A case for getting dressed every day

Since the first Covid lockdown of 2020 until the end of 2024, I lived in leggings, baggy t shirts and hoodies. The “new normal” of working from home allowed me to joyously part with my collection of skinny jeans that had never, ever, been comfortable, and I convinced myself that I was now “dressing for comfort”. I proudly declared to myself that I had reached the age where it didn’t really matter what I looked like anymore; I didn’t have anyone to particularly impress. That being said, I also convinced myself that because I was investing in high-quality slow fashion t shirts and hoodies and leggings, I was dressing well.

In December 2024, when remembering how I used to scold my mother for living in leggings and baggy t shirts from her mid-30s onward, and how I am consciously striving to be everything she is not and never was, I decided it was probably time for a change. But where to start? It was time to find a new pair of jeans.

Jeans are a tricky business; I have never felt comfortable in jeans, especially when sat working at my desk (I prefer to sit cross-legged). I just figured I didn’t have the right body type for jeans. However, what I discovered is that the variety of jeans available on the market has expanded considerably since I departed with my skinny jeans in 2020, and so I embarked upon this journey with an open mind. But, I had no idea what style was right for me given my long slim legs are often at odds with my slightly chonkier waistline where standard sizing is concerned (thanks, genes) . Or so I thought.

Shopping online for jeans would have resulted in an endless cycle of buying and returning, so I made a personal shopping appointment to be able to sit in a changing room and have someone bring me an endless supply of jeans to try on in desperate hope of perfect pair. Serendipitously, the first pair of mid-blue acid wash mid-rise relaxed 90s style straight jeans I picked from the pile were absolutely perfect. What’s interesting to note is that I always figured I needed high-rise jeans to hide my chonkiness, and that mid-rise jeans would cut me in two, given this was always the case with skinny jeans. I never would have event considered clicking a pair of mid-rise jeans when online shopping. Boy, was I wrong. These jeans made me feel amazing. So much so that I also picked up a second pair in a similar style in black from the same brand. And the icing on the cake was that these jeans fit me wonderfully in my regular size. I did not expect that.

I don’t think I can really get away with wearing baggy t shirts and relaxed jeans like the kids, so I stocked up on a few slim-fitting t-shirts to pair with them, and my new daily uniform was born. I’ve talked about Indyx on Bluesky before, which is an app I’ve been using to track items in my wardrobe, and at the beginning of 2025 I decided to start using Indyx to track my daily outfits to make sure I was making the most of the new items in my wardrobe. Instead of just throwing on the same old pairs of leggings and baggy t shirts, I really enjoyed getting dressed intentionally again. I felt put-together, and more ready for the day ahead. So much so, in fact, that whenever I wore leggings for a chiropractor appointment, for example, I felt extremely underdressed and sloppy.

Last night I must have slept weirdly, because I woke up with neck pain and as a result, I really didn’t feel like “getting dressed” today. So I’m sitting here writing this wearing leggings and a baggy t shirt and a zip-up hoody and I feel wrong. I don’t feel ready for the day. I don’t feel ready to work. I feel like an old version of myself that has lost progress in some sort of journey of self-discovery. But I think what this really means is that I have actually made good progress.

And all this is to say that it’s worth getting dressed every day, whatever that means for you.