I’ve begun reassessing my wardrobe entirely by picking out the pieces I wear most and ditching (or donating) the ones that rarely see the light of day. Comfort and wearability take total precedence right now. Gone are the days of splurging on extravagant outfits and unnecessary clothing purchases—at least for the time being—it’s now about finding outfits that make us feel good in trying times (and have maximum re-wear value). Until the day comes where we can dress up again, it’s back to good-quality basics that will never let us down.
But sartorial simplicity doesn’t mean ‘boring’. Instead, I’ve been picking out clothes that make me happy, while still adhering to the comfort I’ve been craving so badly. Though going out these days is a rarity, dressing nicely makes you feel good, and is often one of the easiest ways to combat those off-putting feelings we now know can creep up on you when living life in lockdown.
Without further ado, here’s how I’ve been reassessing my wardrobe choices during the past few months.
Making room for quality footwear
There are plenty of ways to remain comfortable and still look cool and put-together, and a lot of it has to do with footwear. You can wear pretty much whatever you want if your shoes are the eye-catching component of your outfit, and yes, trainers definitely fit that brief.
For me, ECCO’s soft, supple leather shoes are about as comfy and timeless as it gets. Case in point? The ECCO 8 sneaker, which blends minimalist design with highly innovative leather craftsmanship. To create its powder-soft, full-grain nappa leather, the brand uses ECCO DriTan™ Technology, a special treatment that sees minimal water waste and chemical use.
Rule to live by: nice shoes can make any outfit look good.
Making more space for comfy (but still cool) trousers
I can definitely vouch for the fact that reaching for your favourite pair of trackies (over something a little more presentable) is highly tempting during self-isolation. It’s a struggle that everyone has been feeling of late, and that’s perfectly OK, considering these are definitely odd and overwhelming times.
However, getting dressed during quarantine has made me appreciate the lasting value of comfortable, nice pants that can still be made to look formal—even when they’re not. When self-isolation is over, I’m looking at rattling down to just a few pairs of nice trousers, from suit pants to yes, tracksuit pants. I can never own enough pairs of tracksuit pants.
Getting rid of things that no longer serve a purpose
Marie Kondo’s famous mantra of only keeping things that ‘spark joy’ is definitely applicable to clothing, especially at a time like this.
Sure, some of the clothes we need to wear don’t always spark joy (you mightn’t be the kind of person whose face lights up when you look at a suit), but when it comes to your wardrobe basics, it’s a sentiment that should ring true.
The fun part is that sneakers and casualwear—including comfy ECCO trainers, for example, or your favourite pair of Levi’s jeans—serve more of a purpose now than ever, so personalise, accentuate your personality, and make it fun.
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