Dressing with revenge but remaining comfy………….and that’s ok!

This blog is to provoke conversation about post lockdown fashion and how we, as women, want to look but how we also want to feel.

There is no denying that through the pandemic and endless months of lockdown most of us have got used to an element of comfort, working from home in lounge wear and swapping the court shoes for slippers. However, we do have to question how did this effect our mental health? Admittedly there is no greater feeling than looking in the mirror and thinking “well hello there”, adding the finishing touches of styled hair and a touch of makeup. Like it or not making an effort does tend to give you that feel good vibe.

But there didn’t seem a great deal of reason for the majority of women in lockdown to make that effort, uber casual fashions stormed and t-shirts and leggings were worn most days along with a range of loungewear more expansive than before, neon’s, pastels, vibrant designs with lockdown slogans. Our feel-good vibe then turned to ‘wow this is comfy’.

Then came the boredom, the restlessness, the only thing we could truly indulge in was binge eating and Netflix and the takeaway treats went from occasionally to a regular delivery at the door. With this comes what we now refer to as lock down pounds. And my goodness do we witness everyday in the shop our lovely customers beating themselves up about these added lockdown gains.

Through the years of having the shops it has become burningly apparent that as women we are own biggest critics, always focusing on the negatives of our bodies instead of the positives and this has been enhanced by the pandemic. Endless hours on social media viewing the perfect bodies on Instagram, appreciating what we see but mentally berating ourselves at the same time. But and this is a big but, we have just lived through such a strange and unprecedented time and it is ok and perfectly normal that the majority of us have all changed physically through this. In the grand scheme of things if you are lucky to come through the pandemic with your health and a few extra curves than in my eyes that is a big win.

Going back to the title of this article and dressing with revenge; our customers particularly showing an interest, almost a need, in embracing a desire to feel feminine. This summer has been maxi dresses galore, in floral prints and shirred waists to give us that added feminine feel-good factor. Customers will joke and say it hides a thousand sins but actually that length of beautiful fabric makes us feel beautiful, the slightly shirred waist enhancing our figures and not focusing on our hips or our tummy’s which seem to be the main point of focus. The floral but vibrant prints indirectly dismiss the fear we all felt for Covid and shows the world we are going to enjoy life again.

So as with most things in life fashion adapts and that’s where the comfy element comes in. The most notable change is the “pair of white trainers”, does anyone reading this not own a pair of white trainers? I will be honest if you asked me 5 years ago to put on a pair of trainers with a beautiful maxi dress I would have insisted a pair of wedges or sandals would be the perfect compliment but post pandemic it is the go to style of footwear. Nearly two years of not wearing heels for the majority of women, has it changed us? Do we put on a pair of stilettoes and wish for our slippers? Again this is ok, because every time you look in the mirror it is you looking back at yourself, your outfit is all about you and not what an 18 year old model is wearing on Insta. Its about you and it is good to want to feel comfortable.

So ladies, I implore you to embrace your wonderful bodies, your bodies that go through so much due to us being women. Childbirth to menopause and everything before and inbetween they really are amazing. Embrace your body and inject some selflove because these bodies of ours deserve it and if you want to make changes then make sure those changes are for you and not because of the pressures of society.

Seize the post pandemic fashions and feel good for you.