It’s important to find the silver linings as we navigate these stressful and surreal times. Finding the positive, no matter how small, helps to keep me calm, strong, and focussed on spreading joy rather than fear. I’m going to share some of the silver linings I have found over the last couple of weeks. I’ve included some things that go beyond fashion and style, so advanced warning that it goes a little off topic.

The biggest silver lining in all of this, by far, is that my little family of three — hubs Greg, Yorkie Sam, and me — is together in our Seattle home. Since Greg normally works out of town most weeks, we are apart a lot. But with the current restrictions on travel, Greg is spending all of his time working from home with me and Sam. It’s quite magical.

Sam is happiest when his pack of three is together, so he thinks it’s Christmas! Going for daily walks as a little nucleus of three, and lapping up attention from the BOTH of us all day is Samtopia. His extra happiness is therapeutic, in turn, is therapeutic for us.

Life has slowed down because during lockdown, neither of us have to be somewhere other than at home in the morning. Although I get up at the same time, I don’t need to rush. I take my time with physical therapy exercises, taking Sam out, getting ready, cleaning up, and making breakfast. For now, I welcome the slowdown.

Spring has sprung and Seattle is sunny, beautiful, calm, and the views from our loft are as soothing as ever. Gardens look luscious, flowers are blossoming, grass is green, and birds are singing with their very best voices. It reached 16 °C (61F) last week, which is brilliant for this time of year. Walking outside without the cold, wind and rain is a treat. And our indoor and balcony plants are looking great, so perhaps I’m finally developing green fingers.

I love to cook up a storm, and am doing just that. I make three reasonably healthy and tasty meals a day with the ingredients that I have on hand. There is some meal planning, but not much. I’m doing interesting things with leftovers, using every scrap of food, and freezing a lot more than I used to. I like the creativity and spontaneity of our menu, and document some of it on Instagram and stories if you’re interested.

After a fall last November, yoga has been replaced by 40 minutes of daily physical therapy. Recently the PT moved to every second day, and I have finally been able to add a slow and meditative yoga routine on the off days. I have missed it so much, and I’m very glad to have it back in my life. 

Greg and I find things to laugh about all the time. Being together at home so much means that we can share more and laugh more together, which is good for the head, heart and soul. It makes it even more of a pleasure to be in each other’s company 24/7.

Walking into my walk-in closet continues to give me pleasure. It’s organized, sunny, and bursting with my happy colours that spark joy. My functional and fab-for-me wardrobe allows me to have fun putting together daily lockdown outfits and dressing up, even though I have nowhere to go. I do not leave items for good, and wear my beautiful things because it makes me feel prepared, productive, and “normal” for the day. Routine and structure is important to me, and so too is being well groomed at home. I’m making my wardrobe work hard, because why not!

My hair salon might be closed for months, so I’ll probably have some sort of asymmetrical, layered bob by July. That’s unexpected, and I’m intrigued at how I’ll be styling my hair through the growth phase. I haven’t had a bob for decades so this will be an interesting hair adventure.

Troubled and stressful times are sobering. They give me an acute perspective on what is important in my life, and what is not. They make me even more grateful for what I have, allowing me to minimize the cobwebs in my head. This makes me stronger, better and nicer person, which is a plus for those around me too.

Over to you. Please share your own silver linings with us in the comments below.

Maintaining social distance is extremely important if we are to minimize the spread of the novel coronavirus. To that end, most of us are working and staying at home, which can have a big impact on our style and dress code. A lot of this has to do with the extent to which we are visible to others via videoconferencing, but it is also driven by our own personal needs. 

The styles and dress codes of my friends, clients and family members who work from home runs the gamut. Some are dressy, and some are as casual as can be. For fun, I’m going to define five levels of work-at-home style.

Level 1. Maintaining the Dressy Status Quo

Your dress code at home is as dressy and pulled together as it would have been if you were at the office, or in your regular work setting. You don’t make the distinction between working at home or at the office. You style your hair, apply your make-up routine, and choose a dressier professional outfit to wear daily because that’s the way you roll. It makes you feel fabulous and productive. Plus you get to enjoy and wear your fun wardrobe of beautiful items.

Level 2. Relaxing into Polished Casual Wear

You style your hair, apply your make-up routine, and choose a professional outfit, but add a more casual integrity to the look. That means leaving off the blazer and jacket, and wearing a cardigan or wrap instead for warmth. You wear fewer accessories, add cosy socks, and leave on your house shoes or slippers instead of wearing outside shoes. You opt for smart casual looks instead of business casual looks. You might need to wear warmer tops because it gets cold working at your desk. You wear jeans instead of dressier trousers, tailored dresses, and skirts. You wear less fitted and structured clothing, but still look professional.

Level 3. Halfway House

This dress code makes me laugh. There is a strong disconnect between the top and bottom half of the outfit. You dress professionally and quite formally on top — where co-workers can see you — but there’s one heck of a casual party from the waist down. Styled hair, make-up, accessories, and professional separates up top, but leggings, lounge pants, pyjama bottoms, and slippers or no shoes at the bottom. 

