Lockdown fashion & getting dressy at home, the how-to

I know the high-street is suffering, because we can't afford it, we cant get outside. However summer is fast approaching and I feel so deflated having no-where to wear anything nice. It might be considered a first world problem, but with feelings of isolation and loneliness at the forefront of our lives these days, I've been thinking about how our body image has been affected. Call it capitalism but buying myself a new shirt or even a dress can make you feel good.

But, back to the small issue of money, we're either furloughed, stuck on an endless wheel of zoom meetings or pub quizzes, and then some of us are downright unemployed. So, if I was buying stuff, what would I buy? With this little virtual shopping trip, and countless hours looking at clothes I can’t afford (a regular task even when employed), I was inspired to look at my own wardrobe properly. This then lead me down the path of thinking: why am I living in my joggers? I love being comfy, and luxe comfort-wear is very chic and can look fab. But get out of the daily pyjamas, and plan your outfits, even the night before. It might seem pointless, but I think it works and definitely made me feel motivated to do something with the day. I actually have longed in recent weeks, for the days of working 8-8, planning my outfits the night before, and then having no time to clean my room.

So... I intend to sit outside and wear my largest, most sparkly earrings and a very impractical dress.

The 30's are a' calling

I’m taking inspiration from the golden age of Hollywood, I’ve been watching some old classic movies of late, so I wanted to draw on this, and our 30’s fashion revival I’m seeing on the high-street. I know we cant all be Carole Lombard or Bette Davis, and dying my hair isn't an option right now sadly, but, I’m dressing up to go no-where. Apart from slip-dresses and bias cut wedding dresses which are very on-trend, the thirties really are making a silhouetted come-back, I’ve seen some fab pieces on Arket, (a satin skirt is £70, the kind of price that means because it’s a fabulous green colour, you naturally ignore the fact its made of polyester - that kind of price) some impractically coloured but a breath of fresh air in this climate. Arket is exactly what we need right now, boxy, bright, and feminine, but also, like COS, does loungewear in a very versatile way. They have some excellent bias skirts, emulating the 1930’s, a trend that’s very hot right now. We’re talking hot pink, grass green, lavenders & hot corals for spring, but it’s all very clean and chic.

I’m here for it, but I don’t know how wearable hot pink really is? The shapes are great however and I want every piece, the sale even has tie dye scarves which are gorgeous for our every changing weather. And we’re all cooped up inside! Perfect right.

Another beautiful discovery is the slip dresses that are doing the rounds, I saw a gorgeous one in Primark, an off grey slip dress with cream lace at the neck for £13. Secondary to this, Primark (before lockdown in London) were selling some very wearable fine knitted, ribbed dresses, sleeveless with belts, mostly cream and greys. There were a few styles and these were so grey as transitional pieces for the season.

Lets talk oversized shirts, I wasn’t sure if they suited me, but of late I’ve found a new love for the oversized boxy look and Uniqlo do an incredible Linen blend shirt. It’s pretty long and an XS size goes a long way, but the shape is so flattering! I’ve dressed this shirt up with a pair of wide leg Armani silk trousers (I've found lots of these wide leg trousers in charity shops.

This little outfit planning and decisions over what to wear, alone, just for me has really been lifting my mood. Now I’m not saying it’s all got to be dressy dressy, but wear some stuff that makes you feel good. I know we can’t all be Bette Davis or Carol Lombard flocking around a mansion in full glam, (I mean maybe if you're a Kardashian) however, the aesthetic lives on.

I’ve read a lot about mental health in this current era of Covid-19 lockdown, and it can be really hard to focus on a positive future when all seems so uncertain. But control the smaller things that bring you joy. Personally mine is a good outfit and a short morning walk or jog to set the tone of the day right, and maybe run off the wine and pizza.

I would focus on the positive things that you have now, bring it right down to the base level of your happiness and purpose. We have all lost a little of this, worry about our employment, money & housing be that mortgages or rent, it can feel so overwhelming.

I wrote this in the hopes you’ll take a minute of self care and light day-dreaming like I did, at all the clothes and £100 shoes I don’t need but might bring me joy to print a picture of for me room. Maybe even watch one of these films, there’s a few great ones on Sky, Netflix & Amazon that will help you get in the glam, carefree mood and maybe take you somewhere else for an hour or so. Match your outfit to the mood, and get your self care vibe going.

Some brands to check out in lockdown for summer essentials: Sezane & Charles & Keith

Sezane

Sezane

Some other brands I looked at for this piece were Sezane - beautiful minimal French brand, they had small court shoes in a gorgeous dusty rose, parti-coloured and quite 30’s in shape. I think their shirts & spring cotton jackets are where they excel in both print and quality. Particularly the Nila Jacket in suede, and the blue print Wila Jacket, which has a classic shape and gorgeous french inspired print .

Charles and Keith are such a great, minimalist accessories brand, their shoes and bag collections are fresh and modern with class silhouettes, they've done some fabulous sling back sandals and cool toned boots. I loved the textures and clean prints, they do a lot of colour blocking and layered textures, often playing with leather and PVC. It's also brilliantly priced, you pay for the quality but its not extortionate.