Fashion

Dressing up is the rule…

Valerie McPhail
MSMU Class of 2015

(6/2020) ... not the exception.

Once a week, my family and I take a drive in my sister's car. She takes captain, and I’m riding shotgun, while my niece and nephew sit in the passenger seats behind us. As we assume our positions, I find it's not the destination of the trip that interests me on these journeys to fulfill our self-care needs with fresh produce from the local fruit and vegetable stand or a midday treat of McDonald's takeout. Instead, it's the clothes we wear along the way that takes heed.

I approached these trips in the same way I approached my work from home uniform: printed Nike running shorts, graphic tees, and Tevas. In New York, WFH meant Outdoor Voices leggings and platform trainers. However, in Miami, this mindset doesn't translate. I found myself in a car of denim fashion, Michael Kors flats, A-line dresses, and sparkly tap shoes. Even my nephew, dressing in cargo shorts, dri-fit tees, and high-top sneakers, distinguishes his wardrobe from going out to staying home. The stubborn New Yorker in me took a long time to realize that perhaps Miami was bringing color to my life. I became inspired by my young niece's embrace for fashion, and my sister's prompting to raid her closet for cotton jumpsuits and maxi dresses. I was starting to fall in love with fashion again. This could be the healing quality missing from my quarantine.

The sentiment in dressing up is familiar to me. Nostalgia for the days I planned my outfits rather than throwing pieces together and hoping that fate would orchestrate my wardrobe into a comfortable outfit. As a young girl, I remember a sense of security in establishing my own fashion rules. Victoria Secret leggings served a function for exercise only, and I'd confidently sport an Old Navy tote bag around the house despite staying home. Appreciation for the beauty of embroidered butterflies and lavender tones as a part of a blatant fashion statement of my own. I expressed personal wellness through care and attention to fashion, experimenting with Calvin Klein pullovers and Brooks Brothers linen trousers as a form of identification. In college, fits and silhouettes were my medium for exploration.

Today, style could be the most grounding form of expression we have in this quarantined time.

Staying home, usually synonymous with mismatched sweats suits and pajamas, has been redefined in this time of isolation as we remember what it means to dress appropriately. Working from home attire has been a topic of recent controversy. The LA Times headlined an argument, "Enough with the WFH sweatpants. Dress like the adult you're getting paid to be." We see a shift of interest from high fashion runway to loungewear careful we not forget that saffron dresses, high rise jeans, and mules, have become fashion's compensation for a season without fashion week. Designer face masks have become cult-following interests. So why not make the WFH uniform fashion-forward?

Self-care assures that what was normal is no longer. As we continue to see how loungewear and working from home uniforms dictate conversations, we start to engage with a culture indulging in fashions way beyond the casual American sportswear saga. The reality is that leisurely fashion subverts the glamour of fashion. And yet the beauty of fashion is turning the spectacular into ordinary. This is why the runway is so enchanting. The importance of dressing up is the rule, not the exception. Indulgence in loungewear attire abandons style, and ultimately perspective.

While navigating quarantine, British Vogue interviewed editorial content director, Danielle Hine, on her WFH fashion approach. She stated, "I've always seen fashion as an expression of self, so 'stifling' my personality by living in athleisure doesn't work for me. I even do a small 'commute' - and take my handbag downstairs to the living room."

To stay true to your fashion expressions while navigating staying at home orders and new work environments lends aid to emotional support, guidance, and structure to normalize this season. While social media platforms inundate content that expresses a different sentiment towards clothing, industry influencers - beyond the fashionistas - embrace a love for fashion and see it as their guiding light. Designer Neha Singh's commented to Grazia, "Dressing up for yourself is the first principle of self-love. When you look good, you feel good."

A band of outsiders, marching together to this different beat, opposing tie-dye sweatpants and tracksuits, might just be the avant-garde expression that supports the plea for dress up. Bill Cunningham famously said, "Fashion is the armor to survive the reality of everyday life." His photojournalism informed the fashions and creativity of how people in New York City dressed. His lens highlighted the personality of the subjects he photographed. Spotlighting the idea that though fashion played by a rulebook, a sense of style always won attention, and the affection of fellow New Yorkers. Soon after, the city exploded with socialites and influencers dressing for their photograph. New York Fashion Week has since become a highlight to both written and visual newsworthy reports. The idea grew from the concept that fashion is subjective. Cunningham's eye for fashion quickly changed how city-goers approached fashion, style, and clothing. He reminded a culture that the art of fashion is nothing without intention.

Italian brand, Giulvia Heritage vocalized their support on social media:

"Uncertainty means closeness and closeness means love. Love and Uncertainty mean creativity and we are so looking forward to share with you the treasures that are emerging in this moment of chaos. In the meantime, keep standing up for you and your values. Practice discipline to feel freer and fight this. We will come out of this stronger and better."

The comment supported a quarantine update made by the brand's co-founder Margherita Cardelli. When speaking with British Vogue, she stated, "dressing up is who we are. It is a way to stand up for our values that definitely are not going to be put aside because of the virus. Rather, they're felt even stronger."

As we continue to navigate this pandemic with care and attention to mental health and well-being, we should embrace fashion in these conversations. While NBC News today ways the pros and cons of "dressing for success" versus "keeping it cozy and casual," Alyssa Hardy, Instyle Magazine Editor, made the argument simpler with accessories in mind. She shared with the magazine, "I usually love to pull looks together, but during quarantine I've really leaned into the idea that my jewelry is the only thing that I will maintain." Case and point: that the art of working from home fashion is found in the intention. Enacting this practice in my own life has been a healing adventure and the timing, more appropriate than ever.