Can there be a style intersection between a tall lanky off-duty Brazilian model and a short medium-built Indian remote tech worker ?

In a year, I will let you know how this exploration goes.

While athleisure can be the fall back model for remote work, relaxed fit denim and t-shirts will do the job too. ( Why wear plastic at home for no real reason ? Reserve it for kick-ass workouts and rough weather. Cotton, linen and wool can absolutely provide lounge-y comfort without the micro plastic pollution. ) Unkept hair, worn in denim, faded neckbands on t-shirts, experimental combinations are finally back in my life again. One style goal dominated my past decade – find the small subset of garments that make a uniform. With no office to go to, that bubble burst for me. I refuse to hand wash silk shirts, condition leather shoes and iron clothes, if I don’t have to. Quirky accessories that are miles away from the classification of professional, are back on my radar. I found a colorful braided leather belt in Alameda flea market and felt “cool” wearing it. Cool, is a brand new adjective for me. Simple and elegant, were my preferred adjectives. My white leather sneakers have red soles. Some teenage fantasies flared up too – the t-shirt. Mari Giudicelli’s style is the reference marker from my past, that has dominated the inspiration mood board. “Good mischief” is how I would dub her style. Mari’s closet is full of garments that I would classify as “where did you get that?” However, every time I find such a garment IRL, I shyly walk away from it.

In the comfort of outside a professional space, I ain’t shy. I am alright wearing some unusual combinations of clothes from my existing closet – husband’s leather jacket over denim on denim, oversized everything, accessories while staying indoors, Indian indigenous peoples inspired jewelry with t-shirts, husband’s Hawaii floral shirt over my trousers, …… I purchased my first white t-shirt ever, (in the history of EVER), from UniqloU, to wear with blue denim. Borrowing my husband’s vintage army jacket is becoming a habit. The leash is off and I experience a certain freedom. I bought an educational botanical t-shirt and wear it to local gatherings. I want folks around me to recognize plants that are in dire need of our conservation efforts. I want us to mourn and fight for keystone species that are going extinct. Is that going to happen if no one has even heard of these species ? Sometimes, I am open to using my clothes to express myself. Fun begins when the ‘shyness’ slowly chips away. I don’t want a personal style journey that does NOT put sustainability as a core value and only make small concessions for the sake of greenwashing. The approach I adopted was “settle into a uniform that makes you consume least and provide most number of wears over your lifetime”. I am slowly allowing concessions for experiments and change. This is the human I want to be : discipline first and fun in doses. Together, it’s a joy. Will this spark last? As a perennial latecomer to trends, 2 years from now, will I discover fancy sweatpants that were popular when pandemic first started ? (I hope not.) Or will I be back in offices wearing my core uniform ? (I don’t mind). A hedge against waste and pollution, is to keep the dosage of experimental items small and only acquire them on thrift. That’s the plan.

Currently Reading : Notes on Taste.