“Real” Clothes!
It almost feels like it’s time to start getting dressed again…in real clothes!
Buttons, zippers, laces and snaps…oh my! As our world opens up a little, we are having to re-learn the art of wearing things other than loungewear. Maybe there’s a transition look that still feels comfy but that we could actually wear to a proper function or lie down on the couch for a movie?
This weekend was the first time I was actually around people outside of my “bubble”, and there were a lot of people! Normally I would love the idea of getting dressed up and going out, but this was a little different. First, it was the celebration of life for a dear friend and secondly, I had no idea what to wear. Maybe there will be a new syndrome called “dressing anxiety” or maybe people will claim they are now “clothing compromised.” I’m not making fun of anyone here, because I just described myself in a nutshell.
Someone like me who has closets (yes, that’s plural) of clothes, should be able to find something that is not only suitable for any occasion but has some element of comfort as well. I’m not including shoes here, because we all know that shoes, depending on the situation, may or may not be comfortable. It’s all about looks there! But the anxiety of having to put on proper “undergarments” and a blouse that buttoned plus pants that zipped was about enough to make me have a major claustrophobic fit! Add to that the heat of a Florida afternoon, mid-March, and it’s a full on attack of crazy!
Maybe the cavemen had it right? Maybe all we really need is a nice loincloth and a couple of fig leaves appropriately placed?!
All joking aside, and it’s only partially a joke, it was actually nice to feel “civilized” for a few hours. It was great to see folks I hadn’t seen in ages, some for over a year. It was wonderful to see freshly made up faces, including mine, and friends looking pressed and presentable. The vast majority of people actually had on real shoes, not flip flops, dresses, not muumuus, and pants that had pockets, buttons, zippers…the works!
So, when was the last time YOU got dressed…I mean properly dressed…like for the office or a party or a date? This last year, I think clothes have become an afterthought…choosing your outfit has become more like deciding what pot to make the spaghetti in rather than a fashion decision! Accessories? Forget it. Maybe…just maybe a pair of earrings and if those get worn they’re on for weeks without changing! I mean one day, when it was still chilly, I was walking my sweet Stella and there was a lady wearing a blanket. Seriously, a blanket. Instead of grabbing a sweater or a coat, I guess she just got off the sofa and wrapped herself in the blanket she had been snuggled up with watching the latest episode of HGTV. Efficiency at its finest….and no one even looked twice!
Maybe this isn’t really about clothes at all…maybe it’s just that after more than a year of separation and caution and a constant low level anxiety, we are all preparing and anticipating our entrance back into society. Will it be like we remember it? For darn sure it will take a lot more energy and attention than these last 12 months have required! Asking someone “what are you going to wear?” to whatever event is approaching will not just be rhetorical…we will genuinely need the advice!
I’m actually praying that the days of leggings and joggers and sweatshirts are approaching an end. Not that they won’t still be a staple in every girl’s wardrobe, they just won’t be the only thing we wear! Let’s ease into this though…maybe start with your favorite old jeans and your boyfriend’s shirt and a pair of sandals. Easy enough. Or maybe a sundress and a pair of ballerina flats…easy does it into this next chapter of our lives!
Oh…and forget about that 20 pound Covid weight…it will leave you just like those sweatpants as soon as you start moving around in the world again! See you on the outside!
