One impact of the pandemic is that we are dressing more casually than before. Some are wearing athleisure and loungewear almost exclusively, while others are sporting a slightly more casual version of their pre-pandemic style with sneakers. Some keep it dressy up top with whatever at the bottom because digital meetings are from the waist up. Even those who haven’t had much of a workplace change in all of this have probably relaxed their dress codes.

The shift in the way we’ve been dressing the last six months is a lifestyle change that also affects our wardrobes. Usually, items that no longer fit into our lifestyles are put into a holding zone, passed on to new homes, upcycled, or recycled. But now is not the best time to pass on items that have been gathering dust all year just because we aren’t wearing them. Our new normals have called for adapted dressing styles, but that doesn’t mean we won’t go back to how we used to dress before the pandemic. Even if we end up creating an evolved look that combines components of our pre- and post-pandemic styles, it’s all the more reason to hang on to unworn items for longer than we would in normal times.

By all means pass on items responsibly if they are worn, ill-fitting, damaged, uncomfortable, or no longer a match with your sartorial preferences. Create a holding zone for the items you are unsure about, which might include items that don’t fit as well as they used to because of pandemic weight fluctuations. Revisit these items when life has normalized, or at least, when our new normal has stabilized.

My own style over the last six months hasn’t changed much. I continue to wear my dressy and smart casual clothes with toppers, handbags, and pearls, despite a socially restrictive lifestyle, no travel, and no in-person client meetings. But I haven’t worn my wedding rings, bracelets, or any shoes but sneakers since the beginning of March. My boots, shooties, loafers, pumps, and ballet flats are completely unworn, and I’ve only sported my sandals once. But I am absolutely keeping these items. I firmly believe I will wear them again, and it will feel like “new” stash when I do.

Warp + Weft is a family-owned business that produces sustainable and ethical denim direct-to-consumer for women, men and children. It claims to be the cleanest vertically integrated denim company in the world right now. This is particularly impressive because denim is a hard item to produce sustainably because of the environmentally harmful bleaching process and its decadent use of water. From growing cotton, to dyeing and laundering the finished product, the water footprint of blue jeans is very high.

Yet look at what Warp + Weft have accomplished:

“A traditional pair of jeans takes 1,500 gallons of water to make, but a pair of Warps requires less than 10. Beyond that, we treat and recycle 98% of the water we do use. We also skip the environmentally-harmful bleaching process by opting for cutting-edge Dry Ozone technology, making us fully compliant with International Social and Environmental & Quality Standards.”

They are vertically integrated, which means they oversee the process from fibre to finished garment, allowing them to cut out third-party markups, produce sustainably, and achieve a quality product efficiently at a reasonable price. I’m not sure where the production facility is located, but the cotton, tencel and lycra come from the US. The company is also committed to ethical practices, fair wages, reasonable work hours, and positive working conditions. You can read about their factory here.

Every item in the women’s assortment is available from sizes US00 to 24. The range includes maternity, petite and tall sizes. The men’s assortment includes a variety of inseam lengths from 28 to 36, hard-to-find in-between waist sizes (31, 33, 35), and extended sizing up to a 48 waist.

Browsing the ladies section I see simple and versatile denim silhouettes. They look like a basic, minimal, no-nonsense wardrobe essential. Some styles are classic, and others more on-trend. Dress them up or down, let your tops, toppers and accessories do the talking, and get on with your day with comfort and confidence. That’s a great dressing formula if you’re a jeans wearer.

I haven’t seen the items in person yet, but their fabric composition suggests that the denim products are soft, a little stretchy, robust, and probably comfortable. Their fits seem to work well for straighter and curvier body types. Prices are under a $100 per item, and I like seeing the diverse set of body types across their website.

I see some great jeans and a denim jacket for hubs Greg, and I rather fancy the vintage high-rise straights in that shade of coral for myself. When we are next shopping for jeans, I’m curious to try this sustainable and ethical brand. How about you?

The global pandemic has had a major impact on what many of us wear from day to day. We are dressing a little, or a lot, more casually and minimally than before. For some of us, this switch to a more relaxed and simple way of dressing might stick.

