2020: A YEAR LIKE NO OTHER

2020 - what can be said that hasn’t already? It’s the year that redefined ‘unprecedented’; when WFH wasn’t an opportunity to skive on a Friday, but a way of life; that brought people closer together (nothing like the inescapable closeness of being mandated to stay home) and also underscored the gulf of distance between others; it removed the notion of ‘popping to the shops’, purse and keys were now grabbed with mask and sanitiser; toilet paper was stockpiled and essentials were rationed; the best was seen of people, as was the worst; socialising became replaced with social-distancing and as the world went through change, great change was being fought for. 

It was a year without life’s distractions, one where priorities were reconsidered. Life was altered, unrecognisably and just as unexpectedly. We were all further apart, but the world was smaller than ever. Dealing with this new ‘normal’ individually, with a shared focus on survival. Social convention, etiquette and conformity, redundant and replaced with separation and anti-social behaviour encouraged. 

The release of social expectation could have been refreshing. The bubble of home life, especially during the heat of summer, could have been a good time in any other circumstance. Rediscovering the pleasures of domestic life. Attempting to bake, puzzle making, time spent with family as opposed to just cohabiting. It was a return to a simpler way of life, ironically at a time when life was more complicated then ever. 

It was a year when getting dressed was optional. Where pyjamas were transitional pieces to be worn day and night and dressing up involved trading plaid pjs for silk pjs. Where comfort was the prevailing motivator behind outfit choices. Where popular fashion consisted almost solely of sweatsuits. It was a year where desk dressing became a considered means of outfit formulation, (likened also to mullet dressing) with the lens of Zoom being the parameters to construct ones outfits within. 

It was a year where shoes became almost irrelevant, as slippers dominated and those few shoes that did actually make it outdoors were wholly practical, see the Birkenstock’s of summer and the UGGs of winter. Co-ordinating masks with outfits became a thing, as did clashing them, embracing them as accessory as well as all too necessary PPE. 

It was a year that’s now over, but the effects still being felt and look to be far reaching into the future. My thoughts aren’t fully formed. As I write I process further. I mourn the year that was and simultaneously wasn’t. I mourn for all those lost and for all those experiencing loss. I mourn for the businesses that were and are no longer. I mourn for the traffic jams and the discomfort of jam packed public transport. 

I mourn for careless embraces and awkward introductory handshakes. I mourn for unworn lipstick and a vocabulary void of maskne. I mourn for what has been the last year of my twenties and the fun that I had intended to have. But most of all I mourn for the time not spent with friends and family. 

But this year has also brought a lot of gratitude. I’m grateful for my family; for us getting through this together; for us taking it in turns to have bad days and sharing in the good days. I’m grateful for technology and the connections it has allowed us to maintain. I’m grateful for the kindness of strangers, for the courteous step aside, for smiles that reach the eyes and peer over masks. 

I’m grateful for my job and the ability to work remotely. I’m grateful for all of those who are unable to work remotely and have continued to put themselves at risk to save the lives of others, to those that staff essential shops, to those caregivers and teachers and transport workers. I’m grateful to those who worked tirelessly to create vaccinations. I’m grateful for nature and the walks it’s allowed us to take and fresh air it’s allowed us to breathe. I’m grateful for the humorous pauses afforded by memes and gifs and the levity of watching viral TikTok dances. I’m grateful for the escapism of Netflix’s binge-ability. 

It was a year that spoke of new beginnings, a new decade, full of promise. However, the symmetry of 2020 was at odds with the discordance that came with it. The double ‘0’ in 2020, like a pair of spectacles, magnifying life as we knew it, encouraging all to question what we thought we knew. Before the year begun, many spoke of 20/20 vision, the year that was to bring clarity. And even though it didn’t offer it in the way expected, many things have come into focus and should not be forgotten. 

It was the year that life carried on, but was refracted, splintered, resembling pieces of itself, but distorted enough to be unfamiliar. Same, similar even, but different. The masks that bedecked faces made strangers of everyone, only adding to the strangeness of times. It was the year that changed everything, because everything changed.

(Images via: Pinterest & @sarashakeel)

ARE STATEMENT TROUSERS THE ANSWER TO REAWAKENING PERSONAL STYLE?

Recently I wrote about the impact the pandemic has had on cultivating and maintaining personal style. After all, who needs style when you’re home bound? Getting dressed in anything other than pyjamas seems excessive and with only the kettle and dog for companion, redundant. 

