This week, I got an email from fashion brand, Theory, telling me how to “dress from the waist up”, and showcasing a series of really cool jackets. Of course, the models were dressed beautifully waist down too, which is more than I can say for most of us now living life from the waist up.
I have to confess to a certain sense of freedom in not having to worry about matching tops and bottoms these days. Long as you look good from the waist, who cares, except when you forget you’re on screen and you get up to walk around – and we’ve seen many of those videos.
I am no fashionista but now, I have to think, will the top I am wearing clash with my wall colour? My painting? I got an email the other day from someone who was watching one of our WiT Virtuals and she wanted me to take a photo of one of my paintings because she could only see a part of it on screen.
That makes me wonder when money runs out from ordering all those expensive delivery meals, could I turn my wall into an art gallery and sell my paintings?
I now wish I have white walls because white goes with everything, and everyone I see on Zoom these days seems to have white walls or well-stocked bookcases behind them.
I suppose I could be like Kevin May, my comrade at Phocuswire, who always wears black – it goes well with his kids’ playroom-turned-home office, which is painted yellow and coral.
But even guys are thinking more about fashion these days. I am probably telling tales out of school but Jay Boehmer, my other comrade in arms at The Beat, BTN Group, told me he dressed up for our WiT Virtual by putting on a shirt with a collar. And Arnie Weissmann, the editorial boss at Travel Weekly, told me he deliberately picked red for me.
I like how Covid-19 is making us more fashion-conscious – after all, if you only have half of your body to play with, you should make the most of it.
And then there’s hairdressers. New York’s governor, Andrew Cuomo, who’s become more of a celebrity than Perry Como these days, does not believe hairdressers are an essential service and a hair salon owner in Texas is facing jail time for opening during lockdown.
In Singapore, we disagree. One of the essential services that’s reopening May 12, with the easing of Circuit Breaker restrictions, are barbers – haircuts only, no lingering over colouring or perms allowed.
Haircuts are seen by women as the quickest way to get a lift in spirit – and oh man, do we all need that right now.
Men need it too. Again back to The Beat’s Boehmer – when asked what’s the startup he would invest in during our WiT Virtual session, he imagined an AI-powered headgear that could cut hair.
The biggest disappointment in Singapore is that shops selling bubble tea will not be allowed to reopen until June 1. This is a big deal because they were the hottest-selling item up to Circuit Breaker lockdown. Google “where to get bubble tea during Circuit Breaker” and you get lists upon lists.
Like hair cuts, bubble tea lifts spirits as well.
In place of bubble tea, we in travel can gratify ourselves with the expectation of “bubble travel” coming to our rescue. This is how experts see travel restarting – between “Covid safe bubbles” one by one, as each nation emerges from restrictions.
Unfortunately, governments have the final say on which bubble they will open up to and they will be the first to shut borders, should reinfection occurs.
Never have so many been restricted by so few. You have to wonder when that bubble will pop.
Till then, we will have to continue living life from the waist up, have more bubble baths and dream of all the flavours of travel that await us.
• Featured image credit: VictorGrow/Getty Images