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Despite our worlds suddenly coming to a jarring halt during lockdown, our minds are racing faster than ever, and let’s not try to sugarcoat it: we’re all struggling. Between remembering what day of the week (or even what month) it is, to performing basic tasks like showering, to the constant reminder at the back of our brains that we should be taking this time to learn a new language, discover a secret talent and simultaneously produce awe-inspiring art… we’re exhausted. And with so many thoughts racking around our brains, including a huge level of gratification for front-line workers, there’s no space available to think about clothes, despite a lot of our hobbies and jobs in real life (whatever that is) focussing on fashion. 

 

Similar to the rest of society, the fashion industry has been completely flipped on its back; however, through the act of kindness, it has found a new way of thriving.

While luxury brands such as Ralph Lauren, Michael Kors and Versace would typically be preparing for customers to pour into their shops during the Easter break in order to bag the latest season’s garments, their plans have completely shifted; instead, they have donated millions of dollars to various global charities and organisations, as well as various prominent labels such as Chanel and Burberry halting the production of tweed playsuits, crisp shirt dresses and velvet blazers, to manufacture surgical masks and gowns for those in need — truly legendary behaviour. 

 

While this sense of community has brought smiles to many faces around the world, fashion also serves various purposes other than helping others during this pandemic, such as providing us with the opportunity to pause and care for ourselves — in favour of our own sanity and those living with us. 

Undoubtedly, when we strip back the various cultural elements of fashion — from streetwear, to high-end labels, to new subcultures such as “softbois” — we’re left with the one element that distinguishes us from all other animals (apart from handbag dogs such as Chihuahuas): the human instinct to cover our bodies with fabric. Getting dressed is a vital part of our normal lives and, despite our reflection in the mirror featuring stained t-shirts, ill-fitting joggers and mismatching socks, we’re still engaging with real life.

 

However, if you are lacking some motivation to roll out of bed and get dressed, PolyFizz has gathered up some inspirational musicians whose varied approaches to clothing will get your gears grinding again.

 

The king of glad rags and star musician, Sir Elton John, has

kept his royal title by styling a navy tailored suit in a geometric

pattern over a salmon crew-neck for his #TogetherAtHome

‘live’ performance, as well as unwinding in style in a sporty

metallic zip-up jacket. 

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However, while none of us may be matching Elton John’s high

standards of loungewear, it’s comforting to know that celebs

such as Jared Leto, actor and member of band 30 Seconds

to Mars, has also been all-consumed with Tiger King as much as the rest of us, with the style

icon showing off his best Joe Exotic impersonation on Twitter. The result? An absolutely flawless interpretation that appears to be a casual look that Leto would don on a day-to-day basis.

 

Similar to Lato’s eagerness to explore different variations of his garment, — and soft toys — Glass Animals’ frontman, Dave Bayley has also been getting creative at home; not only through his Quarantine Covers series of recreating well-loved songs such as Lana Del Ray’s Young & Beautiful, but his latest project of setting up and

filming the music video for the band’s latest release, Dreamland. The psychedelic shades of bubblegum pink, soft lilac and turquoise in the first half of the video match the distorted voices in the trippy tune and provide a sneak peak into their next album. However, it’s the second half of the music video that steals the show, with Bayley following detailed instructions to set up the technically-challenging scene, whilst wearing a variety of casual soft shirts: an emerald green striped tee, a faded navy graphic tee over a white long-sleeved sweatshirt and a white loose baseball jersey top — the perfect balance of comfort and style that we are planning to imitate.

 

Whether you’re slumping in lots of stretchy lycra or tricking yourself into wearing actual clothes (read: anything with a zip or buttons), please pat yourself on the back; we’ll get through this, one strange outfit at a time.