After graduating from university, where the attire was anything but formal, I was looking forward to getting dressed up for work, wearing tailored pants, nice suits, and heels. But the world shut down, and for a year and a half, my workdays were spent in sweatpants or pajamas.
Of course, there was always a top ready-to-go hanging up in my closet just in case my boss called a Zoom meeting. Otherwise, it was loungewear and slippers.
Once the world started to return to a state of normalcy and I looked inside my closet, I realized I didn’t like half of my clothes. The clothes I had were trendy at the time of purchase or something that I thought I would wear “when I got an office job.” Oh, the irony.
“Beauty is pain and slight inconveniences.” That’s my take on the saying. And boy, that really resonated when I was trying on my clothes for the first time in, quite literally, a year. I was so uncomfortable.
A part of me wondered: Was I uncomfortable because I was so used to wearing plain cotton clothes that any other material just felt rough on my skin, or was I uncomfortable the whole time and just dealing with it?
I may never really know the answer to that question, but I do know I want to be comfortable in my clothes, especially at work. If I’m constantly adjusting my blouse or skirt or thinking about how my heels are pinching my feet, my day is not going to be as pleasant or productive as it should be.
So, I’ve opted for clothes that are comfortable and stylish. I love my sneakers and will cherish them forever. My work pants cannot be stiff, and my heels should support my feet so I don’t feel like a newborn giraffe figuring out how to walk. The days of dealing with expensive, uncomfortable clothes are unnecessary because there are plenty of cute and comfortable pieces that look just as professional.
COVID-19 has changed the world in so many ways. The way we dress is a simple reminder of the impact the pandemic has had on the way we express ourselves after three insane years of quarantine, masks, and social distancing.
