Covid canceled weddings around the world. It also influenced dress codes

CNN — The havoc wreaked by Covid-19 on the wedding industry was bound to leave its mark somehow. In their 2021 wedding report, Lyst found that more brides-to-be were seeking out 19th-century-inspired gowns, à la “Bridgerton” – the seductive period drama that engrossed 82 million households around the world during the pandemic and became Netflix’s most popular original series. “Smaller scale celebrations have required fewer formal looks and customers are coming to us in favor of something simple and chic.” Earlier this month, Business of Fashion reported a pandemic-induced ecommerce rush was sweeping the bridal industry, with “fewer custom gowns and more dresses bought straight off the rack.” The surge of quick-turnaround ceremonies could be leading many to shy away from outlandish styles and stick to classic, more reliable looks. “So there was a moment where I was like, ‘is anyone ever going to want an after-party dress ever again?’” Kaizer began re-stocking resplendent pieces – think turquoise sequined jumpsuits and gold mermaid-tail gowns – in March this year, following a gut instinct that led her to believe “these bigger weddings are coming back, maybe bigger than ever.” By May, her suspicions seemed to be confirmed, as she says brides and wedding guests alike poured in hoping to bag unique, one-off looks. According to Lyst, grooms are no different, with insights reporting a 26% increase in searches for “men’s wedding skirts” on their platform since last year.