The function of clothing beyond just that of modesty, has become insignificant. Yet despite dressing in sameness for much of last year, it has been as a consequence of the virus, as opposed to a conscious decision to affect change to my aesthetic. And so, as the new year begins, it’s got me to wondering if my hiatus of personal style can be reawakened through one choice item; the statement trousers.

Making a statement with any item of clothing has not been a priority of late. Rather the defining characteristic of this year has been comfort to compensate largely for the discomfort of circumstance. However, this has quickly become misappropriated as sartorial boredom. Whilst being comfortable is undeniably important, need that mean a desertion of style? 

Remaining predominantly indoors has meant that jeans are now considered ‘dressing up’, with most opting for stretchy items for day-to-day wear to allow for the stasis of lockdown life. Whilst these types of trousers are not in themselves boring, 10 months later the subsequent same outfits have become boring, and not even accessories can revive them.

Who has the inclination to finesse an outfit of fleece and spandex with accoutrements of any kind, anyway? Shoes are made redundant in favour of socks, the practical need of a handbag is removed completely and jewellery rotation is a rarity as favourites remain as if etched on to skin.

My reluctance to shed loungewear is further impeded by the predominant means of communication being over video conference. Thus outfits have been curated to fit within the parameters of a zoom call, which do not include ones bottom half. Waist up dressing has essentially made the aesthetics of trousers defunct. Rather they are purely practical, allowing for much sitting down and the occasional walk to the fridge. 

Whilst a simple change of top would bring about the variety that this year’s outfits have thus far lacked, my personal style is irrevocably tempered when coupled with my choice array of elasticated trousers. A crisp white shirt paired with pyjama bottoms, a ruffled blouse and sweatpants; professional up top, slob down below, all unbeknownst to anyone but the postman. 

Even if an ounce of personal style did manage to seep through, the necessity of a coat consequently envelops outfits whole, thus muffling any burgeoning style statement that may or may not have been made. However, the under appreciated canvases that are left exposed, are the legs, and thus, whatever the wearer decides to clad them in.

I therefore decided to substitute sartorial boredom in favour of statement trousers. So I began - tentatively at first - with the purchase (secondhand on eBay) of a pair of two tone Levis jeans; one leg white, one leg pale blue. Next, I rediscovered a long forgotten pair of white trousers replete with pastel hued stripes, and lastly, as the wont to embrace some kind of festive cheer became like an unshakable need to say eff you to 2020, I bought a pair of red, sequinned trousers (again from eBay). 

It soon became clear that the finding of a statement trouser was not the difficulty, rather it was how to adopt the statement to fit with ones personal style. All were ‘not your average’ trousers and thusly, all made a statement, but what made them wearable was their relaxed silhouettes. 

The Levi’s jeans were a classic straight leg cut that balanced the quirkiness of the two tone colourway; the cropped, oversized fit of the striped trousers, meant that they had a casualness befitting indoor living; and the loose-fit tailoring of the sequin trousers made them just as apropos for lazy days as it does for when socialising broadens to that of outside the home. 

Ultimately the statement trousers are a reminder that comfort dressing needn’t mean sartorial stagnation and dressing up doesn’t have to denote discomfort. As staying in becomes the new going out, the biggest sartorial statement of all is to counter the bleakest of times with the vibrancy of personal style. And I suggest starting with the trousers.

Photos via: whowhatwear.co.uk, teenvogue.com, @meganellaby, @mariannetheordorsen, styledumonde.com & glamour.es

DID THE PANDEMIC END PERSONAL STYLE?

Lockdown has left me in a sartorial stasis. Every morning the same garments are reached for - typically some old jogging bottoms and oversized turtleneck jumper. Having refused to invest in comfy clothes despite being predominantly marooned at home, and yet not having the gusto to muster getting in any way dressed up, has resulted in a drought of inspiration, and newfound feelings of guilt, for even lamenting my loss of personal style.

Dressing has always been intrinsically emotional for me. I have rationalised that this is why I am rubbish at packing for trips away, or why deciding upon outfits the night before has never proven successful for me. The resultant outfits feel wrong, never befitting my emotional/mental/hormonal state (or weather) of that day. Some days warrant clothing as armour, some days clothing is decoration, some days clothing is merely a requirement. But everyday is different. Or at least was different. Life at home eradicates many of the variables that previously formed my day, as merely inconsequential.

