The coronavirus pandemic has influenced how people think about getting dressed for the day. For many, relaxed comfortable clothes have taken on greater importance, whereas others have maintained pre-COVID wardrobes in an effort to foster a sense of normalcy and hope. We photographed eight men and women from a variety of backgrounds and spoke to them about their style and shopping habits. For each, clothes provide a sense of continuity in unsettled times.
Colin Bruns, 27
DIRECTOR OF SALES, KIENSTRA
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What is your day-to-day look? Jeans, collared shirts, and decent loafers. I’m also a sneakerhead, so I have a ton of sneakers that I’ll mix in every once in a while with jeans. On the weekends, I live in joggers and graphic tees and stuff like that. It’s all roughly matched and flowing. Everything’s got to kind of go together. I’m not just throwing stuff on.
How do you go about achieving a finished look? I stick to similar colors. Whenever I buy clothes, I buy them like I would a uniform. It’s a borderline capsule wardrobe, but then I’ve got, like, 50 pairs of sneakers. My clothes aren’t grabbing the attention; they’re setting the stage for the shoes I wear.
So when you find a great shirt or a great pair of pants, you tend to buy them in multiple colors? Multiple colors but also repeats of the exact same shirt. If I wanted to, I could wear the same shirt every day but a different shirt.
Has your style changed at all since March? I’ve really leaned into routine. I put my rings and my wallet in the same place every night. I put the same brand of socks on every morning. I try to be mindful of the fact that with everything that’s going on that we can’t control, I can only control myself and the socks that I put on my own two feet. The main change to my wardrobe is that I wear long sleeves every day now. I don’t know what, why, or how. If some people might have fallen into the dress-down category, if I’ve done anything, it’s get dressed up during this time.
To whom do you attribute your sense of style? My mom and dad are both attractive well-dressed people who’ve always prided themselves on their presentation, but my wife really helped me find my own style.
Maddie Bert, 24
VINTAGE SELLER, MAY’S PLACE
How do you describe your style? These days, I value comfort over everything, but comfort can still look really good and really cool. My vibe is effortless, effortlessly cool and comfortable. Even my more dressy pieces are comfortable.
Where did you develop your sense of style? I’ve always been interested in vintage clothing. I almost exclusively wear it. If I wear any modern styles, they’re all secondhand. I don’t buy anything new, from any shops anywhere, unless they have ethical and sustainable practices. The more knowledge I’ve acquired about the practices of some large corporations… It just doesn’t fit into my lifestyle and my beliefs to support those types of companies, so I choose the other way.
Is it easy to shop vintage in St. Louis? I would say it is, especially for me, because I work at May’s Place. We get the most incredible products. It’s the kind of thing where you always have to be doing it and you always have to be on the lookout and you always have to be ready to buy. It’s a never-ending process. You’re never not shopping.
Does the way you dress affect your sense of self? Yes, definitely. If I’m wearing something that I don’t love or if I’m wearing something without intention, then it will affect my mood. I need to dress for success. If it’s not authentic to my style, it doesn’t feel quite right. Everything that I own is something that I truly love. I try not to keep things around that I don’t wear.
Do you ever covet the Chanel flat or another iconic wardrobe staple? I love designer pieces from Gucci, Chanel, everything. I love designer. I would be lying if I said I didn’t, but I think the vintage versions of a lot of those brands are so cool because they’re unique just because they’re designer, but since they’re vintage, they’re even more special So, yeah, I would absolutely love to find a vintage designer bag someday. I know I will.
Richard Tao, 70
RETIRED ARCHITECT AND FASHION DESIGNER
What role do clothes play in your life? First it was, well, it’s just superficial—clothes don’t really matter—but where I started to change is when I started to design things for myself. I realized that just getting the creative juices flowing and channeling them felt every bit as valid as designing a piece of architecture. The only difference is, I could design a piece of architecture for two years and it would take another two years to build my design, but a tie was instant gratification, so I began to look at it as an art form and a form of self-expression.
Lately, have you been dressing up or dressing down? I would say I’ve dressed down, but insofar as I’ve dressed down, I’ve paid particular attention to something that feels comfortable. I’m more into comfort than I was pre-COVID. Surprisingly, I’ve found myself shopping quite a bit online, so it’s not like it’s come to a grinding halt.
What does comfort look like to you? I do tend to gravitate to jeans, but there’s a particular designer that really suits me, and that’s Todd Snyder. His pieces are particularly well crafted, and they’re impeccably tasteful and always look fresh, even though he goes through a lot of vintage looks. On top of that, his clothes are always comfortable.
