What to wear when you have nowhere to go.

No one could have imagined at the start of this year that we would be where we are today because of the COVID19 pandemic crisis.

It’s impacting all of us in direct and ripple effects daily. All sense of norm has gone; priorities and values have shifted as our lives revolve around staying at home, everyday. No makeup, no hairdos, PJ’s all day long if we want. It may even make us question why we put in so much effort previously to go out the door. Was it for others or was it for you? ‘No one’s going to see me now that I’m on homestay, so why bother?’

Here’s why. You matter, not what others think of you, but how you treat yourself. More than ever we need to stay positive anyway we can. Enclothed cognition is a real thing, when we wear clothes that make us happy, we perform better, we feel more positive and our spirits are lifted. Routine is also so important for metal health purposes. That little ritual of selecting and wearing clothes to show up in, as opposed to lounging around in any old garb because there’s ‘no point’ can actually elevate not just you but family members around you too.
It’s OK to spend all day in your yoga kit or gardening clothes providing you are doing yoga or gardening…elastic waists are amazing comfort givers but they don’t tell us if the pounds start to creep on!

If this staying at home is already familiar to you as you mainly WFH or are retired, not much may have changed in what you wear. But you might be feeling a bit deflated or stressed. In times of gloom, clothes can be a great source of comfort and even motivation to get on with things. If you're in need of a little pick me up, wear something in your favourite bright uplifting colour to boost your mood and re-energise yourself. Why not wear a great accessory that perhaps you would only wear when going out somewhere? Just because we are all at home doesn't mean we can't still dress for the day we want to create for ourselves.

You could even use the extra time in your day, no longer dashing here there and everywhere, to go another step further and experiment with your wardrobe? Think of the new outfits or looks you will have trialled, ready to wear out in the world again when this is over!

I’m always talking about only focusing on dressing your positives. Not putting your energy or thoughts into hiding your arms, tummy, bottom, thighs, whatever; instead making sure your focus is on parts of you that you like, or better still, love.

Dressing a positive doesn’t even need to be a body part, it can be that your clothing choices are sustainable or ethical. That’s a huge reason to make you feel great about what you are wearing! Combine the two and you are striking wardrobe gold.

My last piece of advice about what to wear when you’ve nowhere to go is perfume. Or a scented body lotion. Something mood enhancing or comfort giving. Chris Evans asked on his radio show, ‘what was the last non-essential item that you ordered online and do you regret it? Had you known it was the last item you were going to be ordering online would you have chosen something different?’

I racked my brain cells to try to think what it was, assumed it would’ve been herbal tablets for my dog Hamish and then remembered it was my favourite Donna Karan body lotion, a gift to myself! One that I had been dithering over ordering for over a year but finally pressed the buy button before this virus was a local story. I’ve been using it daily since it arrived and boy does it give me comfort and a smile as I catch a hint of the dreamy scent on me.

 Last little nugget of a reason to show that it’s still worth dressing up to stay in, how about organising a virtual coffee catch up? Or a Fizzy Friday? I’ve organised a video get together with six of my girl chums for Saturday night and included a dress code. It’s get your glad rags on – at least from the waist up! I’ll be the one rocking oversized earrings and smelling of Donna Karan.

Everyday is a day worth dressing up for, homestay or not.