During the pandemic, my wardrobe changed dramatically. It was very functional. I wore the same several pairs of sweatpants and t shirts every day. Some days I didn’t even get dressed until close to noon. If there was a Zoom call scheduled, I threw on a more acceptable blouse or shirt and put my glasses on, to obscure the fact that I wasn’t wearing any eye makeup at all. I spent so much less on lipstick, eyeliner and makeup than usual, and I liked saving that money.
Now that more events are being held in person, I find myself looking at my closet and wondering what I really want to wear and what I could give or throw away. There’s also the issue of what still fits. Most of us gained some weight out of sheer inactivity, not to mention the snacking. Should I give away clothes that don’t fit because I doubt I will ever wear them again or should I try to lose weight and hope I can wear them one day?
Marie Kondo is well known for helping people declutter their life. Her advice sounds simple to follow — lay out all your clothes on your bed, sort into piles of things you really love and want to keep and things that either no longer fit, never quite fit, you haven’t worn for years, etc. Say goodbye to the latter category and go on to live a happy, uncluttered life. Actually, it’s not quite that simple. At least I have not found it so easy to do by myself. Best if you can ask a friend to help — because then when you linger over that jacket that is one of your favorites but doesn’t quite fit and probably never will — your friend can help you face the inevitability of giving it away.
Where do you give the clothes you no longer want or need? For your best and highest quality items, there are consignment stores, but it’s a hassle to go there, quibble over their requirements and then keep checking back to see if something has sold. There are always thrift shops or places like Goodwill. In every community there is usually a store that will take your beloved items, sell them and keep the change. You get a receipt for what you donate, although you have to donate a lot to make it worth an item on your tax return!
As for makeup — I was pretty upset to find out that the makeup I have liked and worn for years, Prescriptives, has basically gone out of business. You can still find a few items online in other places, but that All You Need Moisturizer and the color of makeup that covered up small flaws but didn’t look too heavy, was no longer being manufactured. How dare they go out of business during a pandemic? Now where do I go to find out a substitute? Macy’s? Those girls at Macy’s are way too young to understand my aging skin. The problem is that I am not ready to give up all makeup yet. I like the way I look when I have something on my face, and it is going to take a few more years before I can just accept the face I have without any enhancement at all!
I don’t want to go back to the way I used to dress or look. I am older, not just in pandemic years, but in actual years. I loved the freedom of being comfortable, not wearing a bra most of the time, and not caring about it at all. Can I keep that approach now? For sure there are occasions that will require that I dress up, at least a little. Last week, my husband and I went to dinner with friends. I wore my favorite jacket, fixed my hair, put on makeup and thought I looked pretty good. I’m not sure anyone else really realized the work it took to achieve that “look,” and I don’t think we will be going out to dinner that much, even now. What the pandemic has taught me is that I need to dress for myself, not for someone else; that I can save a lot of money on cosmetics and clothing because I have so much already saved up and in my closet; that it is such a pleasure to wear things that feel comfortable and don’t pinch! I will be interested to see if others even notice I am not wearing makeup or that my pants are yoga pants not slacks. The pandemic has given me quite a gift — the ability to be comfortable and natural. I hope I can hold on to that!