Yesterday, thankfully, the Government announced that the nation-wide lockdown we have been living through to prevent the spread of the deadly coronavirus pandemic has not been lifted, despite week-long rumours of the contrary. With the next few weeks at home confirmed, but with the hope of getting to leave the house now a faint possibility on the horizon, I can’t help but catch myself excited at the thought of my summer spent drinking pints down the pub and not just around my kitchen table. Of course, it goes without saying that until medical professionals deem it safe, we should not be going out or seeing friends and should stick to social distancing guidelines.
And while I don’t know about you, but the pandemic hardly feels like the right time to be buying clothes. Sure, I spent the first couple of weeks boredom buying my ASOS saved list as the idea of receiving post became the highlight of my week, but when the fast majority of us are living off of furloughed wages or Universal Credit, that bag I’ve been crushing over for months has now lost its appeal.
But when the day finally arrives to emerge from our quarantine caves and we are able to embrace the outdoor world again, I want to look hot. An embarrassing amount of my time in self-isolation has been taken up pouring over photos of summers past, and when June hits I want to ensure that its Hot Girl Summer approved. Heck, even if we don’t make it out by summertime, I still hope my Instagram pictures are popping.
With that in mind, my latest quarantine hobby has been to go full-blown Tumblr-girl and DIY my unworn clothes to fit the upcoming season’s trends. If you’re not a fashion student or confident in your design skills, the thought of wearing DIY clothes might feel daunting. I too shared this trepidation, fearing I would resemble a child playing dress-up. I’m pleased to relay, however, that I have been playing around with these ideas over the last week, and I’m thrilled with the results.
These are some trends that can inject some fun into your quarantine, and revamp your wardrobe on trend.
Tie Dye
A predictable choice, but it’s a fan favourite for a reason – it really is so easy, and looks just as good as high end alternatives. But rather than being predictable and tie-dying a multi-coloured swirl onto a plain white tee, get inventive with what and how you’re dying. My personal choice was to tie-dye a mesh long sleeve top I don’t wear often, along with some tights, for a colourful base that adds a fun injection of colour to any outfit and ideal for springtime layering. It’s a perfect dupe for the Asai tops that have flooded my Instagram feed for months, and costs as little as 99p.
No Need for Sleeves
Waistcoats, sweater vests and sleeveless coats were on practically every runway during SS20 and, to be honest, my arms are in desperate need of some sun. Whether you want to cut the sleeves off of an old jumper or sweatshirt, upcycle your Dad’s old blazer jacket or stitch something totally new together, this look will immediately dress up even the most casual of at-home outfits, and is ideal for any occasion.
Destroy Your Denim
That’s right, and we mean destroy it. This season denim was used as the base fabric for some of the summer’s most inspiring looks, so whether you embroider, patchwork, bleach bath, distress or dye your denim – have fun with it. Last week I bleach washed and distressed an unworn pair of jeans from the back of my closet, and its safe to say these have become my new favourite garm.
Knit Something New
Okay, so maybe learning to knit wasn’t on your quarantine agenda, and that’s okay – we don’t expect you all to be pros, and I’m happy to admit I’m definitely not. However, there’s no getting away from the plethora of knitted and crocheted garments on SS20 runways, and when I asked my Mum (an experienced knitter), she laughed at how easy these garments would be to recreate. Marni’s crochet dresses still have me dreaming on alpaca-wool pastel clouds, and this JW Anderson patchwork jacket could easily be recreated using a few Wool & The Gang patchwork blanket kits. Get creative, and these looks are ideal for quarantine – comfy enough for working from home, and fashionable enough to grace the office post-lockdown.