Written by Sara Fender
“Fashion is a movie. Every morning, when you get dressed, you direct yourself.”
-Thierry Mugler
As Covid-19 continues to wreak havoc outside my front door and life continues to change in ways I never imagined, I find myself having to make some financial decisions. Most recently, debating on whether to cancel Hulu Live or my Rent The Runway (RTR) subscription.
After debating with my cat and making several pro/con lists, the fashion girl inside of me won. Bye Bye Hulu Live! Some might find that decision materialistic, but I disagree. I’ve never needed a self-esteem boost more. I cannot keep wearing sweatpants wandering around the house aimlessly. In my defence, they are tie-dye sweatpants; I’m still keeping up with the latest trends, even in quarantine.
But, that aside, I miss getting ready for work. I miss picking out looks for a night out with friends and, my personal favourite, my weekly brunch outfits. I need to get back to a routine, and part of that routine is getting dressed for the day. As well as unfortunately, setting an alarm.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m still sleeping in by normal standards, but that traumatizing sound that comes out of my phone in the morning signals to me it is time to stop laying around wallowing (while watching mind-numbing television and scrolling through social media) and that it is time to get out of bed and start living. So I do.
I get up and work out in my living room. Maybe it’s a 30-minute yoga class or 15 minutes of cardio or an hour dance class. It doesn’t really matter as long as I get up, get out of my head and move. I follow that up with about 15-20 minutes of meditation and journaling. These are both activities I’ve never really participated in until now and sometimes, it’s more zoning out and writing grocery lists, but I find the act of sitting down with intention, essential to my mindset for the day. Next up on the schedule is breakfast and a shower (finally!) and my favourite part of the day – getting dressed.
Today I’m torn between the white Aidan Mattox red lip sequin mini dress or the Paco Rabanne leopard print sheath dress, both courtesy of RTR (and no, they are not paying me to say this, unfortunately). Sequins win the debate. I pair it with black boots, throw a black leather jacket on over my shoulders, a black face mask and head to the grocery store.
My afternoons are a mix of looking for and trying new recipes, social media, writing, scouring the job boards, zoom calls with friends, projects around the house, and maybe a nap. After dinner, I put in my AirPods and head out for a walk before coming home to hang out with the cat and watch some Real Housewives.
When I finally crawl into bed I make a loose schedule for the next day, complete with options for wardrobe, not a pair of sweatpants in sight – except on Sundays – I still wear my tie-dye sweats on Sundays while I sit on the couch, catching up on 90 Day Fiancé, eating granola and drinking mimosas. Brunch may look a little different these days but it is still my favourite part of the week, sweatpants and all.
