As vaccinations continue to go into arms and spaces open up in Alberta, I’m actually starting to think about getting together with people, in public, and possibly indoors for the first time in a very long time. But what shall I wear?

Like most of my near and dear, I’ve been keeping apart and certainly outdoors. It is strange to think about going over to someone’s home for dinner. In their actual home. Very soon. I don’t have any actual plans to do that but I just might start making them once my second dose is fully booted up. 

With every change comes a new season. Maybe not literally a weather season but time for something new to reflect the new vibe. For me, it’s dusting off a lot of things I haven’t worn in a long time outside my home:

1. Party dresses

2. Lipstick

3. Workout gear

Workout gear? Yes, workout gear. As I sit writing this on my front porch, I am wearing a crop tank top, eyeglasses, jeans, and butter crème, pointed toe, quilted sling back heels. It’s 20:40 and the sun is starting to set. This is me.

When I think about it more, I haven’t been working out much at all these days. Partly due to the built-in daily physicality of shopping and costume work on set and partly due to reverse mental health. While I feel great after a workout, I’m not always keen to go. Some days I prefer to slum it physically. Sometimes that choice is good for my mental health and other times that choice is not so good.

So here I sit, in jeans and slingbacks actually thinking what I wore less during the pandemic: was it workout gear or fabulous items more suitable for a night out? Cue squinting eyes as I tally my last 16 months… I’m drawing a blank.

Wait, I can do this. If I was a betting gal, and I am, I would put money on the idea that I wore workout gear less than I wore fancy shit. How funny is that? Y’all likely already know, I’m not keen to gear up in stretch fabrics unless I need the stretch for my activity. I will, on the other hand, put on a pair of heels to drive to the curbside pickup. I’ll wear heels to drop off porch goodies to friends at their homes teetering through the snow all the way. I’m wearing heels right now. Real talk: I may be the one and only millennial, white, female, Calgarian that has lost the lust to wear LuLuLemons.

Sure, as my film costume work wraps up and summer dwindles, I’ll have more free time to squeeze back into my leggings and sports bras and go for a run or whatever, but the heels have never stopped. I can’t quit them.

Whenever someone comments that I look fancy or dressed up, I first thank them for noticing. If the person is an appropriate audience, I may squeeze in my moto that expressive, sincere personal style is for everyone. It will go something like, “It would be a shame to keep these clothes locked up” or “Too fun not to, right?” Maybe even a simpler blurt of, “Why not. YOLOooooooooooooo!”

Now I am curious about you. Indulge me, would you? What surprised you over the last year on what you wore when – I’m assuming – you could wear whatever you wanted in your home? What about what you put on when you popped out for a safe errand? Was that similar or different to pre-pandemic you?

And the real hum-dinger question: was what you wore (and didn’t wear) during the pandemic your new normal? Or are you back to wearing things you wore in 2019? Pandemic fashion a fling or your new forever? If your look is different now, what are you going to do with the stuff you’re not into anymore?