5 Staying in-in? Crack the new dress code
ISN’T IT IRONIC? Despite being confined to our homes, many of us are socialising more than ever. Thanks to the likes of House Party, Zoom and Facetime, our social calendars are filling up fast. In fact, it seems the new humblebrag to drop is how exhausted you are from all that virtual mingling.
Of course, connection is precious. And what this technology offers us is not just a chance to connect with each other, but also with our pre-lockdown wardrobes. Naturally, there’s a temptation to live in your pyjamas at the moment, but the joy of dressing up should be embraced now more than ever. Scrunchies and a three-days’-worn bed tee are not the new black tie. At least not yet.
So what should you wear for logging on? Well, it’s all about the waist up. Go bold: supersized earrings, powerful shoulders, zingy colours. Gla-more, more, more. Use this time to trial those pieces you’ve never quite mustered the confidence to give a spin in the real world. ‘Anything colourful, fun and sparkly goes!’ says Mytheresa’s fashion buying director Tiffany Hsu, who recently attended a virtual birthday party for her friend Bryanboy, complete with wigs and karaoke. ‘Add a bit of make-up – you don’t need it perfect because the camera is blurry most of the time, let’s face it.’
While slobby isn’t your aim, comfort can still play a role. The benefit of this new not going out-out is that you can enjoy dressing up minus the annoying bits: no need for heels you can’t walk in or control pants that require yogic breathing to get into. As Tiffany says, ‘I love to combine a cashmere jumper with jewellery and pyjama pants.’ Daisy Hoppen, founder of DH-PR, celebrated her birthday last week with a digital pub quiz and 25 friends, including Laura Jackson and Shrimps’ Hannah Weiland. ‘I decided that even though I was home alone and didn’t know when I might get out again, I’d wear one of my favourite dresses – a long gold number by The Vampire’s Wife – and put on some high Manolos,’ says Daisy. ‘Which I then exchanged as the quiz went on for my Celtic slippers.’ Don’t you wish that was always an option?
Embracing glamour and drama from the confines of your own home offers a jolt of much-needed joy. By revelling in fantasy we are plugging into reality. ‘I have been trying to do things to retain a sense of normality, like still dressing up to help myself feel good when I meet virtually,’ says Henrietta Rix, co-founder of Rixo, who is continuing the company’s ‘Friday Fizz’ ritual on Slack. ‘I have never really dressed for anyone else – always for myself, to make me feel the best I can. As I wake up each day, I put on what I feel the best in. I’ve got our Zadie dress in three prints and that’s all I’ve been wearing at the moment, as it’s easy to throw on, comfortable and I feel great in it. Dressing up can really change how you feel. Even simple actions like this can bring a little bit of joy during this tough time.’
With our homes now becoming an arena for everything – work, rest, play – dressing up also affords you an opportunity to delineate between on-duty and off. If you stay in your pyjamas all day and night, you’re blurring the lines and not doing either properly. ‘You might as well feel special everyday,’ says Daisy. ‘Changing my outfit to evening attire did give me a feeling of structure to my day.’ Self-care is essential right now: the vital jumping-off point for helping others is feeling together in yourself. A pair of gobstopper earrings or a fabulous top might not change the world, but it’s not a bad place to start.