Covid-19 became very real to me as early as March 2020, when both my sister and her husband fell victim to it. Knowing their health struggles in the hospital but unable to physically reach out to them due to strict quarantine protocols made me very anxious and overly aware of the need to keep safe by staying home and limiting my exposure to the virus.

A year and so many months of lockdowns later, I can count the number of times I have been out of the house with my fingers and toes! But in those many months, I have had a lot of time to reflect on my life in the time of Covid. My primary realisation is that I can live life with far less “stuff” than I thought I needed. This is particularly true when it comes to fashion.

Like most women, the pandemic life meant having a closet full of clothes but with nowhere to go to show them off. So, those nice, trendy outfits stayed in their hangers. Instead, days at home in tropical Manila have been spent in old T-shirts and shorts, light cotton house dresses, and flip-flops. I think it’s what they call the “casualisation” trend. Work meetings done via Zoom were my only opportunities to wear a nice top, but the ratty shorts stayed on!

A year into the pandemic, I decided to declutter said closet. First to go were those “fast fashion” finds made from synthetic materials that were uncomfortable to wear in warm weather. I realised that, while homebound, I had been systematically reaching for pieces made from pure cotton, linen and other natural fabrics. Not only do these materials breathe and feel comfortable, they are sustainable.

The same is true for my bags and shoes. I’ve decided to keep only my favourites that all happen to be made of leather, particularly the vegetable-tanned ones.  I’m also hanging on to my sneakers with leather or performance mesh uppers.

It pleases me to see that I am pretty much going along the lines of APLF’s Spring-Summer 2022 material trends.