- Click to share on Facebook (Opens in a new window)
- Click to share on Twitter (Opens in a new window)
- Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in a new window)
- Click to email a friend (Opens in a new window)
Editor's Note: Mari Rodríguez Ichaso has been a contributor to Vanidades magazine for more than two decades. Fashion, travel, gastronomy, art and architecture specialist. Film producer. Celebrity friend. CNN Spanish Style Columnist.
(CNN Spanish) - In the midst of this roller coaster of emotions in which the news, uncertainty and loneliness embark us, we must seek refuge in things that make us feel good, that we enjoy.
Are you spending the day in pajamas or dressed in the first thing you find, while in your closet your new clothes are dying of laughter, lonely and useless? Are you bored, worried, listless and dressing and putting on makeup doesn't seem to interest you at all?
Well join the club! Many of us —although healthy, like our families— feel trapped by this “law of least effort” in which our physical appearance is not a priority.
But you have to make a quick change. The time has come to leave that attitude behind! Shake off! Out with that laziness that gets you nowhere! And get to work ...
- The fashion industry responds to the call to produce masks and personal protective equipment to fight covid-19
Open your closet, your makeup drawer, your perfumes and accessories, and decide that in the middle of this stage of forced recollection, you are going to be you again!
I promise you. You will see how your self-esteem will turn 180 degrees. Anxiety will improve and you will feel much more optimistic.
You will see how to take a long bath with perfumed oil, put on moisturizing cream, dress comfortably (but always very cute), wear tendrils, those sports shoes that you love, fix your hair and make up will help you a lot.
Seeing you groomed and taking care of yourself will be a wonderful psychological boost, and the rest of the day will be much more productive.
Take a “selfie” when you are ready and you will see the difference from what you were only a day before! The transformation will be positive and when the confinement is over you will have avoided becoming the shadow of the flirtatious woman from months ago.
An anecdote that always inspires me
Carolina Herrera, fashion designer .
Once, my friend, the designer Carolina Herrera, told me something that stuck with me forever: “Mari, what is it about having 'clothes to walk' and 'clothes to go out'? I find that custom is terrible. There is no reason to have ugly old clothes to go to the supermarket, to walk around the neighborhood, go to the pharmacy or make a purchase. You have to look your best always ... At all times! ... It is very good for our self-esteem ... "
That shocked me a lot, because Carolina always looks so careful, even though she's walking through Central Park. A few months ago I saw her taking her daily walk near her house in New York and wearing a set of beige cotton pants, a white blouse, and flat natural-colored ballerinas. Her clothes were simple, but she looked so good - and nothing in it said "walking clothes." His image was ideal, as it should be.
And those simple, cute, clean, dusty, well-ironed clothes with well-sewn buttons (a “must” to look neat) are vital to lift our spirits and be content with our image. And this is as important in moments of uncertainty as we live in!
Get into a routine and you will feel 100% better!
Since I understood the positive of this reality, I have made myself a daily routine and I really enjoy when after the shower I take care of my skin with the moisturizing gel that, sometimes because it is faster, I did not use. This is very important!
I use my creams religiously (always remembering that all the creams in the world are emollient and hydrate perfectly), and especially one hand to counteract the dryness from so many washes.
Do not forget the moisturizing skin and neck cream. Then carefully apply makeup, without exaggeration, combing your clean hair, which you have sprayed with a “spritz” of perfume (a luxurious and sexy gesture!) To try to look as natural as possible.
How coronavirus affects the fashion industry 1:22A box hair dye can replace your trip to the hairdresser, just like a friend who gets “little lines” or “highlights” (and they look great on her) using a product to lighten facial hair. Getting a homemade manicure and pedicure can be a great adventure. It's not as hard as it looks.
After following your routine ... the difference will greet you from the mirror and your spirit will rise with optimism. You must be able to say: This woman is me! No excuses!
Fashion in times of confinement
It is very interesting how many articles are found on the Internet about the ideal clothes to ... stay home! Check your favorite websites, those of cheap brands such as ZARA, H&M, Gap, COS, Old Navy, Mango, Woman's Within among many others, and you will see how they suggest sportswear, comfortable but with a more fashionable twist.
Perhaps it is time to check your wardrobe and give away the clothes that you have never really liked and keep year after year. And also to fine-tune the ones you do like. You will see how good you feel.
My recommendation is to wear cotton pants and tops, in soft colors and very pleasant textures to feel on the skin. Same as comfortable shoes, but cute. And in the evenings, at dinner time, why not wear a “caftan” or loose dress that is abundant in fashion chronicles on the Internet and that you probably already have in your closet?
And it's not just about clothes ...
As part of this new inspirational routine, the atmosphere you live in also counts.
The daily life that accompanies you at home ... I don't know if you share these experiences, but I remember that in my house there was a large drawer full of beautiful embroidered thread bedding that had been part of my mom's wedding "trousseau", who he kept them as a treasure but never used them. The same thing happened with that precious tableware, those crystal glasses and the cutlery inherited from the grandmother, which were kept "for special occasions".
Well, don't you think it's time to enjoy these beautiful things? If it is! And your home will never look more beautiful, more welcoming, more "yours" than enjoying those special objects.
The confinement of this pandemic can inspire us to make changes in our lives and spend time discovering new aspects that we did not know. And you will be surprised to realize that you can live enjoying new pleasures, and that they will be a sweet and very human reward to weigh the sadness of the times we are witnessing.
Style