Recently this ‘going through the motions’ means of dressing has become the norm. Consistently getting up and seeing no one, has had somewhat of a devastating affect on my personal style. Something that until recently I had never doubted and had relied upon to buoy me through many a bout of self-doubt. As a young child, I was as inspired by my favourite pop stars’ outfits as I was by their lyrics.

Posh Spice’s LBD was one of the first looks I coveted, though appropriating said black dress was tricky being a child of six years old... As I grew up, I became obsessed with the uniformed colour ways of ‘Steps’ and terrorised my siblings and cousins with my insistence on monotone dressing whilst we performed their greatest hits. Luckily drawing inspiration from pop stars stopped before the age of Xtina’s chaps.

Though my tyrannical insistence on redressing family members petered out as I grew older, my way of dressing being informed by my interests and surroundings has long since continued. Until 2020 hit and life became a series of surviving various lockdowns and socialising from a distanced stance, all whilst navigating the ongoing threat of the virus. Regular inspiration had thus been removed, not dressing in relation or retaliation to anything other than what’s clean, seemed a pointless exertion of energy and set in the current circumstances, a little gauche. 

As much as I am still compelled by the same incentives (sequins, textures, jewellery etc), these seem incongruous with the current climate. The icy weather of past Decembers, would have previously been met with my leopard faux fur coat. However, the dust jacket has remained firmly placed, as the flamboyancy seems absurd when daily activities have a 6pm curfew and amount to little more than a trip to the supermarket, and on special occasions, a cafe. When life is so serious, it seems insensitive for fashion to be fun, rather a focus on practicality in all aspects of life seems appropriate.

Previously, external factors were internalised to create outfits that were visual interpretations of how I saw the world. Now, with the stimuli being only that of my imagination (which is informed daily by news inciting further fear and uncertainty), the outfits are purely perfunctory. Though fashion had always been a companion of comfort and at times a coping mechanism, it had now become estranged, losing it’s significance as anything other than a means of keeping warm.

Yet a story shared via Instagram asserted the idea of getting dressed for fun in any circumstance. It was an interview with Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, who was as brilliantly flamboyant and eccentric as I remembered him. He spoke of dressing up more in lockdown than he did before it, likening his and his family’s looks to those of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Most pertinently, he questioned the motives for getting dressed: to “hide your genitalia” or “to indulge yet another facet of your fascinating multi-hued personality?” 

I began thinking about my motives for dressing previous to the pandemic and whilst some were founded on practical considerations, predominantly it was what I fancied on any particular day. And though this has been tempered somewhat, the essence of what spurred my inspiration remains the same. I just needed to devise a means of reconciling my love of fashion with the current situation, in the hopes of resurrecting my flailing personal style. 

I continued to waver, until one day, I saw a girl wearing a cow print jacket whilst walking her dog. It was a perfectly mundane task, performed probably routinely, yet her outfit didn’t reflect the sameness of this action. Instead it was at total odds in its flamboyancy. And perhaps most surprisingly of all, my reaction to this outfit was not contempt that she dared wear something so contradictory to the setting we all find ourselves in. My reaction was one of joy - she brought a smile to my face.

This brazen statement of personal style awoke what had been laying dormant for the past 10 months; a wont to get dressed and not just for modesty’s sake, but because in spite of the pandemic raging on, life still needs to be lived. Things look gloomy enough, without the addition of morose fashions that do little but to remind of this era of covid. 

This cow print jacket reminded me that the smallest thing can bring about a reaction that offers a respite from the overwhelming uncertainty of now. Whether it induce a smile or a double take, or just the satisfaction of rekindling ones own personal style. And although an outfit won’t change the world - the news will still report on the devastation of this year whether I remain in my pyjamas or not - it may change your day, or even some else’s. 

(Photos via: Pinterest, @lucywilliams & @tamumcpherson)

SHOPPING RESPONSIBLY IN LOCKDOWN - CAN IT BE DONE?

Before the world fell into pandemonium, I had made the promise to myself to shop less and to shop more responsibly. With the circumstances that we have all found ourselves in, this choice has largely been removed, as job security and financial uncertainty has resulted in a reconsideration of priorities. 

