clothes

What to wear in a pandemic?

Peggy RiceLeave a comment

I’ve gotten very lazy in my clothing choices during this stay-at-home order. I’m in my pajamas – nightgown and sleep pants and bathrobe – until 11am, except Wednesdays when I have a 9:30am Zoom call – then I’m fully dressed!

On other days, as noon approaches, I change into clean undergarments and my comfy clothes. I own two pairs of yoga pants – one pair is capris, so it’s a little chilly in CO to wear those yet. I also have a pair of plaid pajama pants. I have leggings, too, but they’re in a different drawer and I forget to choose them.

I pick a complimentary sweatshirt. My plaid pants are burgundy; my yoga pants are black. So just about any top I have matches.

I always do my hair, but don’t wear makeup much anymore. In fact, only at my telehealth appointments with my therapist. I guess I’m still trying to make a good impression!

One problem with my comfy clothes as opposed to my jeans is the “stretch factor.” My yoga pants aren’t nearly as tight as my jeans. This means I don’t feel the constriction when I’m eating – it’s easy to overdo it in the calorie intake, because there’s no pressure in the waistband!

I also wear a poncho, almost every day. It adds extra warmth, even over a sweatshirt. I have a two-tone blue one, or a paisley one that’s brown/burgundy on one side and black/burgundy on the other. So I always have a cape that coordinates, too.

I wear socks and slippers, and still my toes get cold. When this pandemic is all over, I may need to buy a new pair, as these are getting pretty worn.

I do wear my jeans (sometimes my yoga pants, never pajama pants) – when I walk the three blocks to the mailbox. And I wear my jeans when I go to the grocery store. And I put on real shoes.

I suppose all of this is better than staying in my pajamas all day, as tempting as that is. Changing clothes gives me a sense of normalcy to an otherwise crazy time.

Regulating Springtime Temperatures

Peggy Rice2 Comments

Does anybody else have trouble figuring out what to wear in the Springtime?

The mornings can be cold – in the mid-30s. But daytime highs reach into the 70s, might even touch 80!

“Dress in layers,” they say. And I do have a couple of lighter-weight sweaters that could go over short-sleeves. But the jacket I need in the morning is laying in the backseat by afternoon.

And do I wear socks in my shoes, since my toes are cold? They make my outfit look so “wintry.” Yesterday, I put on a black T-shirt with a lightweight red and black open cardigan, and jeans. With socks and shoes, I looked like I was dressed for November!

I took off my socks and tossed them on the floor of the car. I rolled up my sleeves and cuffed my pants and – voilà! – I was dressed for Spring. Kinda.

I don’t really have much in the way of Spring colors in my wardrobe. I wear lots of blues, with some purples and grays/blacks. Not Springy colors like pinks and greens and yellows. Definitely not yellows, which make my skin look sallow.

What about sleeping in these temperatures? We’ve been keeping one window open at night, for the fresh air. But the room really cools off by early morning.

On my birthday a couple of weeks ago, I got a weighted blanket. They’re not supposed to be hot, just heavy. But mine came with a “minky” cover, which is plush polyester – not breathable. I got a second cover – cotton and bamboo – which is definitely not as stifling as the first one.

I’ve slept with the weighted blanket many nights since I got it. But I almost always kick it off in the middle of the night because it’s too hot. I find myself dropping it to the floor and reaching for my regular sheets and blankets. And then, come early morning, like 3am, I’m cold and want another layer. But I’m hot by 7am – probably the furnace kicking on.

Speaking of heat, I’ve noticed how hard it is to regulate the temperatures of rooms in this weather. It’s too warm for heat, too cool for air conditioning. Having the windows open is a nice alternative, but that doesn’t work at our office. And if it’s windy, all the tree and flower pollen is blowing around, which makes sneezing much more likely.

This temperature difficulty is especially noticeable in big buildings, like at church. It must be difficult for staff to know if they should turn on heat or AC. And it takes so long for a large space to warm up or cool off. I’m sure that’s a challenge for the property manager to regulate.

I sound like I’m complaining. And I’m really not; just observing the difficulties of this time of year.

The positive aspects of Springtime far outweigh these trivial negatives. The beautiful dogwood and Mountain Laurel trees, the greening grass, the daffodils and tulips. The celebration of Easter and new life. I stood underneath a huge lilac bush at church last night, just soaking in the beautiful perfume. I may not have anything to wear, but Spring is a beautiful time of year!