Ok, so you read the title of this article and you’re thinking, “NOW you tell me??” But hear me out. No, the pandemic isn’t a new thing - but a lot of us (myself included) pushed through last year, and I mean PUSHED. You threw together ideas for suddenly having every meal at home (which may or may not have included a lot of DoorDash). You created a space for your kids to homeschool via Zoom (even if it kicked you out of your home office). You figured out what to wear day by day (while leggings and sweatshirts became your new best friends).
But now it’s time to take a breath - and it’s also time to accept that you’re at home for a while longer. And as part of that, it’s time to set up your closet so that getting dressed and feeling good in what you’re wearing is actually EASIER while you’re at home. Because it definitely can be.
And no, I’m not asking you to wear a silk blouse and heels to get you in the work mindset. And no, I’m not telling you to carefully consider whether everything in your closet sparks joy. Basically, I’m asking you to take a little time to figure out what works for YOU, what makes YOU feel good and what YOU want to wear while you’re at home. So, read my 3 steps to organize your closet for the pandemic so that you can shift getting dressed from something stressful into something fun.
FIGURE OUT WHAT WORKS FOR THE PANDEMIC
My biggest piece of advice to make getting dressed easier is to figure out what works for the pandemic. And this is probably very different from what used to work for weekdays or weekends or even for working from home pre-pandemic. It’s consciously deciding which clothes feel good, which clothes function well and which clothes you’ll be happy to see yourself wearing when you walk by a mirror.
Getting dressed in the morning can be overwhelming, especially when you’re contemplating your entire wardrobe on a daily basis. And you may be dealing with the overwhelm by wearing the same few pieces over and over. And neither of those things are very productive.
Think of it this way - what works for you now will most likely be a small subset of your overall wardrobe. In general, most people wear about 20% of what they own on a regular basis - and now I think it’s more like 5-10%. So, it’s worth it to figure out what you feel good wearing for your non-stop life at home. Whether you’re all athleisure all the time or cozy sweaters are your winter wardrobe workhorse, figure out what feels good and put it in the most accessible locations in your closet. That way, you can readily see your pandemic wardrobe when you open your closet doors.
And if you’re feeling productive and want to do a full closet cleanout (because, why not?), check this out for 5 steps to detox your closet – it’s essentially how I do it with my clients!
FIGURE OUT WHAT FITS FOR THE PANDEMIC
Let’s face it – your body may have changed during the pandemic. Many of us (I’m included on this one as well) have gained weight to the point that some of our clothes don’t currently fit. And that’s okay. But what’s not okay is staring longingly at the clothes that don’t fit and beating yourself up for gaining weight.
Instead, be realistic about what fits. Set aside some time to try things on to determine what currently feels good (especially for sitting all day). Believe me – a half hour spent trying on pants on Saturday will make Monday-Friday mornings that much easier. Then take what fits and separate it from what doesn’t. What fits you now goes in easy-to-reach parts of your closet – and what doesn’t fit right now gets tucked away for the time being. And if you discover that you need a couple of new things (I needed new jeans and joggers), allow yourself to buy a few inexpensive styles. Because you deserve to feel good about how you look, no matter your size.
If you need a little motivation to try on clothes, click here for 3 reasons to dress the body you have now.
RETHINK SOME STYLES FOR THE PANDEMIC
There are probably more things in your closet that work right now than you think. Yes, it’s easy to grab a t-shirt and hoodie in the morning. And sweatpants are a no-brainer on many days. But how about days when you want to feel a little cuter? When you stare at your closet and think, “I wish I could wear my favorite <insert most loved wardrobe item here>.” Well, I’ve got news for you. There are many things in your closet that you can wear during the pandemic – you just have to rethink how you wear them.
In general, it’s looking at items that you used to wear to the office or to brunch with your girlfriends and rethinking them into more casual outfits. It takes a little effort, but it dramatically expands your pandemic wardrobe possibilities. If you need ideas on how to rethink some of your favorite items, click here to see how I rethink your trusty blazer, your Sunday services dress and your cute skirt. And then read this for how to rethink other styles that you would probably would never grab while you’re at home.
And once you figure out what you want to wear and you’ve created a few outfits, put them in accessible spots in your closet. Because it’s all about making getting dressed easier and more enjoyable right now.
Are you ready to actually enjoy getting dressed everyday? Click here to sign up for ‘Style Mail’ – my twice a month emails with style inspiration and tips to have more fun with what’s in your closet (and you’ll get a fun freebie, too!). And if you’re not already following me on Instagram, click here to get a daily dose of style and a little behind the scenes of what I do.