Not to mention the fact that a large proportion of people are WFH so the need to get dressed, let alone dress up, has been reconfigured into something of a novelty, as opposed to a necessity. Buying new anything just isn’t that important. Plus the casual shopping experience has been periodically removed. No more wandering around the high street, buying based on fancy and whim. The tactility of shopping a memory as opposed to a reality. 

Of course the cathartic experience of shopping has not altogether been extinguished. Rather we scroll, not stroll now. However, this has meant that shopping is a predominantly solo undertaking. The opinions of others negated as the conversations around fashion have become soliloquised. The allure of free returns encouraging purchases regardless of how suitable or strictly necessary the item may be, it being all too easy to order en mass and deal with the consequences in 28 days time.

Though shopping has long been a pastime of weekend amblers, moseying about the high street in between lunch dates and coffee stops, (even those with a strict shopping list weren’t impervious to ‘just popping in’) and now with social activities condensed to a walk around the block, online perusing has become an easy means of killing time. The 24 hour availability (unlimited by opening hours) invites emotional purchases - being more likely to buy during times of great stress or late at night when tired and rationale lessened - therefore leading to unnecessary purchases. 

Shopping for me has therefore changed. This time away from my usual routine of weekend perusal of the high street, has resulted in far fewer purchases. I have never been one for internet shopping so this is a phenomena that I have had to learn. 

Many purchases remain forgotten in my shopping cart, as the act of standing in a physical line in a store speaks to a commitment to buy, whereas an online shopping basket allows for indecisiveness and thus abandoned items. Which isn’t a bad thing and has saved many a questionable purchase (do I really need light up cork screws??) 

The items that I have purchased, however, are far fewer than any other year previous and thus, far more memorable. Purchases were generally carefully considered, the impulse had been removed and replaced by a wont to invest both in quality and in items long sought after. 

Cashmere over polyester, vintage leather over plastic, designer over Topshop. All bought secondhand, meaning that despite the superior quality, financially, items were often cheaper than their high street counterparts. And although shopping online is not completely without consequence to the environment, shopping predominantly secondhand allows for responsible consumerism.

As uncertainty swells and lulls and then swells again, I take comfort in the search and acquisition of items through secondhand retailers (eBay & Vestiaire Collective being particular favourites). Perhaps it’s just a means of distraction (don’t we all need those right now?), maybe it’s just my way of reconciling my love of fashion with the in-built environmental impact of this industry? 

Regardless, streamlining my purchases has not only decluttered my life physically, but also mentally as the ethical baggage inherent to shopping has been alleviated somewhat. The priority being not necessarily to veto shopping altogether, but to shop better and therefore shop responsibly. Shopping secondhand allows this and as fashion is a cycle of rediscovery, many items are as trend-less as they are trendy. 

So as my fashion purchases lessen, my commitment to shopping secondhand grows. Here’s to ending the year on a high, with my clothing purchases on a low!

(Photos via: theurbanlist.com, vogue.com & vogue.fr)

UNLIKELY ICONS: BUFFY’S BAD GIRLS

Spending as much time at home as this year has largely mandated, has meant a reversion to past comforts, namely in the form of my viewing choices. Having embraced the Disney+ phenomena of early lockdown, I decided to immerse myself further in nostalgia and revisit a particular favourite of my teenage-hood, ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’.

Expounding upon the fashions of Buffy is hardly groundbreaking (myself having already written about it some years previous). However, in this instance it is the secondary characters that piqued my interest. 

They offer another branch of 90s fashion not typified by Buffy’s usual aesthetic. Buffy is the slayer, the saviour, sugar and spice with a stake as accessory. These, are the bad girls; villainous and their wears representative of that alternative perspective. Their looks are exciting and unexpected, with their sexiness reinforcing both their unattainability and their super human other worldliness (could you high kick in leather?) 

Faith

Faith cavorted on to our screens, with stories of wrestling in the nude and a lust for the kill. The antithesis of Buffy, riling against the cutesy twin-sets and ditsy floral midis, favouring forwardness over modesty. Faith’s rough edges as exposed as the barbed wire tattoo etched on to her skin. Her clothing a play between sexy and tough through a choice of perennially tight fitting leather trousers and muscle tanks. 

Faith’s introductory outfit (multi-coloured leather trousers and vest with matching detachable sleeves a la Calvin Klein) epitomises what was to become her choice aesthetic throughout the series. 

