Dress For Success: Quarantine Edition
Your recommended dose of Closet Catharsis
You gotta get dressed, okay?
Hello. This is an article written by me– a person who has been in her pajamas for 5 days straight until, on the 6th day, she got half-dressed. But only so she could try filming her first TikTok video which, like this article, is also about getting dressed.
Am I living a lie?
No! I am like you–recently forced into a life of hermitude, much of which consists of re-learning lessons I thought I already knew. I thought I was smart enough to not click over to the news more than twice a day. I also thought I was smart enough to not do the majority of my work from bed. And I really really thought I was smart enough to sartorially pull myself together on a daily basis. But dang pandemic, you really pulled one over on me!
Part of this is written as a selfish declaration: “Yes! From this day forward I vow to get at least half dressed everyday!”, you might have heard me shout defiantly from my open bedroom window (sound travels far these days, thanks to reduced street traffic). I am officially ready to walk-the-walk, or in this case, sit-the-sit with occasional strolls to the fridge. I hope you’re still reading, because the rest of this post benefits YOU dear reader, in that it’s a reminder of just how important dressing is to our daily livelihood.
Sometimes I feel radical out here preaching the benefit of fashion as though it were part of a healthy diet, but I truly believe that personal style is nutritious. Especially when it’s delicious. Looking good is good for us because it elevates our self image, which fuels positive results in our lives.
It’s as easy to plummet down a depression slide or get whipped into an anxiety spiral in our current situation, as it is for me to overuse action metaphors because I miss having reasons to leave the house and move my body. But, if we wish to manifest a sense of semblance right now, we can start by getting dressed in a look that makes us feel positive. Even when we don’t. Dressing up today in a way that makes you feel good won’t cure coronavirus, but it will help to stifle the quarantine blues.
What reality do you want to manifest for yourself during your extended stay at home? Bravery? Professionalism? Peacefulness? Optimism? Believe me when I say, the uniform for each of these is hiding in your closet.
Look, Superman couldn’t even begin to unleash his “super” on the world without first pulling on his super outfit. Your super outfit might not involve a cape (though honestly, you really oughta consider it), but it will give you the confidence to stop playing small today and start being a total badass, even if the only one who gets to see you in action is your pooch.
Starting today, I want you to peel yourself off the couch, pull on your favorite sweater, style your hair, look in the mirror and tell yourself “I can make it through this”. Because even though “this” isn’t forever, making the best of it starts with making the best of you.
