We're all living an alternative lifestyle! What does it mean to you in 2021?

The phrase 'alternative lifestyle' has an entirely new meaning these days, thanks to the virus. We're all living an alternative lifestyle right now thanks to being locked down, being unable to see friends and family or enjoy a night out, prevented from booking festivals this summer and with no foreign holidays to look forward to. At the same time, thanks to the restrictions, millions of us are becoming a lot more creative around entertaining ourselves, staying sane, and keeping busy. And millions of us are loving working from home. So what does an 'alternative lifestyle' mean to you?

Is home your alternative office?

Are you working from home for the first time, like millions of others in the UK and abroad? Some of us hate not being able to interact with colleagues and customers, but others absolutely love it, finding home-working less stressful and easier to get things done. Research from Finder.com reveals just how different the world of work is these days. 60% of the UK’s adult population were working from home during the Coronavirus lockdown. Home workers are thought to be saving, on average, £44.78 a week on lunches and commuting, which stacks up to a very handy sum of just under two hundred pounds a month. A total of 23.9 million of us working from home save a grand total of £1.1 billion every week between us. 26% of us want to work from home either permanently or occasionally after the lockdowns end, and about 66% of home-workers say they’re more productive working from home. One in five say they struggle with loneliness, and some predict the retail industry will lose a whopping £253 million thanks to the virus, since in-store employees can't work from home. Because Brits, on average, spend 59 minutes per day commuting – often a lot more - people working from home will save almost five hours a week, as well as being less tired thanks to less travelling. If you commute from Brighton to London, for example, you save almost three hours a day, 15 hours a week you'd otherwise spend sitting on a train. That's what we call a treat!

Alternative home office wear

If, before covid, you were forced to stuff yourself into a formal suit to go to work, are you feeling happier being able to wear what's comfortable and suitable for the weather, rather than the old school sort of working 'uniform' of shirt and tie, suit and blouse? No wonder alternative fashion retailers like us are seeing such a boom in lovely, loose harem pants and funky tops. People are not just buying fashion online, their buying habits have changed. Comfort and style and so much more important than looking 'respectable' and 'smart' in an office work context. Dressing for work at home is more fun, more creative, and more comfortable. Let's celebrate that!

Are you planning an alternative holiday?

In 2019 UK residents took an average of 1.9 holidays abroad, more than any year since 2011. In 2020 that number plummeted as lockdown and travel restrictions bit. Summer 2020, when we briefly came out of lockdown, saw millions of Brits who would otherwise head off for long or short haul beach holidays staying home, leaving hotels and B&Bs, camping sites and holiday homes stuffed full. This summer, assuming we'll be able to travel at all, looks like much the same. A record breaking home-vacation summer is expected, with travel firms saying they're already seeing huge surges in bookings for summer staycations.

Holiday wear for staycationing

We can't rely on sunshine in the same way as we can when holidaying abroad but hey, that's the world we live in right now and we have to make the most of it. Luckily our gorgeous alternative clothing is perfect for layering and creating interesting, warmer looks than the scanty clothes we wear abroad.

Virtual festivals for 2021

Glastonbury 2021 has been cancelled, and it's probable we won't see many live festivals taking place this summer. Some of them are going virtual, and it is already looking like awesome fun. Take the Sundance Film Festival on February 3rd, which proved a monster hit and highlighted how it is possible to experience a life-changing event without having to be there in person. Talking about Zoom festivals – you can watch them on screen indoors or out, and you can still dress up in the usual way, in dazzling festival clothing, as a virtual audience member. Your own loo is probably a lot nicer than a festival toilet, too! ;) Check out the 2021 festival calendar here. While plenty of them are still a possibility, it's more likely they'll either be cancelled altogether or held virtually. Either way we have oodles of fabulous festival clothes for you.

What does your alternative world look like?

We'd love to hear how your life has changed through covid, and what you're liking best about your new world.