Have you realized we have been in quarantine for over six months? Half a year really goes by while you’re stuck at home with limited activities to do. Who knows where your mind can take you in such boredom? 

My last official day at school was a sad day. I was wearing khakis and a navy polo, the uniform of my school. I was feeling a lot of emotions, the biggest being sadness. I was sad that the Coronavirvus has officially taken over our lives. I had a lot to process that day, especially how this pandemic was actually real and affecting a lot of people. I didn’t know what was ahead of me, but if there was one silver lining, it would be that I knew, for sure, I was going to change for the better. Quarantine gave me a lot of time to adjust, to think about who I am and whether I like this version of myself. 

As a few months of quarantine went by, I wanted to know if my friends were going through the same thing, how they are feeling or adjusting to the “new normal”, and whether their views and aspects of life had changed. 

“Quarantine taught me how to be myself… it made me realize the different aspects of life that I had little consideration of.” Freshman Jannat Dbilij shared. 

“My fashion has definitely changed a lot over quarantine… I got a lot more into making my own clothes.” Senior Maddie Vassalo said. 

This prompted me to ask the question: How was people’s sense of style developed over the course of quarantine? 

“Before quarantine, I found myself wearing a lot of sweats and pajamas. With the heavy workload and long school hours, I never really had much time to socialize and have time to myself, but when I did, I just wanted to relax, and my clothes showed it,” Current Wilson freshman, Josie Schneider, said. 

I found this a recurring theme. People wore sweats and did not have much time to think about fashion before quarantine; however, as of now, people are more likely to direct their attention to fashion and to follow the “trends.” 

During school, many people were sick and tired of waking up early to get ready for the day (I am guilty of this too, you’re not alone). As a result, they would often go for a more natural and less complicated makeup look, or simply not wear any makeup at all. Yet throughout quarantine, some old styles of makeup and beauty, for example, bright pops of color and winged eyeliner, have come back.

In addition, while travel is restricted by quarantine, ideas aren’t, thanks to social media. I’m sure many of you have heard of, or even use Tiktok, Pinterest, or Instagram, where ideas are expressed in various forms. Many people like to express themselves through their clothing, makeup, hair, and their ways of doing this also varies. Back in March, I was a completely different person. The ideas I got from social media inspired me to go on a closet clean-out and buy new clothes to completely change my style. Eventually, I got to the point where I needed to dye my hair… and I did! These changes have made me feel more like myself than I did 6 months ago, and most importantly, I have a greater sense of self – confidence. 

Overall, quarantine has helped people develop their inner beauty and confidence through style, makeup, and a different perspective to life. I hope fashion trends will keep emerging and developing for the better, allowing everyone to better express themselves. However, I do think as schools start to reopen, people might go back to wearing comfortable basic clothes to feel safe and comfy out in public.