GEAR WE GO AGAIN
I was jumping for joy when I found pregnancy outfit
JEAN JOHANSSON Sunday Mail columnist and A Place in the Sun host
I’m a shopaholic. Anybody close to me knows this has been an affliction of mine for decades but the pandemic may have just provided the cure to my illness. Like most of us, I’ve had lots of spare time on my hands to get round to all the jobs I’ve been putting off. Mine was to sort out the bags and suitcases of clothes in the loft, which took me days but the process was so cathartic.
I enjoyed a trip down memory lane – visiting Ibiza in the late 90s, my children’s TV career in the Noughties and, of course, my WAG years, which featured all my worst fashion choices.
Among the crop tops and combat trousers (why were they ever a thing?), I found my beloved purple floral jumpsuit. It’s neither fashionable nor expensive but it’s my favourite as I wore it throughout my pregnancy. When I rediscovered it, I was so happy I could’ve cried and I haven’t taken it off during lockdown.
Just to be clear, I’m not pregnant again but it’s the most comfortable garment to pull on and lounge around in. I do yoga in it, I nip to shops wearing it and I’ve even slept in it. Reviving old clothes is fun but it has also forced me to look at my habits. There were dresses with tags still on and barely worn shoes, not to mention toe-curlingly expensive items that I’ve probably only worn once and then discarded.
It taught me a few things, namely that I was a fashion victim falling for every fad and trend going and I’ve spent an extortionate amount of money on clothes over the decades. And it’sts all been a waste.
Vogue editor Anna Wintour said the fashion industry “needs to have a look at what it stands for and what it should be” and I agree that cheap “fast fashion” could see a slow death in favour of a more sustainable option.
I love the idea of someone giving new life to something that I’ve p passed on and I think recycling and u up-cycling will become huge po post-Covid, as will rerenting clothes. Maybe M shopping ng lessles often and spendingspe a little moremor on something ng that will last for ever er – just like my fabulous ous jumpsuit. jumps
21 years ago. A recent survey by the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce found 35 per cent of women intend to buy fewer clothes once lockdown is over.
Another quarter said they were already recycling or reusing more clothes than normal.
Here, three fashion lovers tell how they have fallen back in love with some of their oldest clothes.