‘Fleeced’...by Lockdown

I’ll be clear about this... it’s a blog about my dress sense! Not a topic I have a significant skill in and sadly the title gives a little too much away about my ‘standard’ attire in lockdown.

Maybe it’s down to being a Dad, maybe possibly my age or most probably - it’s just me. I’m sure there are many Dads out there who will put me to shame. However, I’m happy to tell my story of Dad clothes...

I remember the days I used to put on a suit and even a tie. This was my standard outfit for pretty much every work day as I set off early each morning. I would reach the office and be greeted by all those other men and women in suits and formal attire. I would also wear suits for other events too, even a parents evening for the kids. This was generally greeted by our children with absolute horror... "You cannot come dressed in a suit Dad - that's so embarrassing". I would then have to go through a fashion show experience ensuring the children were happy with what I'd selected. "No, too formal, no too young, no too odd, yes, jeans and a shirt - that's fine Dad but no trainers".

I would say it was only within the last five or so years that things changed and a suit was considered a little ‘old fashioned’ or, in the industry I work, possibly a little threatening in certain environments. So I began to relax this; wearing suits for the most formal work occasions and selecting more ‘slacks’ and jackets for everyday work days. Slacks is likely an unusual word to many, certainly to my kids who look at me as though I have just made up a word when I use this term in front of them. I think of slacks as any trousers that are smart, maybe not too formal but can be worn with a jacket.

My Daughter laughed uncontrollably when I selected a set of tighter slacks, a spin off brand from the great denim brand; they were in a sand colour. She fell about giggling saying “Dad, you can’t be serious about wearing those to work, you look like a geography teacher”. Sorry all those geography teachers out there. As for the jackets, I selected a number of blazer style woollen and fabric jackets that again left my daughter likening me to a teacher - “you just need the elbow patches Dad and you’d fit right in” a comment I have ringing in my ears.

I have to say, I don’t miss wearing a suit and I could never quite get them to fit me properly anyway. A comment my Dad made many, many years ago always sticks with me when I see myself in a suit “it looks like you’ve left the hanger in that jacket”. I would frequently buy them a size too big to ensure ‘there was plenty of room to move around’. However, this always made it look like you could probably add another person in there with me or the coat hanger was still in there as it 'hung off' my shoulders. Sadly, something I duplicated with shirts. Trousers too big, shirt too big, jacket too big and a belt doing its best to pull it all together! Not a great look.

As for the weekends and holidays, I am still not too old to go for the jeans and t-shirt combo so generally that’s where I stay - for now anyway. I’m not sure how much longer I can get away with this but for now - they stay!

Clearly, all things changed again when lockdown hit and you find yourself in a global pandemic!! As for suits, I can’t even remember where they are in the house or wardrobe, I don’t know if I’d even remember ‘how they work’. As for if they would fit me better now, they probably would given all the biscuits I’ve eaten!! Although, imagine putting on a suit and sitting in my little home office area - the kids would certainly think ‘I’d reached the point of no return’. Even slacks and a jacket would draw attention to the possibility of 'needing a break’. I recall one occasion when I decided to go for a pair of chino type slacks and a smart jumper, even then the kids looked at me as though I was ‘leaving the house’. My son saying “it’s lockdown still Dad, you know you shouldn’t go to work”. “I’m not” I reply “I just thought I’d wear something smarter”. “That’s weird” he said “you are at home!” As for my daughter, she simply looked at me and said “it’s ok Dad you don’t need to dress up for the home schooling”. Ha ha - very funny!!!

It is that “at home” bit that’s a real strange one to ‘compute’. It is such a valid point. Everything seems odd and you sort of don’t quite know what to do and how things should operate now. This doesn’t just apply to work either, all things are a bit odd these days.

So the outcome of it all is that I live in two main items - jeans and a fleece!

I’d say that I’ve lived in this for nearly a full year now - not the same ones of course! A certain online retailer has made a fortune from my increase in fleece purchases. They probably think I’m some kind of outdoor explorer or pursuits enthusiast breaking the lockdown rules based on the number they’ve delivered. Sadly, my greatest exploration or accomplishment now, being success in finding the chocolate digestives or dragging myself out of bed on a cold winter morning. It’s a good job jeans are ‘built sturdy’ the amount of time I spend sat on my backside would certainly wear through many a lesser garment.

Oh, by the way if I get cold, I put on a second fleece and fleecy socks!!

As for the weekend, these all seem to merge into the same thing these days, the only difference being you don’t need to open your laptop and you sit in a different part of the house - waiting for the government to announce the latest number of Coronavirus linked deaths - sad but true!

In simple terms, lockdown has ‘fleeced’ me of my dress sense and left me to wallow in the despair of Dad clothes...