How to dress post lockdown –
With the end of lockdown in sight, several of my clients have been expressing both excitement and doubt about dressing once again for the outside world. Sloppy jumpers and elasticated waists are comfy but can get boring and influence our mindset too. I know a weekly highlight for me has been dressing up a bit more on a Saturday to go food shopping. No one would know because the effort is all hidden under a coat, but it made me feel better. But do we want the hassle of gearing ourselves up to think about capsule wardrobes and dressing for something other than a head shoulders ‘MS Teams’ or Zoom meeting?
So, how can we take the positive from dressing down with the benefits of dressing up?
Aside from getting that all important hair cut booked in, I’d say the starting point for your regeneration is to remind yourself of what’s in your wardrobe that makes you feel good. If you are like many people who’ve stuck to the same old outfits during lockdown I bet you’ve forgotten about all the great garments you’ve got in your wardrobe. So ladies, revisit your wardrobes.
First of all, look out some old friends to make sure they still fit. You may have put on a few pounds during lockdown. If so, do you want to ‘take yourself in hand’ with the aim of getting back into what might feel a bit snug, or work with your new size (see next month’s blog about the optical illusion of successful dressing). You might need to make a bit of a shopping list of things you are missing to make an outfit complete. But at least if you’ve started having a sort out of your wardrobe you know where you stand and what options you’ve got to play around with.
It’s really important to make this fun, not a chore. Have a look on Pinterest and Instagram to get some ideas of how other people are approaching style and what they mix and match together. What about sharing ideas with a girlfriend or even Zoom it? Ok, ok I know you might not want another zoom meeting but we all get more creative when we bounce ideas off each other.
Think about colour – that top that you’ve never been sure about – let it go. If it’s in a good condition sell it on a re-sale platform like eBay, Vinted and Depop or give it to charity. Surround yourself with positive colours that you know suit your natural complexion. (If you struggle with this, pick up the phone and have a chat, I can now analysis your colours remotely so you don’t need to even leave the comfort of your sofa!).
Start gradually. If you’re someone who has reverted to sweats, put on a pair of jeans with a shirt. Start to enjoy your clothes again and rediscover combinations that you may not have previously put together. Don’t leave this exploration until the morning when you haven’t got much time because you’ll just end up putting on the old same old…so invest the time now while we’re still in lockdown to give it some thought so that you can immerge looking fresh and contemporary and feeling great about yourself.
As always, don’t hesitate to get in touch if you need any help.
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