Level 4. Loungewear and Athleisure

You like the Lululemon look and typically wear workout wear as casual wear when you work and stay home. Leggings, track tops, T-shirts, workout tops, fleece tops, sneakers, and items like that in any brand. Sometimes you style your hair and wear make-up and accessories, and sometimes you don’t.

Loungewear is not workout wear or Athleisure. Lounge items are soft and floppy knitted sweats in unstructured silhouettes, like a sweatshirt with joggers or roomy track pants with cosy socks and slippers. Some people wear robes, kaftans, shorts, tees, and flip-flops instead of sweats.

Level 5. Pyjamas

You’re working at home in what you wore to sleep in the night before. You haven’t changed or showered, and haven’t done your normal daily grooming regimen. You get cracking with work soon after you roll out of bed because it doesn’t matter how you present yourself. No one will see you, except for family members or roommates, so why bother with daily grooming right away. You can shower after your work is done.

I work from home when I’m writing YLF blog posts, participating on the YLF forum, and attending to my clients needs online. Although my outfits are not visible to anyone but hubs Greg and Yorkie Sam when I work at home, I dress up daily because that’s one of the fun and stress-free parts of my life. After all, I’m a fashion professional, so I want to look fashionable, dressy, and pulled together each day. What I wear makes me feel appropriately turned out for my profession, and more productive too.

My dress code is a combination of Levels 1 and 2. I shower every morning, choose a professional outfit, style my hair, apply make-up, wear some accessories, and absolutely wear and enjoy my pretty dressy clothes. I will wear dry-clean-only items, sport dressy dresses and skirts, go business casual, sport pearls, wear lippie, and curl my hair for working at home on my desktop or laptop. I will though leave off the blazers and jackets, and wear slippers because we don’t wear outside shoes at home. I sometimes cover my shoulders with a cashmere or woolly wrap, because it can get cold working at my desk.

Over to you. What’s your dress code level when you work from or stay at home? Remember that there is no right or wrong answer. Style is a personal choice and the best way to dress is the one that works for your life and headspace.

These looks are for you if your wardrobe doesn’t veer too far from a black, grey, denim and white palette, and if you prefer to wear pants and jeans to skirts and dresses. The looks are simple, minimal, and quite casual. 

Remember that none of the models are wearing jewellery, handbags, or statement eyewear, all of which can amp up the look, add a little shine, and create interest. So bear that in mind when you think the vibes are boring. Small tweaks can make a big difference.

1. Textural Grey and Volume

A column of charcoal grey is created by pairing two luxurious pieces in dressy fabrics. Trendy cropped dress pants with a high waist and pleats are fabulous with a semi-tucked and oversized cashmere or merino pullover. Relaxed dressy is a very 2020 fashion concept, and this is one way to do it. Flat black oxfords bookend the model’s hair and add a polished touch. White sneakers can work too. Of course, you don’t need to choose an oversized pullover or pleated pants. Wear the components YOUR way.

2. Sporty Comfort

Combine a pair of wide leg track pants with a cropped boxy sweater and finish off the look with sneakers. Here, the black top and bottom create a streamlined column of colour. The tuxedo stripes on the bottoms add interest and pick up the white in the sneakers. The track pants are sported at the new on-trend shorter full length that showcases the shoes. Athleisure with a bit of spunk.

3. White Jeans Magic

Combine a pair of white jeans with a grey top, black belt, and black shoes, and Bob’s your uncle. Here, the pullover has been fully tucked to showcase the high-waisted belt, but you can choose to semi-tuck if you like, and with any type of grey top. I love how the belt and shoes amp up the polish of the look.

4. Trendy Jeans and Big Shirt

This is my favourite of the lot because I have the jeans, and love white tops and shirts. Combine a pair of trendy jeans with a BIG white trendy shirt or blouse. Semi-tuck it for structure, or leave it out to drape in a straight and architectural way. Finish off the look with neutral dressy flats or white sneakers. Feel free to flip things around by sporting white jeans and a dark blue or black big shirt. I’d wear white loafers here but the black is fab with the model’s black hair. Add jewellery, eyewear, watch and bag as desired.

With the uncertainty and stress of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, we have much bigger things to worry about than fashion and style. For the moment, though, I will continue to write daily updates as I have done since April 2006. It is therapeutic for me, and I hope it’s a welcome distraction for readers of YLF.

I have always taken the responsibility of writing blog posts quite seriously. I have seen first-hand how fashion and style can make a difference in someone’s life, and it’s my goal to bring a little of that to people who read YLF. I hope that my posts will continue to help in some way. Maybe providing a distraction, a sense of normalcy, or something fun and light-hearted to read in the midst of the onslaught of worrisome news.

Together, in blog posts, blog comments, and on the forum, I hope that we can relieve a little of the stress, and amplify some of the things that spark joy for us fashion lovers. And maybe also look forward to the time that we’re beyond the pandemic.

In the meantime, I wish health and safety to you and your family.