Isolation style guide: How to get out of the pyjama day slump

We are spending more of the vacation indoors than we intended to… and with that comes the temptation to crawl into bed in our pyjamas and Netflix all the stresses away. I for one fell prey to prolonged naps on my first day home, staying in my sleepwear, not making my bed and lounging about. Which resulted in an estimated eighteen hours of sleeping leaving me with six-hours before the days end. Coming to the decision that I would have to get dressed in functional clothes every morning in order to not waste the entire day led me to consider what I would even wear during this isolation.

It made me question whether we dress for ourselves, those around us or the places that we are going to. I came to the conclusion that it is a mix of all three. We often dress in things that reflect how we feel. We also sometimes make our clothes choices based on how other people view us. We most definitely dress for the places we are going to: casual hangouts, work, fancy restaurants or big events. However, being at home in isolation can feel as though it’s impossible to ‘dress to impress’ as it has ceased almost all of our social interactions. Despite this, it is crucial that you don’t make everyday a pyjama day and the first step to doing that is setting a routine for yourself. The first step to this is allowing yourself a regular sleep schedule and waking up at a consistent time. Make a rough plan of what you need to get done for the day, such as: exercise; study time; making meals; time for yourself and with your family members or friends in person or over the phone!

Whilst I would love to do all these things seamlessly in pyjamas, I would be lying if wearing such relaxed clothing fully motivated me to do a workout or do a translation for class. I for one would not dream of going for a run in University Parks wearing my pyjamas, so for a morning exercise routine, I like to wear some sports leggings or joggers to get my brain programmed for exercise. In a similar vein, I try to pull on a pair of jeans and a jumper for working, because they are comfortable but not too relaxed. For special occasions such as a friend’s birthday (which you might have to celebrate electronically) it’s more than important to take the opportunity to dress up. It’s all about making yourself feel like you want to celebrate, so why not wear that outrageous dress you’ve wanted an occasion for, or that gorgeous velvet suit that has not felt enough love. Alternatively, if you’re missing your significant other why not dress-up for a date night and show each other that even if you’re far away, you can still look fabulous in each other’s company.

Now as fun and ridiculous as this may seem, before you know it, it will be time to relax in your pyjamas again and resume that Netflix binge. It’s the little things such as changing your outfits as you go through different parts of your day that can really make your time in isolation seem less like a restriction on your style and rather an opportunity to be bigger and bolder with your fashion decisions. Enjoy the freedom and space to experiment with your clothing to help you succeed within your daily tasks and isolation lifestyle.