Hannah Sutton
Despite being in and out of lockdowns for nearly a year now, online retail shopping habits have not decreased for the UK. In 2020, 87% of UK households made online orders, with clothing purchases making up the highest numbers of packages delivered.
With the rapid increase of music streaming and downloads since the beginning of the pandemic, various artists have inspired new styles and trends. From eccentric animal print to oversized co-ords – this article will be looking at 2021’s top album covers, pulling out iconic style trends inspired by several artists, and suggest student-budget friendly recreations.
Spring Flannels
Spring is a time of seasonal adjustment from the cold and harsh winter months of January to the warmer (yet slightly chilly) periods in March and April. It is the time where a big puffer jacket is considered as too much, but at the same time sweatshirts or hoodies aren’t enough to protect you from persisting winter chill.
The album artwork features the Taylor facing away from the camera, highlighting her French braid and stunning flannel jacket
‘Shackets’ are dominating this period, providing seasonal chill protection whilst also demonstrating style and colour. Taylor Swift’s surprise ‘Evermore’ album was released with just sixteen hours-notice, two days before she turned thirty-one, to the glee of her dedicated fans. The album artwork features the Taylor facing away from the camera, highlighting her French braid and stunning flannel jacket.
Although the flannel showcases rather autumnal colours, the pastel based shacket would also be ideal for Spring. My favourites are the Zara ‘Cropped Check Overshirt’ in blue and white (currently £17.99 from £29.99 and available from XS to XL) and the ASOS DESIGN ‘Brushed Check Jacket in Baby Blue’ which is available from a UK4 to a UK30 and is £55.
‘Hot Pink’
Despite being locked away from nightclubs, bars and restaurants for most of the year, the demand for ‘going-out’ clothes has not waivered. I myself, am guilty of placing regular orders of dresses, skirts and tops which I dream to wear once the pandemic is under more control. Doja Cat’s second album titled ‘Hot Pink’ has risen through the ranks of the Official Top 100 Albums this year, despite being released in 2019 (most likely due to the popularity of songs like ‘Rules’ and ‘Juicy’ on TikTok).
This hot pink trend remains very popular and is likely to be everywhere in the warm summer months
Doja Cat is not the only artist to follow this bright and bold trend; Mabel’s debut album ‘High Expectations’ features the artist in a striking vivid pink fluffy dress, and Dua Lipa’s ‘Future Nostalgia’ outfit showcases a denim-inspired cropped pink shirt. This hot pink trend remains very popular and is likely to be everywhere in the warm summer months. Nasty Gal’s ‘Angel On Your Shoulder Feather Mini Dress’, now £16 rather than £55 (UK4-UK12), draws inspiration from Mabel’s album, whilst Monki’s ‘Conny-Li Cord Shirt’ for £35 in pink harks back to Dua’s artwork (UK4-UK20).
Oversized coloured co-ords
Loungewear has become most people’s go-to outfit for the day, and the growth of this particular market has increased vastly due to the global pandemic. It is predicted that the Sleepwear and Loungewear market is to increase by over $19 billion during 2020-2024 – signalling that this trend is certainly one to buy into, as its popularity is unwavering!
Billie Eilish is rarely seen without her stylish oversized clothing, often pairing matching pieces together to create a coordinated look. Both her 2019 ‘When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?’ and 2017 ‘Don’t Smile at Me’ feature on The Official Charts Top 100 Albums, where she debuts matching-coloured coordinated items on the covers. The 2019 artwork comprised of a white sweatshirt and matching joggers, and the bedding featured is an image often replicated by many students (especially myself, doing lectures from my bed at University). My everyday loungewear set is an all-white Adidas velvety-corduroy edition, available at all major sports-wear retailers for roughly £30-£55 per piece in XS-XXL.
Happy shopping!
Hannah Sutton
Featured image courtesy of Gerry Balding via Flickr No changes made to this image. Image licence found here
In-article images courtesy of @billieeilish, @dualipa, @taylorswift and @mabel via Instagram. No changes made to these images.
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