I haven’t managed to do even half of the things I was planning during isolation. I wanted to finally watch season 2 of You, learn to cook heaps of vegetarian dishes, watch all of The Godfather movies, get back into guitar-playing, read some of the most recent best-sellers, and build an award-winning island on Animal Crossing. But I’ve been so occupied with uni and trying to organise a life post-uni for myself that I haven’t had time to tick those items off my list. And obviously lamenting about unfulfilled experiences of leisure is an extremely privileged position to be in. But I think it demonstrates a common expectation that we are supposed to be packing our time with everything we can while we have the opportunity to do so. This is often unrealistic given how confusing this time is for our emotions.

In a time when our movements are restricted and we’re being bombarded with the  grim consequences of coronavirus, it can feel like everything’s out of our control. So in order to exercise some control during this time, I have diligently been getting up at a reasonable hour, showering, and putting on an outfit that I feel great wearing. I believe that there is significant power in what you wear and the energy you can obtain from an outfit. For some it has been an opportunity to completely detach from external pressures on our appearance, and to simply wear what we want and put in as little effort as possible. I truly appreciate the liberating effect that has had on people. But for me, making an effort to dress has been a motivating force that helps to make me as productive as I can on a daily basis.

This is similar to when I was restricted and bored during my hip operations. When I felt frustrated from my lack of mobility and inability to go places, I found that I could experience some respite and joy through dressing up. Fashion gave me focus and energy, as styling myself offered a creative outlet that in turn made me feel stronger.

I’ve continued to dress up on a Saturday night to mimic my routine when going out and it’s been a blast! My partner was so kind to take some silly flicks of last Saturday’s outfit. You would think from my outfit that I would be heading out to the clubs, but really I had to head to the kitchen to remove the cauliflower mac and cheese from the oven.

Dress: Kookai

Boots: Witchery 

Earrings: Things We Lost 

We put the music up loud, have a cocktail or two and have a little dance around the living room. It psychologically feels like a Saturday night when I put a dress on and slap on some make up. A part from giving us something to look forward to every weekend, it’s plenty of fun (although I am  looking forward to going out for real on a Saturday night in the foreseeable future). It’s amazing how fashion has the power to transform how you feel and even how you behave in any circumstance, and it is certainly true for me.

Thanks for stopping by! x