I’d like to start this blog by stating the obvious because that’s who I am, basic and obvious; the last year and a half have been life-changing. We’ve practically had to unlearn living life as we knew it and switch to this mind-boggling lifestyle. Masks? Super alien. Constant sanitisation? Alien. Work from home? Hmm, alien but not really. These drastic lifestyle changes compelled some parts of our lives to take a backseat; not in a car, like in a bus or something, really far behind. Fashion happened to be one of them. Only two things seemed to dominate the sartorial space, tie-dye and sweats. But finally, when the world grasped the intensity of the situation and started to coexist, among other things, fashion also started getting back into the spotlight!

But even with the limited amount of interaction I’ve had with fashion during this time, it dawned upon me that this new reality has taught me some pretty important lessons on fashion. Scroll ahead to check out these sartorial learnings and tell me if it’s the same for you!

Comfort over everything

Covid-19 practically cancelled the outside world so naturally no one was dressed to kill at home. This prolonged time within the four walls of our abode, mostly in pyjamas, sweat sets and occasionally in baggy jeans or so to hit the grocery store, truly made comfort my only lookout while dressing up. Sure, all this time at home also made people (and me) miss wearing anything but pyjamas, but if I ever got the opportunity to dress up, comfort is what I prioritised and continue to do.

Less is indeed more

The popular sentiment—I have nothing to wear, looks like something that’s been tossed out of the emotional rulebook relating to clothes. I mean, there wasn’t or isn’t a rule where you can’t dress up at home for your online classes or work, anyway, but all of us mostly just stuck to and were happy repeating those same 5-10 pairs of clothes we own. It’s been more than a year and I still only wear 7 pairs of the same clothes every week. That’s not to say that only those 7 pairs are appropriate to be worn at home or have that comfort level of “home clothes” but they’re the only ones I really feel like wearing. And this clearly goes to show, less is more. Or a more appropriate phrase would be: less is enough. And man have I learned that well and good!

Appreciation for old clothes

Back in the day, I never really felt so emotional about clothes that were old because I was a mindless consumer and an ardent believer of retail therapy. So that habit never let me develop a relationship with my clothes. (Relationship with clothes? Really?) Yes, a cute little relationship with all my clothes, but thanks to the abrupt halt I (read us) faced in my shopping habits that’s made it possible now. Sometimes, when I get in the mood to dress up for no reason or pick out clothes to go to a grocery store, I just think of how nice it feels to wear clothes that aren’t pyjamas. It reminds me of how good we had it back then. Makes me realise that I have more than enough for myself and if I just appreciate what I have, I never have to feel this perpetual void fast fashion has created. Get what I’m saying?

Hoarding is nothing to be proud of

BC (before Corona), having an overflowing wardrobe seemed like something to flaunt. While it is never okay to hoard, at the time, it made a tiny bit of sense because I would wear most of them on a daily so they were in use. But this sudden change in our lives made me realise that more than half of the clothes I owned were now just sitting in my wardrobe, with absolutely no use, instead, they just caught a weird smell from being in an enclosed space for too long. The point being, I realised that I was far happier surviving on just the right number of clothes as opposed to (suddenly) having a closet full of garments that I wasn’t putting to use. Could’ve put all of that money into getting myself lots of sushi.

Going on a shopping detox is good for the soul and your pockets

Lastly, just not having to constantly worry about whether I have a new set of clothes to wear every day or whether I have enough money left to buy those pants I’m eyeing or that jacket, is truly refreshing. I love that I’m happy with what I have. I’m even experimenting with my existing clothes to make all those fancy fashion videos social media is currently flooded with and in the process, am also improving my personal style. This forceful shopping detox has been nothing if not a great experience and I wish I got the taste of it much earlier!

Find yourself saying “Omg! Same!” to yourself? Tell me your thoughts in the comments below.

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