Retail is in the red across America as coronavirus-related closures have pushed already struggling retailers over the edge.

The apparel chain J.Crew is one of them. It has becoming the first major retailer to file for bankruptcy since the pandemic closures began.

“You had this phenomenon where you had this overbuilt retail, combine that with the pressures from e-commerce, it was already a real volatile sector,” said Rick Stein with Urban Decision Group. “Then throw COVID-19 into it. It is likely that this will be the thing that kills off an awful lot of retail.”

Stein’s company has conducted a commercial analysis to quantify the impact the closures have had on retail.

“None of these businesses had plans for a zero-revenue situation,” said Stein. “We are estimating as many as 40% of existing small store clothing retailer could close.”

UDG’s research shows so many small apparel retailers are planning to close their stores for good because, in addition to zero or near zero revenue, they are struggling with reopening unknowns. One major unknown is how many customers will be allowed to enter their stores at one time. Another is if customers will even be able to try on clothes. The latter is one of the main reason customers come into brick and mortar store locations.

“When you put all those things together, it can spell the death nail for a lot of retail,” Stein added.

According to Coresight Research, around 15,000 stores are expected to permanently close this year, which is at least 50% higher than last year’s record high of 9,548 retail store closures.

Several major retailers, similar to J.Crew, will like shutter many stores but the companies won’t cease to exist. Most will start closing a mass number of stores after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which will allow them to restructure.

“The big push years ago was to be in every mall, to have locations everywhere, I think the exact opposite will be now,” said David Berliner with BDO.

Berliner believes most companies will invest in a stronger online presence and focus their physical storefront footprint at well-performing locations. Chapter 11 will allow most retailers to reorganize the business and do that.

So, it is likely that J Crew is just the beginning of the wave of retailers to file for bankruptcy, although we may not see too many doing so until all states reopen and social distancing restrictions are relaxed.

“Normally, you liquidate your inventory in some stores to benefit and provide liquidity for the other stores to continue. That can’t work right now because there is just no opportunity to do that,” said Berliner. “You can’t really do a going out of business sale online, at least no one has tried it the same way, so I think that is also partially holding them back.”

Berliner, Stein and most experts agree, retail was overbuilt in this U.S. already and mass closures of brick and mortar stores were going to happen. However, the volume of closures we’ll see in 2020 would’ve likely happened over several years. COVID-19’s impact has been speeding up those closures. It will also be linked to a domino effect caused by all the closures.

“We are going to have a phenomenon where certain malls are going to be weakened, because they may lose their anchors and some other stores,” said Berliner. “So certain retailers that were planning to stay open in certain locations may decide not to because that mall is now too weak.”

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — From an elaborate ceremonial wedding dress to the uniform of a player for the NFL, clothing can tell the story of a person as well as a time and place.

“It says a great deal about what's happening at the moment,” said Sarah Linn, co-curator of The Stories We Wear, a new exhibit at the Penn Museum in Philadelphia.

Inside the exhibit, hundreds of items stretching back more than 2,500 years show not just what people wore, but what they experienced at the time.

“It says so much about the culture in which they're living, about their time period,” Linn said.

Like these Samurai items used during a children’s celebration.

Some belonged to a California family who worked hard to keep them even as they were sent to a Japanese internment camp during World War II.

“So, it tells this wonderful story both about Children’s Day and about the importance of Samurai and that history, but it also tells this really important story about American history and how we hold on to our history,” Linn said.

There’s also this dress on display, which was sewn during the Great Depression.

An elastic waistband and a hem that could be raised and lowered allowed the dress to be shared by multiple women in a family.

“This was in the Depression, when money might be a little bit tight, and the idea of a well-made garment needing to fit multiple members of the family might make sense,” Linn said.

There’s the gown of an opera star worn by Marian Anderson and a dress fit for a princess, like the one which belonged to Grace Kelly.

There is also an ensemble fit for a queen—a drag queen, that is.

“This one embodies so many parts of performance,” Linn said. “Drag itself is performance.”

However, the museum wanted everyone to get involved.

Using the #storieswewear hashtag, people anywhere can share pictures of what they wear and the stories behind it, as some current COVID-era nurses did, which then can appear on interactive monitors in the exhibit if selected.

“Here is an opportunity for people to share heirlooms and keepsakes that have been passed down through their families, that are important to them,” Linn said.

However, it’s not just about sharing what you wear on your skin, but what your skin might be wearing, too. Tattoos are also included in the exhibit.

“We wanted to talk about permanent forms of adornment,” Linn said. “We tend to get tattoos that embody something of our personal identity, and so we wanted people to share their stories about their tattoos.”

The exhibit runs at the Penn Museum in Philadelphia through mid-June. It can also be seen on the museum’s website, which you can access by clicking here.

HAMPTON ROADS, Va. — Sarah Noffsinger in Virginia has been busy for the past few days, packaging gifts to people she’s never met before. She includes a handwritten card signed with love before sealing the bags and boxes.

“I want people to feel like they weren’t ‘othered,’ I guess,” said Noffsinger.

Noffsinger runs the Gender Affirming Clothing Care Package Program out of her Norfolk home for the Transgender Assistance Program of Virginia (TAP VA). The website launched June 1 on the first day of Pride Month.

“Sometimes [transgender people] have to wear clothing that doesn’t align with their gender identity or gender expression, and that can be really dysphoric for a lot of people,” she explained.

Transgender people throughout Virginia can get free clothing that makes them feel comfortable in their own bodies through the new program.

“We want people to pick out clothes that they are going to feel comfortable in and confident in so that they can knock out that job interview or feel confident enough to come out to their friends and family or something like that,” said Noffsinger.

People can browse the online catalog and pick one to three items they like, and Noffsinger will ship them off - completely free of charge.

The program started with 100 pieces of clothing. Three days and 44 orders later, they’re down to eight items.

“Even newly ‘out’ trans people, they... you kind of have to redo your whole closet, which can be a very expensive and also emotionally tasking process to try and clothes and stuff like that,” said Noffsinger.

All the clothing is donated from Nomads Clothing Exchange, a Norfolk consignment store, and community members donated packaging and shipping supplies.

The program temporarily closes on June 10 and will reopen July 1 with new items.

“It feels good knowing that somebody is going to get a package, and like, open it up and feel like super excited about it, and put on a shirt or pants, and just like feel good about who they are, and feel confident in the body that they’re in because the clothing that they’re wearing fits well,” she said.

It’s a small but meaningful gesture to help more people feel proud to be seen.

TAP VA has a free clothing closet located in Portsmouth. People who are interested in shopping at that location should contact TransactivistVA@gmail.com for details.

TAP VA has an Amazon Wish List for supplies to support the program. The nonprofit is also accepting donations through their Give OUT Day fundraiser that ends on June 30 and their website.

This story was originally published by Kofo Lasaki at WTKR.