A new perspective
I used to travel every month for work. In fact, I was at Paris Fashion Week in early 2020 when news broke out that a Covid-19 positive attendee was at the same Yves Saint Laurent runway show I was at.
Those were still early days of the pandemic, so aside from buying a bottle of hand sanitiser (but no masks!), life went on as usual in Paris. When I returned to Singapore, I was in a selfimposed quarantine (this was before it was mandatory) for two weeks, just in case.
Shockingly, I found that I actually enjoyed not stepping out of the house at all. I became a lot more focused while working since there were no distractions, and I started eating healthier because I cooked more instead of dining out. Little did I know that this would become the new norm in less than a month.
Sometime in 2021, I started to feel a little bit antsy and well, angsty. I loved working at home (and I still do), but I began feeling increasingly frustrated by the dining restrictions and inability to travel. Very #firstworldproblems, I know.
Despite being very much a homebody, I craved human connection, and realised that travel, whether for work or play, was my “reset” button. I missed the long stretches of time on the plane where I could dream up exciting ideas, and the inspiration that naturally comes with new experiences, places and people.
Without an outlet for release, I grew anxious over time. In fact, the World Health Organisation (WHO) reports that the global prevalence of anxiety and depression grew by a staggering 25 per cent during the first year of the pandemic.
I coped by shopping for home items and rearranging furniture, much to the chagrin of my longsuffering husband. I had Zoom “parties” with friends, practised deep breathing, and most importantly, started dressing up.
Yes, you read that right. Instead of schlepping day in and out in home clothes, I decided to wear my nice things. And wow, what an incredible mood booster that was!
One of the biggest fashion trends predicted for 2022 is dopamine dressing – and for good reason. Fun outfits can have a good psychological effect on us, so check out our positively colourful fashion (page 42) and beauty (page 74) stories if you need some inspiration.
If you’re reading this, this is your sign to put on your fancy dresses. I hope it brings you joy.