know that there will be a mix in wardrobes. Some will be excited to get dressed up again, well others will continue to adopt the more casual, minimalist trend of the last year. Whichever camp you fall into, Fabricare Cleaners can help get your entire wardrobe cleaned to perfection. We offer premium dry cleaning, wash & fold services, alterations, outerwear restoration & storage and more. Plus, we pick up & deliver at no extra charge.
To learn more, visit fabricarecleaners.net or call 203-229-0001.
