From Newsletter Issue 226.
On getting dressed again.
I found myself in a bit of a frenzied state before our vacation to Charleston last week (our first trip in a while). I couldn't figure out what to wear and pack. What is even in style anymore? Do I still like nap dresses? Can I pull off a crop top as breezily as the Gen Z influencers I follow? Should I just give up and pack leggings and sweats?
I ended up finding a happy-medium: I mostly packed easy, breezy dresses I rented to feel dressed up but still comfortable. I also packed a matching sweatshorts set, which is my answer to still wanting to hold onto the “standby-sweatpants-of-yore” feel while still looking presentable in the summer.
Now that I'm re-emerging back into the world, I'm thinking a lot about clothes, my personal style, and getting dressed. A silver lining of quarantine was saving money I would've otherwise spent on clothes. I mostly wore the same 4 or 5 sweatpants and leggings on rotation, with a pullover on top. “Who needs fashion?!” I thought I cracked the code. I was done with the ol' circus of succumbing to the latest trends and dumping most of my disposable income on them.
Fast forward to now and I'm feeling differently. I'm excited by the prospect of “getting dressed!” After slogging through quarantine, it's thrilling to try on new styles and it’s nice to feel put-together! As far as I can tell, there are no clear-cut style "trends" right now, so anything goes — I'm free to experiment. I'm gravitating towards bold colors, patterns, and prints. A one-shoulder top? Sure. Plaid halter? Say no more.
Most importantly though, it feels like I'm getting dressed for myself and my own enjoyment, not to appease anyone else (or even social media). I needed to go through this period of mostly-isolation to get to a mindset of personal style as truly that: personal, and not performance. Not caring as much what others think. Is getting dressed...fun again?
How are you thinking about getting dressed right now? Is it a challenge to transition out of “soft pants?” Or maybe you haven't? What types of clothes are you gravitating towards? Here are some of our readers’ answers on our IG. Have a great weekend!
— Alisha Ramos, founder/editor at GNI