Back in March 2020, I went to visit my mom on Long Island just when things with COVID-19 started getting bad. I figured I would be there for a week tops. But with everything shutting down, I ended up unexpectedly staying for more than five months. And throughout most of summer, her vintage clothes became my quarantine outfits.
I brought two outfits in my suitcase that I didn’t end up wearing since staying in had become a thing. Mostly, I wore T-shirts and shorts that were still in the closet of my old bedroom. My closet looked almost as it did during my high school days.
It’s the first week since I’ve back in New York City but things definitely aren’t back to normal yet. Reflecting on this year made me realize that the most important things in life are not material goods. It’s time, health, and well-being.
I went through 157 days with barely any belongings from my apartment. This made me appreciate the vintage clothes I had and repurpose them in a modern way.
Quarantine Outfits: How I Styled My Mom’s Vintage Clothes
I didn’t go out much other than little walks (wearing a face mask, of course). At one point, I had been re-wearing the same loungewear, so I raided my mom’s closet. There, I found some cool vintage pieces from the ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s that she forgot she had.
My mom and I are really close. One silver lining of the pandemic was getting a chance to spend more quality time with her. Usually, I would stay on Long Island for only a weekend—or a week, if it was a holiday. But it was hard being away from the city. The two places not far in distance, but feels like worlds away.
In her double-door wooden closet, we found a peach floral-printed blazer with a matching pencil skirt. There was also a periwinkle floral peplum top. These pieces were from Hong Kong when she went to visit my aunt in the ‘80s.
Clothing can be emotional. For me, wearing an outfit I like and am comfortable in makes a huge difference in my mood. These past few months have been harder than I could have even imagined, but finding joy in the little things really helps. In a way, having that mother-daughter moment of turning my mom’s bedroom into a fitting room filled with vintage clothes and laughing over how some pieces looked ridiculous on me strengthened our bond.
Good thing some of her vintage finds did fit, like a floral-printed matching set and a denim jean jacket. I styled most of these quarantine outfits with my accessories (sunglasses, Slip headbands, and bags) and kept it simple.
Now that fall is just around the corner, I’m taking this “less is more” mentality with me. With a small bedroom in the city and a garment rack that’s on the verge of a breakdown, I’m being more mindful of my shopping habits moving forward—especially since I’m still not going out as much.
Now that I brought some of these vintage quarantine outfits back with me, I’m looking forward to styling them with a few layers to transition into chillier weather.
What’s one of your favorite clothing pieces that you wear over and over again?
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