Even her rare, more reserved looks, were done so with sheer layers, more than just alluding to her super-human physique beneath. She works out in denim cut offs, patrols in boots not unlike those worn by every influencer the world over and dramatically vacated the show in an orange and white tie-dye top, reminiscent of the psychedelic swirls that have made up much of 2020 thus far. Faith: troubled, trailblazer, trendsetter.

Harmony

Harmony began as Cordelia’s clone/frenemy with her wears mimicking this dense characterisation. She did not begin as a whole, rather she was a representation of high school ‘mean girl’ and ironically only became substantiated as a complete character once she had died. And so she rose in a waft of bubblegum and puff of sparkle to become Buffy’s farcical nemesis.

Despite her rather morbid pastime, Harmony’s outfits disrupt the villain archetype. She eschews dark colours that would allude too closely to her true nature. Adopting instead a sunshine aesthetic (golden hair, luminous skin); an ironic and unexpected connotation  considering the fatal consequences daylight has to a vampire’s physiology. 

Harmony is a seductress, the allure of danger played out in her contradictions: protruding teeth peeking out amongst her feather boa, bold colours set against her chalky parlour, slinky fabrics illuminated by the moonlight. Barbie personified, frequenting graveyards and thus creating quite the incongruous visual. Her red lips the rare signifier of her innate danger, perfectly coordinating the imminent spill of blood.  

Glory

And lastly, the demi-god, Glory. A raging maniac clothed in the fashionings of a teenager. Glory’s looks have the dual purpose of differentiating her from the human she cohabits and cultivating a look of stereotypical beauty, because a leggy blonde couldn’t possibly be evil, right? Glory’s ready for dinner at 6pm and end of the world at 9pm.

Dressed as the poster girl for 90s fashion, Glory’s clothes are a facade used to establish an image of hyper-femininity and thus unthreatening, helplessness - an appearance at complete odds with her sociopathy. Yet despite her undeniable evil, her clothing is unquestionably good.

The shift dresses, slip dresses and midi dresses, enviable in their chic timelessness. As much as you’re frightened of her, you also want to be her (or at least dress like her). Leaving your brain as scrambled as if she’d drained your mental energy (her favoured party trick). This havoc wreaked all while dressed in varying shades of vivid crimson, pillar box, ruby and scarlet red. A colour provoking passionate emotions that have the propensity for destruction - the very definition of Glory. 

Though fashion doesn’t negate their murderous, megalomaniac tendencies, their wears are too good to be eclipsed by them being bad. Though these girls have dubious motives for many of their actions, their refusal to abide by any rules translates to their bold clothing choices; risk-filled characters adopting risqué wears (ever back flipped in an unsupportive camisole bra-less? - risky). 

Their aesthetic in the midst of the worlds end (though usually brought about by themselves) is eerily inspirational in amidst the current climate, when getting dressed (let alone dressing up) seems like a great feat. So may we all live in Faith and Harmony and experience Glory. And more importantly, may we all adopt their fashion prowess (minus the rotten to the core evil). 

(Photos via: bustle.com, screen rant.com, buffyverse.com and @buffythestyleslayer)

The 411 ON INTERESTING THINGS

So far this year has been one that has brought about wide scale panic and has encouraged many things to be reconsidered, from who makes the cut for ones ‘bubble’, to how much toilet paper one household actually needs. But amongst the darkness there has been light, albeit fleeting, and it is in these moments that I have decided to take sanctuary.

So here we find ourselves at my little collection of nonsense, because this year has also given us some of the most surprising pop-culture news; with the Kardashians calling it quits, WAP being released (and the many inventive remixes that followed) and Estée Lauder having had enough of this world and leaving for another...

Read on to discover things that will enrich you with nothing more than a mere respite, but isn’t that all we really need right now?

Footwear Made for Zoom

Few could have predicted many of the events of this year thus far. The erratic circumstances of which have spawned some unusual trends, one being that of Emily Ratajkowski making UGGs cool. This truly is the year that fashion forgot, the bottom half. Zoom calls and WFH have encouraged dressing from the waist up, because out of sight (or at least out of camera shot) out of mind. WFH warrants comfort and what is more comfortable than the fleecy caress of an UGG boot? 

Forgetting their noughties popularity, (when they were oft seen paired with some sort of velour tracksuit), UGGs are to winter what Birkenstock’s were to summer. And though they make your feet look like hooves, you can take comfort in knowing that no one can see you. And in other resurrections from the noughties, Bella Hadid was seen wearing Jane Norman, cementing, yet again, the strangeness of this year. 

