Dispatch from Covid Central

Everyone came tumbling down

Audio Accompaniment

IN SICKNESS

Well, it’s been a minute since we last spoke.  Over the last week, an endless supply of Substack ideas have come and gone and I couldn’t capture any of them because my fingers wouldn’t cooperate.  Nor would any of the other parts of my body.  I tested positive for COVID nine days ago and it’s been pretty rough.  In early July, my son took a trip out west to spend time with his friends and attend the Calgary Stampede and he brought the little bug back with him and lovingly shared it with all of us (he also shared his playlist with me for this post, so all is forgiven).

The family went down hard but none fell as hard as I did.  It’s my second time having it and it began the same way, sensitive nerves in my toes.  And if that didn’t give it away, I should have known something was up when I started to cry while watching Carrie trip on the runway in Sex and the City episode “The Real Me’ (season 4, episode 2). Fevers make me unreasonably weepy.  Everything made me cry.  Everything hurt.

I had never been well before.

At least, that’s how I felt while I was in the thick of it.  And then the worry set in. I was falling behind in content and correspondence in what I deemed to be a “grave” way (where I thought my body might be headed too).  Algorithms don’t incorporate an illness forgiveness component and getting back online was of the utmost importance.  About five days into Covid, I thought I was on the mend and started to stand up.  Ridiculous.  My limbs felt like they weighed 100lbs each and were just discovering gravity.  I had to negotiate the stairs with extreme caution, like a toddler walking for the first time, gripping anything (and anyone) in sight.  I thought I was faring well but then came the fatigue and a secondary illness (we’re still trying to figure out exactly what this is).  My head felt like it was going to explode from pressure, the fever returned, I couldn’t swallow, and my breathing was laboured.  Back in bed I went with a very different attitude this time -- I simply didn’t care about anything.  I felt defeated and as it happens, it’s exactly what I needed.  To let go and let rest.  I watched reruns of Everybody Loves Raymond on a loop as I fell in and out of sleep (I was grateful to not have to chase sleep which has eluded me since menopause), I ate whenever and whatever I wanted, I stopped worrying (mostly) about having lost my Peloton streak, and engaged online only when I felt up to it.  I was also being waited on hand and foot and that was wonderful.  I laughed out loud when my husband returned from a Whole Foods chilli run with a croissant and magazine in hand and said, “Save this for later, it’s a treat.” 

It was even funnier when I realized he was referring to the magazine.  It had been decades since I’d read a tabloid, and I ate it up - guilt free.

I’m slowly coming out of it (I hope to not relapse again) and as it turns out, the world wasn’t waiting on me and everything is going to be ok.  And while I don’t wish to be ill like that again any time soon, I’d like to take one thing from it -- walking slowly.  They say the way we do one thing is the way we do everything.  If we talk fast, we walk fast, work fast, drive fast, think fast…and that’s true for me but I don’t think it’s entirely healthy.  Social media already hastens the pace of everything and when I add myself to the mix, things can get a little chaotic. I know this was a particularly bad strain, but I think another reason my body collapsed is because it was in dire need of rest.  The driver wasn’t paying attention to any of the signals, so the vehicle put itself in autopilot for some much-needed maintenance.  Rather than fight it, I’m going along for the slow ride because I know in no time, I’ll be back up to speed. 

IN HEALTH

Before I got sick, I recreated some runway looks with pieces from my closet.  Maybe it’ll inspire you to try something out and save a buck (or five thousand).   It’ll also help you figure out what you really want from new collections.  If you experiment but you’re only interested in doing it once, I wouldn’t be putting a whole lot of coin into the designer version of it.  Also, if you have the pieces to make some looks works but not others, your focus can shift to the gaps. 

Look 56/80 The Row Spring 2024 and my version

I was (and continue to be) really drawn to these rich earthy tones, the layering, the earrings, and the overall relaxed vibe.  It’s stylish, very comfortable, and works for both spring and fall. The only overlapping piece from my closet are the Hugo slides.  Swaps:  The Row Eglitta (I prefer them as they sit lower and wider) in lieu of Dan, TR Classic belt (this takes the look up a bit) in lieu of D Ring belt, Caroline (mine is the grey version) in lieu of fall’s updated Millerina (similar, but in all cashmere) over an old tee. An old Balenciaga weekender bag in Marron (strikingly similar in colour and here’s another one but in a deeper brown) in lieu of Gio, and the tricky piece, TR Bisbee scarf in lieu of Flo.  There’s no room in my budget for the impracticality of Flo. It’s gorgeous but that colour combined with suede, it’s bad news for me. I searched my closet for something in a similar shade and Bisbee was the closest. It’s not the most practical though. It’s heavy and without a belt, difficult to keep in place outside of a ten second photo timer…so I’m still looking for better alternatives. This could be nice.

Look5/46 The Row Spring 2025 and my version

I like the simplicity and ease of this one as well as the layers.  I’m always looking to layer an outfit, even when it’s warm outside.  And this is one of the many ways to do it. I wear full skirts and half skirts over pants during the year and while I prefer working with sheer and/or light fabrics, this worked out well. I wore an old The Row tee (can’t recall the name) but this is a good one, as is this one.  I don’t love the length of the tee on the model so I’d try a few styles. My skirt is Mango (size medium but I could have used a large) but again, lots of others to choose from.  I like this one and this one too. Same for the pants, mine are old from La Garçonne, but this pair would be nice (great weight for summer) and this pair would be nice for both seasons. I’ve ordered the Dune flip-flops but these would work (I’ve had a few pairs from this brand and they’re easy and decently comfortable). And I live in my Havaianas.  They accompany me on every trip I take – I wear them in hotel showers and they’re usually that extra pair of shoes I carry with me if I think my feet might start to blister.  Sunnies are old Chanel but these are cool.

The Row Look 22/46 and my version

I like a good boy meets girl outfit and this one nailed it.  You might be over vests but they’re still around and I won’t be parting with mine any time soon. I use them like one would a belt. They pull an outfit in at the waist, give me a little shape, and add an interesting element to a look. If you like them enough but don’t want them in the spotlight, I’d suggest moving them to the under-layers (peeking through a blazer or coat) or you might want to bypass this look altogether. I’m wearing an old COS waistcoat but this one looks good. The shirt is by La Collection. Florence, the designer, is as kind as she is talented. There are a few pieces I can’t say enough about and this is one of them. It’s the cotton and silk composition that makes it so special. The shape, the subtle stripes, and the feel, all make it the perfect, professional, pared back piece. I took size 0. My pants are old Studio Nicholson. They sit high and there’s a lot of fabric at the waist. This pair might work better and it’s in the same shade. These might work as well. I decided to complete the look with my Hook and Loop sandals by The Row. If you can get your hands on them, buy them. I did a review on YouTube a couple of years ago. They’re one of the few pairs I wear regularly from season to season (in the fall, just add socks) and they’re very comfortable.

That’s all I can manage for now. Speak soon.

N xo