Dressing down the black bottoms you have in your wardrobe might be just the ticket to a more relaxed look. I’m doing that here with four summery and mild weather minimal looks that are a good way to extend the wearability of items in your wardrobe. Feel free to substitute the black with dark blue. All outfits work with casual footwear options like sneakers, flat sandals, loafers, slides, mules and Birkenstocks. Palettes are neutral, but feel free to add some colour.

1. Crisp Utility

Combine a pair of black utility pants or dressier black pants with a white tee, knitted top, or tank top. A casual white shirt or blouse can work too. Top things off with an olive utility jacket when temperatures cool or if you’re in air conditioning. Add black or white loafers, sneakers, slides or sandals to complete the look.

2. Shorts and a Denim Shirt

Combine a pair of black shorts with a tucked, semi-tucked or untucked denim or chambray shirt. A simple blue and white striped shirt can work well too. Scrunch or roll the sleeves. Finish off the vibe with white sneakers, or black slides or flat sandals.

3. Joggers and Drape

Combine a pair of straight leg or tapered black joggers with a draped grey, white, olive, or light blue tunic. You can substitute the joggers for black leggings if that’s easier. Finish off the look with white sneakers or slides. Seeing the white sneakers pop below the hems of these black joggers looks punchy to my eye, but you might prefer a darker pair of shoes.

4. Tanked and Tubed

And last, the ‘80s knitted tube skirt does not die. Combine it with a neutral untucked sleeveless tank, knitted top or blouse, and a pair of flat black sandals, slides or Birkies to match. Top things off with a moto, utility jacket or denim jacket if you need a third piece.

Although the point of these outfits is minimal and for the most part accessory-free, do add the extras that are suited to your needs and current style.

Guitar straps are broad straps that you can use to make most bags into a crossbody or shoulder bag. These aren’t real guitar straps, but they look similar, hence the name. The broad strap is VERY comfortable, feels secure, and adds a casual touch to your look. It can also be an effective colour vehicle, pattern mixer, and is a fun way to jazz things up.

Some handbags come with a guitar strap alternative, but generally you have to buy the strap separately and add them to the bag. Prices range from $6 to thousands of dollars. Fabrics are usually cotton, canvas, nylon or polyester. Guitar straps come in patterns and solids, and just about any colour, so you’ll eventually find one that works for almost any bag, small or large.

You can match or mismatch the strap with the bag. Keep the look subtle, or go bold. Most guitar straps have an adjustable strap, but some don’t. In that case make sure it’s a comfortable length before you commit to it.

I have one guitar strap that came with the bag, and four others that I bought separately to pair with a specific bag. One of them is mismatched, and the rest match the colour of the bag.

I’m drawn to the guitar strap for its comfort. I need a hands-free, crossbody bag for my urban walking lifestyle, and might as well have fun with the look. The broad strap is so comfortable that I can hardly feel it. It also lies across the body in a more flattering way, especially when you have a larger bust. And yes, you can wear a crossbody guitar strap bag with a larger bust, and many of my friends and clients do just that. That said, you can wear the guitar strap over one shoulder like a shoulder bag if that’s more your cup of tea.

Recently, I bought a shocking pink satchel that worked just fine with the narrow strap it came with. But I amped things up with the addition of a $10 guitar strap. I prefer straps with gold hardware and no black trim so that they best match my outfits. This one has white trim and is perfect.

I’ve been using the new pink bag almost daily since I got it because it makes me smile (here it is in an outfit). It’s versatile because it blends with a lot of what I wear, and I like the jarring colour combinations or pattern mixes I can create with it. Handbags might not be important when you regularly drive a car and work at a desk. But when you are always on foot like I am, and out and about for errands and groceries with doggy in tow, your bag is extremely important. This is especially so during the pandemic when I need extra COVID-19 measures with me whenever I walk out the front door.

Adding a guitar strap to a bag was a newish trend about five years ago, and I liked it right away. It’s not a fad, and won’t look dated any time soon. Who else is wearing, or is interested in wearing, guitar straps on their bags?