Zoom Fashion

By: Sydney Albert

If you have been rotating through the same sweatpants and sweatshirts for the last month, you’re not alone. While it might have been nice at first to live out the childhood dream of having pajama day every day, rolling out of bed and joining Zoom calls in pajamas can make you feel like you’re stuck in the same old routine. A recent study finds that the solution may be as easy as switching up what you wear. When you look good, you feel good, and ace Zoom University. Maybe you’ll even find yourself turning on your camera, wanting to show off your fit.

I’ll keep it real, I have never been the type to dress up for class; however, I did like to put a little effort into my look. Whether it was by doing my hair and makeup, (even if I was just wearing sweatpants) or switching out leggings for jeans, I always found that when I made these changes my self-esteem improved. At the start of the quarantine, I lost motivation to spice up my outfits because I had no one to see. I started feeling less driven and insecure. Overall, I just felt “blah.” I tried reinstating my daily routine, but still, something was missing: fun fits. Once I started spicing up my look again, I immediately felt back on track. So, maybe there is some truth to the saying, “when you look good, you feel good”. Here are some easy ways you can both look and feel good:

Athleisure

If you want to switch up your look, but jeans are not your thing, don’t worry, sweatpants and sweatshirts don’t have to disappear. Since entering covid-ridden times, we have seen loungewear evolve. Matching lounge sets made their way onto the fashion scene about a year ago. While they have gone in and out of fashion throughout the years, their stylish and comfortable qualities never seem to waiver. They are once again making a comeback this season, along with the return of Y2K fashion, where sweatsuits from brands like Juicy Couture were in their prime. By putting on a matching set of sweats you can feel more put together and motivated without sacrificing comfort.

If a matching set is not your thing, try an elevated, more "fancy" pair of sweatpants. Velvet or embellished sweats can take the classic, cozy sweatpants look to the next level. Pair with a basic tee or long sleeve to create a wear-anywhere look. If you’re the camera-on type and want to spice up the look from the waist up, try a more bougie or embellished sweatshirt instead. Speaking of sweatshirts, layering is a great way to add dimension to the everyday hoodie or crew neck. Emma Chamberlin, an influencer and fashion icon, popularized layering a turtleneck under a classic crew neck. This look is a personal favorite and can be transformed for spring by replacing the crew neck with a graphic tee.

Accessorizing

Another way to spice up your look is by incorporating some of your favorite pieces from before the pandemic. A study conducted at Northwestern University, by Dr. Adam Galinsky, names a concept called “enclothed cognition,” which proves that the clothes we wear, send certain signals to the brain, ultimately establishing a connection between clothes and performance. When we wear certain things it can trigger the parts of our brain, which increases motivation.

While a lot of people have swapped jeans for joggers it might not be a bad idea to break out your favorite pair every once in a while. This doesn’t mean that you have to wear a runway-ready fit every day, but throwing on your favorite jacket over a t-shirt instead of a hoodie, or adding accessories, like your favorite jewelry or fun hair clips may aid in the battle against zoom fatigue. Feel free to experiment by combining a comfy look with something more classy, or even incorporating hair, and makeup. A favorite combination is a model-off-duty look we see from figures like Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid. This look allows for that put-together feeling without sacrificing comfort and adds aspects of personal style back into your everyday fits.

Whether it’s elevating your sweats, or throwing on your favorite pair of pre-pandemic jeans, there are endless ways to transform your day-to-day look, and in turn, transform your mood. Don’t let the pandemic stop you from being comfortable and confident in what you wear and who you are.