As convenient as comfy clothes may be, our clothing choices—even (or especially) when we’re at home all the time—can impact our mood. If what we wear affects our confidence at the office, the same could be said of our work-from-home-wear. The good news is, it’s easy to pull ourselves out of a lack-of-fashion rut, according to Tan France, Queer Eye’s resident fashion and style expert.
How does what you wear impact your mood?
According to France, when you wear something that makes you feel good, it can change your mindset for the day. “It can make a difference, not only to your appearance, but also your mental health, because you’re telling yourself in the morning when you decide what you’re going to put on your body, how seriously you take yourself and how seriously you take the life you want,” he says. At a time when many are struggling with issues beyond their control, anything that can make you feel better—including what you wear—can make a difference. Not only is this something France addresses on nearly every episode of Queer Eye, it’s something he knows about from his own experience. “I was a small business owner up until a few weeks before I started working on Queer Eye, and I know what it feels like to struggle with circumstances out of your control,” he says. This is also one of the reasons France is partnering with Express on the Dream Big Project, a new, ongoing fundraising initiative that will support a different organization each season. The first fundraiser of the program, which launched on September 17, benefits the GoFundMe Small Business Relief Fund, which will distribute the money raised to small businesses that have been impacted by COVID-19. France sees the project as a natural extension of the brand’s mission to create confidence and inspire self-expression—something that also applies to what we wear when working from home. Here are a few of France’s tips for using clothing and accessories to lift your spirits when you’re stuck at home during the pandemic. This is something France knows about firsthand, thanks to his husband. “I will buy him something gorgeous, and he will let it sit in our closet until a special occasion,” he says. “Not many of us have that many special occasions in our lives—we’re just chilling with our friends. And so it’s frustrating when I see that beautiful thing that I spent a lot on and really considered, waiting for the queen to arrive. But the queen’s not visiting our house. Are you going to waste something that would make you feel so good?” If that sounds familiar, France recommends adding some of your special pieces to your at-home rotation. When getting dressed, he suggests asking yourself, “‘Is this the way I want to feel today? Could I be happier?’ If the answer is yes, maybe try something else on.”