Podcasts are my WFH Colleagues

I would like to say that I’ve been using this time to work my way through the extensive collection of books that clutter my bedside. However, that would be untrue and if I can’t be honest on my very own blog, then where can I be? I have, instead, spent this time devouring podcasts.

A favourite companion during the entirety of lockdown being ‘My Favourite Murder’ - whilst I take no comfort in hearing the misfortunes of others - the true crime genre is morbidly addictive. Another less niche (or perhaps polarising) favourite is ‘The High Low’; a podcast that talks about what’s trending on Twitter with the same reverence as they talk about the Trump Administration, (a particular favourite talking point being whether Neil Buchanan, of Art Attack fame, is the illusive Banksy). And lastly, my newest discovery, Vogue’s podcast, ‘In Vogue: the 1990s’ exploring the time when “fashion and mainstream culture collided”, beginning with the advent of the Supers and the transition from glamour to grunge. Next up fashion and the American dream... 


The Hidden Fashions of WFH

Currently fashion is all about outfits put together in response to what can be seen within the parameters of a computer screen. However, it seems that it is still possible to have fashion moments while in view of unsuspecting colleagues with open back dressing. The back is an erogenous zone rarely exposed during working hours. And embracing what is essentially mullet dressing, under the gaze of a Monday morning staff meeting, is a perk among few other perks. Backless is quite literally, business in the front, party in the back and it’s a party with a very exclusive guest list (namely the dog and I). 

There is also another phenomenon derived from desk dressing; midriff flossing. A word and trend forged during lockdown and one not immediately obvious as to it’s meaning. Namely it’s a midi skirt with ties at the waist that are wound around ones midriff, ergo floss. It’s an ode to dressing and undressing, a subtle sexiness, all hidden beneath desk level. 


Talk the Talk

Usually being told what not to do, is met with resentment and an eye roll. However, this article posits the benefits of nixing certain words due to the behavioural connotations that they promote. Some of which have an unknowingly damaging affect as they can convey a weakness of character (for example ‘sorry’ when the circumstance doesn’t warrant an apology) or diluting a message with a qualifier that only adds to belittle one i.e I just work in an office. 

This lexicon of self deprecation that we can all unknowingly fall victim to when navigating certain issues and definitely when dealing with email etiquette - god forbid someone think you’re actually asking for what you want! Read on for the semantic substitutions that will ensure a conveyance of confidence, even when it’s not always felt.

Uniform Dressing

Being largely at home has resulted in some unusual sources of inspiration, the latest being school uniforms. I spent much of my adolescence subverting the basic principles of uniformity that schools uphold. Whether it be stacked bracelets hidden under shirt sleeves, brightly coloured socks  brazenly flouting the black sock rule, or bedazzling my school tie with a Claire’s Accessories array of badges. It was a time that once out of, I never thought I would ever re-enter.

Yet, here I am, an adult about to posit the fashion credentials of re-embracing the very wears I couldn’t wait to discard at the end of every school day. The irony of opting to embrace a uniform during a time of WFH and the freedom this affords ones appearance, is not lost. Yet, here we are, swotting up on the high fashion appeal of collegiate clothing. 2020, go figure, right?

And because enough is never really enough, here’s a round-up of further interesting things. If you have ever wondered the genesis of the feud between two of SATC’s most beloved characters, see this handy timeline; they’re thinking of changing the official age of adulthood; Kate Moss’ daughter, Lila Grace walked her first show; Paris Hilton shatters the ‘dumb blonde’ facade in new documentary and dust your glitter ball off because Strictly Come Dancing is back with some much needed sparkle. Cue classic Claudia one liners!

(Photos via: refinery29.com, vogue.com, editorialist.com, coveteur.com)

THE JOURNEY OF LOCKDOWN AS TOLD THROUGH MY SHOE PURCHASES

It was recently my birthday and as I am wont to do around this time, I began to reflect on the last year, which has largely been overshadowed by the pandemonium that has been this past six months. Much like simultaneously running a marathon and a sprint - both through thick mud - Covid 19 has made life strange and the concept of 'normal' a rather fluid one. 

It has been marked by many an episode of overwhelming anxiety, uncertainty and a desperate need to re-evaluate life BP (before pandemic). However, and on a lighter note, whilst reflecting, I realised that my footwear proclivities and footwear expenditures  over this time, closely correlated with the specific phases of lockdown. And so, as a light reprieve from the doom and gloom of now, I decided to write about it.

