Fashion New Year’s resolutions for the nation, from limiting leggings to breaking out of style ruts

Can we be honest for a minute? 2020 was not a banner year for fashion. For most of us, self-presentation was far from front of mind as we grappled with a constant stream of new jargon, statistics, restrictions and general doom.

But now we’re in a new year, with plenty of pent-up hope for what could come next. It’s telling that on the day Matt Hancock announced that vaccine approval was on the horizon, the fashion team set aside a spread about the best leggings to buy now in favour of a much more colourful feature on glamorous re-entry looks.

So let’s own up to some of the bad style habits we’ve all succumbed to at some point over the past million months. And pledge to leave them behind with 2020.

Resolution 1: We will not wear leggings for more than two days a week outside of actual exercise

Like pyjamas, leggings are best worn for a specific activity, not as a replacement for skirts, dresses or proper trousers. If you’ve eschewed denim since the spring, try on jeans that are different to whatever you already own – straight-legged crops and patchworked designs feel current.

Resolution 2: We will not forget about comfort

For too long, fashion designers treated ‘comfort’ like a dirty word. While the rise of all-day tracksuits and slippers may in retrospect seem like taking things too far, there’s no need to forget how good it feels to… feel good. A pair of fashion clogs, or trainers that make you happy (even if you never exercise in them), represent a step in the right direction.