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Tuesday, November 10, 2026Nov 10

How has the pandemic changed the way people in Chattanooga dress?

Staff photo by Matt Hamilton / Chattanooga boutique owner Anita Headrick says that local shoppers are embracing post-pandemic life in dressier, more structured clothing as compared to the stretchy gym-type clothes favored during the pandemic.
Staff photo by Matt Hamilton / Chattanooga boutique owner Anita Headrick says that local shoppers are embracing post-pandemic life in dressier, more structured clothing as compared to the stretchy gym-type clothes favored during the pandemic. Staff photo by Matt Hamilton / Chattanooga boutique owner Anita Headrick says that local shoppers are embracing post-pandemic life in dressier, more structured clothing as compared to the stretchy gym-type clothes favored during the pandemic.

As we all continue to resume activities we gave up last year, from dressing up for formal events to changing out of pajamas for work, we’re not necessarily going back to the way we dressed in “the before times.”

“Before the pandemic, people literally dressed totally different than they do now,” says Anita Headrick, owner of Chattanooga boutiques Alice Blue, Hanover Blue and Electric Blue.

“During COVID, people wanted pajamas, they wanted loungewear, they wanted stretchy stuff,” Headrick says. “You’re at home and you’re eating and you’re watching Netflix. You don’t want anything that has to be sent to the dry cleaner, or that you’d have to zip on or off.”

With life returning to a sense of normalcy, she says people have gone completely the opposite direction in terms of what they want to wear.

“They want bling and they want fabulous and they want glitzy,” Headrick says.