I miss clothes.
There, I said it.
I miss being able to over-dress at the park, or plan outfits for monthly date nights. I miss having “occasions” and the coveted but rare alone days in the city where I could wear whatever pieces had been neglected for too long due to my strange need to “fit in” in my little mountain town. (More on that later…).
I miss it and I can’t wait for the day when things feel a bit more normal and my favorite clothes can be seen by more than just my couch and my three children who are lucky to be dressed at all.
It’s a seemingly selfish pleasure — fashion — but for those of us who relish in the act of getting dressed; for those of us who express our moods or feelings or self-confidence through what we wear, having to stay home all the time puts a damper on that passion.
Strange times we are in when brands have to tweak their marketing campaigns in a matter of days to market the same product, but make it seem “perfect for home”. To anyone who sells anything other than leggings or tee-shirts, I’m sure these marketing campaigns seem half-hearted; an attempt to keeping selling clothes to people whose lives have radically changed.
But as someone who has never conformed to the “work from home uniform” or even enjoyed wearing leggings and a tee (unless I’m doing yoga), getting dressed in the morning, in clothes that seem all too impractical or fancy for my “real life” is my trademark.
Do I get dressed for others, or do I get dressed for myself?
It’s a question I ask myself daily. Especially as I encourage my girls to play in the dirt in their dresses, build forts in their princess clothes, explore in whatever makes them feel beautiful and playful.
Why should I have different standards for myself? Whether I’m working from the couch, making coffee for passersby, or adventuring downtown…I want to feel beautiful and playful and like myself in whatever I’m wearing. Regardless of whether it “meets the standards” for whatever it may be.
I can clean the Tiny Home in a flowy dress. I can meet with clients in a crisp button down and a pair of linen pants from the comfort of my couch. I can make coffee for customers with a face mask AND my favorite floral top. We aren’t to succumb to the loss of personality or expression just because our surroundings might be repetitive or dress-code free.
And the beautiful thing is that what feels like an authentic outfit for your new normal will be different for everyone. You might feel most yourself in a pair of jeans and a college tee. You might love feeling comfortable and ready to move in athleisure. It might change depending on the day or the weather or your mood. Regardless, my challenge to you is to dress for yourself in this season.
Although today I’m wearing jeans, my Pamut Apparel Simone Top from last summer, a cozy cardigan and slippers, the day I shot these photos wasn’t any more special or busy than this rainy, moody Monday. When I shot my new Pamut Hanna Top though, I felt like pattern mixing, and channeling a beach vacation with my thrifted Friends of Friends sunhat and thrifted skirt. The sun was shining, we spent the day outside working on Aj’s newest project with a glass of wine in hand, and it was glorious.
Both occasions are valid, and on both, I dressed for my mood instead of what might have been “expected” of a stay at home/work from home/dress for home mama of three.
What do those expectations look like for you? How do you consciously get dressed everyday? I’d love to hear if these subconscious rule affect you too.
I’m forever grateful to brands like Pamut Apparel, who you might remember from last summer as I was re-learning my style and dressing a postpartum body that felt a bit foreign. Kat, the one-woman-show behind the North Carolina brand, designs clothing for all women (her inclusive sizing is a beautiful thing), that can be worn anywhere. Feminine but relaxed, effortless and structured. The Hanna Top that I’m wearing above is a hemp/cotton blend, so I don’t have to worry about chemicals, shrinkage, or wear and tear as the fabric gets softer with each wash. Pamut uses only organic and plant based fibers and her pieces fit my “minimal boho” style so well.
I truly feel like myself when I wear them, and slowly but surely, that’s becoming my only “dress code” rule that matters.
*Thank you to Kat & Pamut Apparel for sponsoring this post. As always, all opinions, creative direction, and imagery are my own. Thank you to YOU, my sweet readers, for supporting the brands that make this space possible. Until 5/25 use the code Simplyliv20 for 20% off your Pamut Apparel order*
