I personally feel like my fashion has changed so much over the past year of the pandemic. From wearing more casual clothing to also dressing up for the smallest of occasions, my fashion choices have definitely had a mix up in the last year.

When the first lockdown hit, I no longer had to think about what outfit I was going to wear each day, as during sixth form, I’d always prepare my outfit the night before so I knew exactly what I was wearing. But during the first lockdown, I would spend a large percentage of my days in my pyjamas or in ‘casual clothing’ which for me would consist of leggings and baggy tops. I enjoyed not having to think about what I was wearing and to be able to wear more casual clothing as I knew my days would only involve one walk outside and the rest would be spent in the comfort of my house.

However, when the warmer weather arrived at the end of May, and hope seemed to rise about the end of the lockdown, I began to get excited about being able to wear summery clothes, which always made me feel good about myself, even if it was just for the garden. I would put on the nicest dresses I owned and sit outside in the sun. It was through the lockdown that I realized I don’t need to dress up for anyone but myself. If I wanted to dress casually one day when going out I could, if I wanted to get dressed up and do my make-up for nothing other than a walk or meeting a friend for a picnic, I could also do that.

As the lockdown eased and we were allowed out to restaurants and day trips during the summer, I began to enjoy getting dressed up more so than I had before lockdown. It felt like a privilege to be able to go out. Even for the smallest of occasions, such as going out shopping or meeting my friends in the park, I found that putting on my nicer clothes lifted my mood and made me feel more confident about myself.

I’ve never been someone to wear make-up, but during the summer I began to become interested in putting eye make-up on, mainly just eye shadow and mascara. I think because it felt like such a novelty to be able to get dressed up for a reason, I wanted to try something new that I liked the look of.

I certainly feel like my style in general has changed. I’m definitely more experimental with my fashion choices; I wear a lot more skirts and dresses, and an array of colours, (whereas my old outfits would contain a lot of dark tones), with pale, pastel colours becoming my favourite. I also began to wear earrings in the summer, as a way of expressing myself. Imagine bright yellow knitted flowers, a leopard print face, vodka bottles, and book earrings – I own them all.

Even now, a year later, I have a mixture of fashion choices. With being back at University, and all the studying I’ve had to do, I’ve found myself wearing a lot more casual clothing again. But I’m personally looking forward to better days when lockdown eases and we all have an excuse to get dressed up in our favourite outfits again.

Read More Like This:

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before: Top Ten Looks

Interview: REIGNSZN

Is Vinted the new Depop?