A Fashion Editor’s Work-From-Home Style Diary

- March 26, 2020

To show what real-life fashion looks like during the coronavirus pandemic’s era of social distancing and self-quarantine, FN is taking a look inward — at what its own editors are wearing. In a new series, Work From Home Style Diary, FN Style Director Shannon Adducci chronicles her own fashion choices while she is able to work remotely.

I’m starting to get used to this.

New York’s stay-at-home mandates for nonessential workers have only been in effect since last week, but I have been in self-quarantine for 21 days now. When I landed at New York’s JFK Airport on March 3 after spending time in Italy and France for Milan and Paris Fashion Weeks, I took an Uber straight home to my apartment in Brooklyn, locked the door and stayed there for a week. I took the situation seriously, working from home, ordering groceries on Amazon, doing video workouts from my yoga mat and only leaving the apartment to go on a few runs either early in the morning or late at night, when I knew there wouldn’t be as many people out on the street.

It was towards the end of my own self-quarantine that I realized that this would become the new way of life for myself and millions of other people for a longer period of time. On March 10, FN’s parent company PMC announced that anyone who was able to work from home would need to do so. My partner and I decided at that point to leave New York City and drive two hours north to our house in the Catskill Mountains, a property that we usually rent out on Airbnb throughout the year; it is now our home for the time being.

We count ourselves exceedingly lucky that we are able to be here, and to be able to do our jobs, too. We have space, good WiFi, a kitchen full of food to last weeks and the ability to take our dog for long runs and hikes with no one else in sight. There is a peacefulness here that I’ve come to appreciate exponentially in the past few weeks.

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WFH fit, upstate edition – in a makeshift bunk bed office #socialdistancing #workfromhome #catskills

A post shared by Shannon Adducci (@shannonadducci) on Mar 23, 2020 at 5:25am PDT

The change in location has inevitably forced me to shift gears in what I’m wearing during the work day. I started the month in Paris wearing thing like a green corduroy jumpsuit, a mustard trench coat, wide leg pinstriped pants, mesh pumps and python knee boots. Now, the only height in my shoes comes from the chunky rubber soles on the Sorel snow boots I wear to take the dog outside in the mornings (it’s still very much winter in the Catskills). To be honest, fashion has been one of the last things on my mind lately — the fashion industry and how it will weather the economic impact, yes, but personal style and what I am wearing, not so much.

But I am a big believer in having a wardrobe that lives in harmony with your surroundings. It should not come at the expense of any personal style pillars, but rather, I see it as a chance to live out any fantasies one may have of a particular space, location or time. It’s the same reason why people have so much fun packing for a vacation.

This was my philosophy when I purchased a vintage robe-style cardigan on Etsy in January. I had come to the conclusion that I was in need of a ’70s-era ski sweater for weekends in the Catskills, preferably one of the Pendleton persuasion. After hours of research and learning that there was a valuable market for vintage Ralph Lauren Navajo-inspired sweater coats (with prices going into the thousands) I settled on a no-name cream-and-tan version that was priced right and also slightly resembled the famous Pendleton sweater that Jeff Bridges wore in “The Big Lebowski.” (For those wondering, the brand has reintroduced the Westerly sweater for men, women and even dogs.)

My vintage sweater has become a regular piece in my new work-from-home wardrobe, not necessarily because it makes me feel more professional but because it fits in with my surroundings. Paired with black denim, it feels just dressed up enough for my work day at home — but it’s in sync with my reality.

I’ve been wearing the sweater with a pair of Birkenstock Arizona sandals in tan suede and lined in cream shearling that I’ve found to be a good substitute for a slipper or house shoe. I’ve had them for a few years now and quite honestly, they’re really all I wear when I’m here. In the summer I slide them on to go to yoga classes and I wear them outside while roasting marshmallows by campfires. In the winter, I clean them off and use them as indoor slippers, paired with cotton slub socks. They feel both practical and decadent, like self care for your feet. We all need a little of that right now.