Stand Apart…. Mask Together!

Well, we are living through some unprecedented times and I have to admit to being a bit hesitant to post.  Was I being insensitive?  Was it too soon?  The thing of it is, I found myself paying even MORE attention to others in my field so the more I thought about it, the more I felt that making a contribution to the digital conversation would at least be diverting, if not necessarily inspiring.  So I’m going to share some things that I did to cope….because that’s really all we can do right now.

My coping regimen:

• Make a daily and weekly to-do list.  Making a plan and having a plan are comforting.  And check things off your list as you complete them…..it’s incredibly satisfying.

• Create a dinner menu and post it where everyone can see it…..it takes the guess work out of what’s for dinner and it will save you time at the grocery store since you definitely want to minimize your time in public places!

• Create an exercise plan and journal, write down your workouts even if its just a walk outside, get up and keep moving!

• Meditate.  Seriously, meditate even if its just 5 minutes a day, take the time to feel grateful and appreciate the blessings in your life, now more than ever.

• Clean out your closet, but while you’re in there create some fantastic spring outfits….take some photos and store in a folder on your smart phone for future reference, and create a digital Spring Look Book!

Another coping mechanism that I found to be somewhat uplifting was to find ways of doing your part in as many little ways as you can. One way I’d like to share (since it’s fashion related) was looking at what some fashion brands are doing during this crisis….namely making non-medical face masks that also support various charities:

Outdoor Voices, 5 Pack.  This company is donating 100% of proceeds for this $25 purchase to Direct Relief which will benefit medical workers during the cover crisis.

Mother – best known for premium denim, is selling a two-set reusable masks for $20. $10 of which will be donated to No Kid Hungry, which provides meals for school kids affected by school closures.

Ulla Johnson – one of my favorite brands for ultra feminine clothes and prints.  Their face masks are made from leftover fabrics from their runway collection and 100% of the from each mask will be donated to City Harvest and their neighbors at The Bowery Mission.

Kenny Flowers – a 3 pack of their face masks costs $24 and for every mask you buy, they’ll donate a mask in Bali (to individuals, families and communities in need) and remaining proceeds will be donated to Direct Relief- a non-profit delivering medical-grade masks and other protective gear to healthcare organizations on the frontline across the USA.

Lucky Brand – Buy a 5 pack of face masks and 5 masks will be donated to the homeless and low-income Angelenos through their community partners.

And lastly here is one of my spring looks from my most recent closet edit:

I paired this fun gingham blazer with skinnies and a neon pink heel for a pop of color. The bold blue print balances the bright shade of these fabulous summer shoes.  I added multi colored beaded bracelets and a simple white clutch. This is a great casual Friday work outfit or smart weekend wear.

What I wore;

Jacket- Zara

Jeans- Frame

Shoes- Alice + Olivia

Bag- Vintage