0 - 2 Months
At the very beginning of lockdown, purchases were *almost solely essential (*does chocolate count as essential?). So much was unknown  that it seemed irresponsible to indulge in materialism. However, from month 2, the novelty of WFH had dissipated, the comfort and connection that Zoom quizzes had afforded had now become weekly reminders of my utter lack of general knowledge and though socialising was all but suspended, social anxiety was heightened. 

Therefore, I decided to ease my spending ban. Indulgence seemed a way to incentivise the 'keep trudging on' mentality that had faltered and that I was desperate to re-foster. However, purchases still felt like they needed to be sensible. Therefore, I decided  that my first footwear expenditure would be a pair of black trainers that I had been fancying and reasoned would help facilitate my efforts of daily exercise. They also felt like walking on clouds which greatly eased the heaviness of life at the time.

2 - 4 months
In hindsight this was a transitional period. Routines developed and life happened mainly indoors. My slippers became worn through and I realised that one can be too comfortable. The concept of loungewear had become redundant, having instead morphed into a life uniform, worn for socialising (via Zoom), to work (remotely) and then for its intended purpose of actually lounging. I chose to swap out athleisure for comfortable workwear pieces - oversized shirts, black trousers with a necessary amount of stretch and boxy t-shirts and boyfriend jeans on Fridays (casual Fridays can still be a thing, right?)

Though predominantly seen from the waist up, I decided that upgrading my slippers was integral, not only to the overall look, but also to the ambience of 'being in work', that I was trying to cultivate. Which is how I found myself eeny, meeny, miny, moe-ing over which Birkenstocks would befit my WFH overhaul. I decided upon the Arizona Eva style which is the shoe embodiment of your most comfortable pair of slippers, with the aesthetic appeal of cool girl nonchalance. The perfect remedy to the WFH boredom that had begun to set in.

4 - 6 months
At this time, life seemed to be easing into 'normality', as lockdown was loosened and socialising was reintroduced (responsibly and generally at a distance), with families reunited and friends meting IRL for catch-ups filled with gossip and love. The rendezvous and shin-digs that had previously been postponed, were now being rescheduled en masse. There were now places to go and people to see. The giddiness of which went straight to my head and manifested itself upon my feet.

Though up until this point, purchases had centred around practicality, socialising of any sort deserved footwear befitting the excitement of the occasion. I thus happened upon two pairs of shoes that perfectly embodied this zeitgeist - a two tone pair of heeled mules in black and yellow and a neon green pair of strappy heeled sandals. Both specific and unlikely to be given daily wear. However, they offered the much needed pep in my step that had all but disappeared over the months of strict lockdown.

Present
The over-excitement that I experienced over leaving the house and the accompanying shoe purchases that this commanded, may have been short-lived, as restrictions are set to be re-imposed in Wales, leaving how future socialising is to be managed, uncertain. While new purchases are unlikely, as I dust off my Birkenstocks and brace myself for what is to come, I did receive a pair of shoes as a birthday present - the Adidas Stan Smiths. 

Despite these shoes having plagued the Normcore era and oversaturated the fashion industry in sameness thusly, I have long coveted them as the wear anywhere, go with anything, foundational shoe that I had been without. Though I may not be presently wearing them as much as I had envisaged, it's of no consequence to these timeless trainers. 

And lastly, because my birthday made me do it, I received a discount code for H&M which I promptly used on a pair of black strappy heeled sandals. Though the possibility of money off, is what actually made me commit to the purchase, a black sandal is essentially the Stan Smith of heels, in that it goes with anything and can be worn anywhere. Which I promise to do, as soon as life allows and socialising resumes once more.

Therein lies my round up of lockdown as told through the purchases of my footwear. Though this year has very much highlighted what I consider to be truly important to me (all of which cannot be bought), I have realised that treating oneself in whatever way best soothes and encourages one, is also of importance. Be it an overpriced coffee, another ornament of no use, an artfully placed plant that’s aesthetic appeal outweighs the more than likely death it will suffer, or, as in this case, a pair of shoes. A little pick-me-up, because who doesn’t need picking up every now and again.

(Images via: Pinterest, footwearnews.com, Glamour.com, @meganellaby & unknown)