Fashion Tingz: Agony Aunt #3
Post-pandemic shopping, cultural dress and not buying new clothing
The wait is over dear readers - my monthly, fashion-focused Q&A advice column is back!
Each month I’ll be tackling whatever unsolved fashion scenarios you send my way. These scenarios can be lighthearted and fun or deep and personal, the choice is entirely yours. Let’s tackle these things together. Remember to be kind in the comments, everyone’s experience of the world - and the way we view it - is different.
Question one: I usually enjoy shopping for clothes but recently I've been less interested. I think that's because in this not-quite-post-pandemic world, I'm not sure what I'm getting dressed for. Do I need a fancy outfit for a party? Business clothes for an in-person meeting? A Hawaiian shirt for beachside vacations? Without knowing the kind of places I'll be spending time, it's hard to imagine what I should be wearing.
At this weird in-between moment in time we are currently experiencing, and with rules and regulations different from country to country and state to state, it's hard to know what to wear when we don't even know where we're going and what the rules are. Are we working IRL in offices again, or are we co-working at coffee shops? Are we going on dates, meeting new people, going out with friends or are we still doing the whole Netflix and chill? As we *cautiously* reenter the public sphere once again, there's opportunity to rethink our relationship with clothing and how we get dressed. But after spending so long in loungewear and stretchy clothing - I’m looking in the mirror here - what the f*ck are we actually supposed to wear? There's the opportunity to liven up our wardrobes a little bit as we (sort of) brace the outside world, but then we shouldn't have too if we don't want to. There’s no pressure here, but one thing I think is most important to remember is to dress for yourself first and foremost. Wanna wear a sweatshirt and joggers with ankle boots to the office? I've done it. Want to wear a pair of trainers to a fancy-do, coordinating them with a suit or cute dress? Guilty of both. Once you take the pressure off of yourself, and embrace a ‘go with the flow’ attitude towards your attire, things may start to fall into place a little bit.
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