So if we’d visited you on a random day in May, we’d have found you “dressed up” for the day. I realized that if I go through the day and I don’t dress like I want to focus on something, like, maybe I’m going to be working on the Arch Grants gala, I’m not in a work mindset. If I’m in my pajamas, I find that I’m not as productive, because I didn’t really prepare myself mentally.
Is there a garment that you have your eye on now that you might splurge on once we’re back to more normalcy? I tried on a Donna Karan wool crepe sport coat, in jet black, about 15 years ago in Barney’s, I believe, and I didn’t buy it, because it was quite expensive. I decided I really shouldn’t splurge. Then I went and I bought something a lot cheaper, not as well constructed, and it just didn’t quite happen. And I keep thinking of that day, and I say to my wife, “You know, sometimes you find something that just dances, and when you do, if you can afford it and it’s the right time, you should buy it and don’t just assume you’ll just find something like it. It’s not often you see things that really evoke that feeling [that] it dances on you. So here I am, 12 years later, and I’m still looking for that sport coat that dances. I still haven’t found one.
David Alexander, 28
CO-OWNER, SOCIAL ORIGIN
Tell us about your style. I have two parts to my style. On one side is business, and on the other is artist and dancer. I really love my classic gentleman look: suspenders, hats, a classic full Windsor tie. And then, as an artist, I’d say [it’s more] innovative, on the edge.
Has the way you dress changed in the past six months? Overall I’m a lot more relaxed, but I still have a preference for dressing like a classic gentleman. I still put on cologne on occasion. If I’m wearing something that’s more relaxed, it still has to make me feel good.
What clothing item or accessory have you been reaching for lately? Right now, it’s my sunglasses. I just purchased a couple pairs of Ray-Bans. Sunglasses are a simple piece that I can throw on and wear to the coffee shop.
And do you have plans for buying a new clothing item once we get back to some normalcy? I’ll probably go out and buy myself a suit. Right now I don’t have a reason to purchase a suit, but a lot of times, a suit is a treat for me if, for instance, I make a new sale or do something new.
Khalia Collier, 32
VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNITY RELATIONS, ST. LOUIS CITY SC; OWNER, ST. LOUIS SURGE
What style of clothes do you enjoy wearing? I am 100 percent athleisure—no, I would say 60 percent athleisure and 40 percent business casual. I’ve fallen in love with the jeans-Converse-and-blazer look. And COVID has made me [appreciate] joggers, a T-shirt, and sneakers. Without question my favorite item is a premium soft cotton tee. Stretchy jeans or joggers that aren’t too tight that I can jog in or sit in at my desk all day if I need to.
And do you typically pair your joggers with your Converse, or is there another shoe that you like to wear with them? Usually the Nike Air Max or Under Armour HOVR. The HOVRs are basically like walking on air. They’re my favorite running shoe, but they also give you a really nice fashionable look.
Where do you find your style inspiration? I love having my own personal stylist who kind of shapes my style. I got really lucky with him. He follows me on social media. He saw that we were coming up last year when we made it to playoffs. He was, like, “Hey, I figured I’d give you this blazer, this jacket, these jeans. You can dress them up; you can dress them down.” I have a wide-ranging style. I can go from basketball shorts and a backwards hat to heels and a blazer in the same day.
As someone who spends a lot of time in athletic shoes, how do you feel when you wear heels? I love, love wearing heels. On game days I’m in heels. I think that’s part of my personality. You have this sports-fashion brand connection, and then I’m wearing a pair of badass heels. That’s just sexy to me. It also adds this confidence in that you know you’ve brought your A-game.
Have you missed wearing heels in the past six months? That’s going to be the moment of truth, because right now nothing about me feels like I want to put on a pair of heels. I can’t say that when we’re going for takeout I have any desire to put on heels and jeans.
Kathy Pietoso
RESTAURATEUR, CAFÉ NAPOLI, NAPOLI 2, AND SOON-TO-BE NAPOLI III
How do you define your style? My personal style is lots of variety, because I’m an emotional dresser. Of course, everything has been much more lax, especially when we first were shut down. There was a lot of casual Lululemon and Free People tops and workout clothes that I could wear downstairs in my gym. But I miss dressing up, and so I do dress up quite a bit when we meet friends for dinner or if I have business meetings, which I’m having a lot of now because of Napoli III.
How do clothes affect how you feel? Right now, because everybody seems to be so down, I tend to dress the opposite. I like to dress with a lot of color, a lot of flair. It just elevates your mood, I think, and it also gives people hope.
