6 months since lockdown, here are 9 things we can't imagine wearing again

The way we dress has been transformed in the six months since Boris Johnson imposed lockdown in the UK on March 23. Here, The Telegraph's fashion editors reflect on the once familiar items of clothing they can no longer imagine wearing...

1. Heels

A couple of weeks ago, I donned a pair of  (kitten) heels for a Stella shoot. I won’t lie, they felt great and I loved what they did to my ankles. But after the shoot I popped them back in my wardrobe and slipped into some flats.

It’s not that they weren’t comfortable or that they look old fashioned - they’re not the Louboutin four inch platforms beloved by Christine of Selling Sunset, for Heaven’s sake. They’re actually called the Lisa Shoe and as befits their name (ahem)  there’s nothing ridiculous or exaggerated about them.

It’s not that they look out of place or “inappropriate”. It’s just that I’ve changed. When I’m not padding around at home in my favourite Birkenstocks I’m walking – miles and miles. A stress busting routine I embarked on at the start of lockdown has become a routine fixture. No day seems complete now unless I’ve walked at least five and a half miles. There’re an extra question I now ask before I purchase any new item of clothing, in addition to, “can I see myself wearing this in five years ?” and “how many different ways can I wear it?”. And that’s: does it look good with trainers.

That’s because, as a consequence of all the walks, I’ve added to an already decent collection of trainers. I now have gold Vegan ones from All-Kind – great with trouser suits when I have meetings;  a very chic navy pair with metallic trim  for Air & Grace, which look smart with a navy a-line below- the-knee length wool skirt that I originally envisioned being a perfect office-to-dinner item.

If there is no office for the foreseeable it doesn’t matter – it’s a classic and will look right whenever they reopen.  Since it’s still so warm I am also wearing flatform sandals – a reminder to keep my feet suitably groomed, which is always a good thing…

Any shoe that doesn’t offer 360 degree function, any heel that gets ruined in a grate or a pavement crack, any toe shape that tortures your toes now seems archaic. I don’t wish the heel harm and I know there are some women, such as Victoria Beckham, who couldn’t wait to get back into them after lockdown. Right now, I’m just not one of them. Lisa Armstrong

2. Non-stretch jeans

Oof. Just no. While I can’t claim to have been the biggest fan of non-stretch denim before March, I definitely cannot imagine opting to button myself into them anytime soon. All that rigid, high-waisted, button-fly business sounds like booty imprisonment, and who wants that? No, I’ll stick with my body-skimming dresses, silky joggers (elasticated waists, but make it fashion) and midi-skirts for now, thank you very much. We’re already suffering enough without punitive denim. Emily Cronin

3. Leather jackets and shackets

After months of sitting on a leather sofa and chair to work from home, I feel like I have literally become part of the furniture from 9 to 5. So the last thing I want to wear or even feel the texture of is leather. Once upon a time I would have gone hell for leather because it's the one fabric that almost feels the same regardless of the brand. One upside; saying goodbye to my leather jacket and shackets will relieve me from that sticky feeling of the fabric that makes my every move sound like an ASMR video on TikTok. However, I will be wearing the good subtle cousin of leather: suede. Hikmat Mohammed

4. Bras

Previously I'd plump for a different bra based on my outfit choice each day: a slim-fit knit called for a front-clasp option so there were no digging straps in my back, while a silk blouse called for a smoothing T-shirt one that wouldn’t show up underneath. I had backless, strapless, seamless, ‘nude’ and low-cut options, all of which have barely had a look-in over the past six months. I favoured oversized shirting and loose knits while working-from-home, and it meant I could embrace bralettes: the soft, pretty kind in pastel hues that are more about style than function. Going without one entirely isn't an option, but a comfortable, unwired bra in a cheering hue has quickly become my go-to. Krissy Turner

5. Practical clothing

In the times ‘BC’ (Before Covid) my uniform was a pair of jeans, trainers and a shirt and blazer. I spent my working life running around, from meeting-to-meeting and on set at photoshoots, rarely sitting still. The past 6 months, however,  has largely been spent behind a desk in my spare bedroom, and rather than slipping into a pair of joggers every day, I have relished the opportunity to wear all those things that were just too impractical before.

Not having to go anywhere means those 5 inch heels are finally getting a look in: you can also change them the second they become uncomfortable; the party dress that you’re never quite sure when to wear: the top half looks great on Zoom, the bottom half was always a little too short; and those enormous door-knocker earrings which always felt a bit OTT now pep up that boring white t-shirt. And if you don’t wear those impractical pieces now, you never will. Sophie Warburton

6. Formal wool coat

There was a slightly cooler day early in September for which I, prematurely, decided that it was time to break out my winter coat again. On my walk into the office it was clear that a wool coat was a terrible idea as we headed towards an end of the summer heatwave, and not only that, I felt overdressed.

After months of throwing on a jumper to go to the shops or a puffa jacket when we went into lockdown in March, my tailored-style wool coat seemed too formal as everyone emerged wearing hoodies and Birkenstocks. I’m saving up the days for when I can slip into my more dressy outerwear, but for the moment, my trusty trench coat and puffa jacket will be doing all the hard work. Sophie Tobin

7. Shirts

Before Covid I used to live in shirts, and I had a formula for how to wear them; which looked best paired with certain trousers depending on their length, fit and fabric. For me, shirts were the perfect way to feel smart enough for a work environment without being too uncomfortable, and they became my staple. After a hot summer spent in my flat working on the sofa or on the balcony I have consistently worn some form of gym attire, whether or not I actually planned on exercising.

On the few occasions I have dressed up since lockdown started, I have enjoyed discovering the long forgotten things in my wardrobe that I simply didn’t have time to try on and style. I now look forward to getting dressed on the days I’m not at home and relish the idea of trying a new outfit each time. I think I have finally outgrown my old uniform. Tona Stell

8. Blazers

One item that just doesn’t feel ‘right for now?’ The power blazer. Firstly because everyone feels pretty powerless, and secondly because where is left to wear one, when working from home doesn’t require a suit? Pre-pandemic, blazers were a bestseller for designers - ‘perfect’ tailored jackets were a mainstay in most collections. I would wear them with everything from party dresses to jeans, they made every outfit feel instantly pulled together. But rather than something exceptionally fitted, my jacket of choice for this autumn is a big old parka, which I’ll wear if and when I venture outside, over a cardigan. My new season wardrobe is soft, not sharp, this time around. Caroline Leaper

9. Party dresses

Of course I wore a lot of dresses over the summer. Seriously, who didn’t? But they were of the loose cotton variety that sat somewhere between a beach cover-up, a nightie and a toga with sleeves. What I didn’t wear once was the sort of zips-bows-and-frills dress I accrued a wardrobe full of since my friends all started getting married. And as the cold weather begins, I can’t imagine I’ll be wearing any of their winter variations either – the slightly sexy, nipped-in waist, shows-your-legs dress you pick for a party with more than six guests, or a date you definitely hope will end after 10pm. I miss the way they made me feel – but in retrospect they were never that comfortable. Melissa Twigg

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What have you stopped wearing in the past six months? Tell us in the comments section below