Is there an item of clothing that you’re eyeing right now? I would probably say something from Brunello [Cucinelli.] That’s a once-every-couple-of-years splurge for me. If a fabulous jacket comes out that I could pair with many, many things—blouses, skirts, dresses—that would be what I would buy.
Do you tend to gravitate toward Italian designers? I think Italian fashion is just so well made, and I love the fabrics and the consistency of the sizing. Before I was a restaurateur, I flew for the airlines. Oh, I had quite an interesting life! And so I traveled the world, and that’s where I started to get the flair for architectural design, as well as clothing design. That’s how I picked up on the great Italian fashion designers.
What can you tell us about your dressing routine? I think what’s important is to dress for yourself and not worry about following the fads. Dress in a way that makes you feel good. Trust me, these days dressing up to make yourself feel good helps.
Glenn MacDonald, 68
JOHN M. OLIN DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR OF ECONOMICS AND STRATEGY, WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
How important are clothing and design to you? Clothing is fairly important to me in the sense that I spend a lot of time in front of people and I want to give a truthful, authentic impression. For me, design generally is very important. I’m very interested in art, clothing, fashion, architecture. It’s kind of a hobby.
Is there an era of design or a style that you gravitate toward more than another? I’m a real minimalist. I have a minimalist home. My clothes tend to be very simple. Everything I do I try to make clean, simple, and minimal. You can’t hide the mistakes with a lot of little things. The basic idea is that it’s got to be really good and really clean. Each individual piece has got to do its job.
When did you develop an interest in design? Since I’ve been in the business school, it’s given me an appreciation for the way things look, the way they’re marketed, the way they’re presented to really make a difference in how people perceive them.
What role has design played in your life in the past six months? Has it changed as a result of being at home? I normally don’t do a lot of actual schoolwork at home—I try to keep that in the office and do other things at home—but right now, obviously, my office is at home, too. And so I’ve had to create a whole different space to do that, and it’s really important that that space be spacious and simple and conducive to thinking. Since I’m doing everything online, that’s really upped the need for things like my slides to be particularly artistic and appropriate.
How about in terms of clothes? What are you gravitating toward? When I first joined the business school, I was doing a lot of consulting. When I went to class, I wore a very expensive suit and I came roaring into class at a hundred miles an hour with my high-priced consultant image. After a while, I discovered that I didn’t really like it. It was authentic…but it created too much distance from the students. So I went to the opposite, which is my natural way of dressing. I’ll just wear a pair of jeans and a T-shirt.
Laura K. Sawyier, 32
FASHION STYLIST/CONSULTANT
Describe your style for us. I’m a chameleon. I’m very much a mood dresser, so every day is a different day. Some days I could be classic; other days I could be minimal or monochromatic. Other days I could be sporty but, like, sporty chic. I definitely like a dynamic approach to dressing. I’m willing to wear almost anything that covers my body in all the right places and is flattering.
Is that the same spirit with which you’ve approached dressing during the past six months? Starting in March, the notion of comfort was an absolute. Prior to March 1, could put something on and feel like I could conquer fussiness. I could deal with it, because I like to try things out and express myself in a unique way. Now, everything that I put on has to feel really, really comfortable, and comfort doesn’t mean sweatpants to everybody—and it definitely doesn’t mean that to me.
So what items in your closet do you find yourself reaching for the most? I’m reaching for the wardrobe staples. I’ll throw on a button-up shirt. That could be a cotton shirt, it could be a linen, or it could be a silk printed button-up. I will often unbutton the cuffs and scrunch up the sleeves. I’ll pop a collar occasionally. I’ll wear it with silky joggers halfway tucked in, or I’ll throw on a pair of jeans and tuck it in all the way. It’s like a security blanket.
Have you been shopping during the pandemic, or did that come to a standstill? It’s starting to come back a little bit, and I’d say that part of it is due to the fact that shopping brings, for many of us, a sense of distraction and delight. I want to feel good! I’m excited to have a package arrive! I think there’s a baseline human emotion and human experience that goes into shopping. I do not deny that I was seeking that.
How do shoes fit into your wardrobe? How much importance do you give them? I have no shame in admitting this, but there have been a few times when I’m getting ready for bed that I look at my pretty 4-inch pumps and I’m, like, Let me just put you on for a minute…and then I remember how much my feet hurt. I hardly ever wore flats before, but now I’m either in flat tennis shoes or actual flats or sandals, so my footwear game has totally transformed. But I will fully recondition my feet to transform back into heels happily, though maybe not as high.
