Let me first assure you that I do not think that lockdown was one of the best things to happen in 2020. But the fact is that it happened – and continues to happen – to most of us and coping with the situation has become an important life skill. So I wanted to briefly mention some things that have started or continued to make sense in lockdown – either to do or to buy or to enjoy.

Two of those things, books and skincare, I have already covered in my separate best of posts. These are probably self-explanatory categories: reading is an activity that doesn’t require leaving one’s home. In fact, it’s often best done at home. It’s also relatively cheap and accessible and can be a great distraction in an challenging situation. Skincare, also, is a domestic activity and can be soothing for those who battle anxiety. And unlike makeup that many don’t bother with while at home, taking care of one’s skin remains relevant. But on to the things I haven’t yet tackled.

Exercise. One of my spending categories that actually increased during the lock-down was workout-related stuff. I bought gym equipment (although that 44kg kettlebell is still missing in transit), sports clothes, trainers, water bottles, you name it. I have absolutely zero buyer’s remorse, as I have been training 4-5 times a week constantly since March and walking 10 000 steps if not every day, then often enough. Don’t get me wrong, I am not going to judge anyone who hasn’t been working out. What I’m saying is that while cocktail dresses may not be the thing to invest in right now, Lucas Hugh or Ernest Leoty gym gear definitely is. And kettlebells.

Loungewear. I know, the entire internet is full of trackpant memes, but there is no denying that comfortable clothes make sense when one is working from home. I love nice garments and workwear is one of my favourite categories, but I am not going to wear a sheath dress for a Skype meeting, I really am not. At the Commission, we keep our cameras turned off most of the time, to avoid overloading the system. So a cashmere set is an entirely appropriate WFH outfit in my view: soft, comfortable, warm – and presentable enough if you are unexpectedly asked to show your face. My only issue with this uniform is that I have a ridiculously large collection of cashmere sweaters and only two pairs of cashmere trousers (I got the Loulou Studio ones pictured on sale). I plan to amend the situation, though, and also get this fabulous dressing gown for non-work moments.

Outerwear. At the other end of the spectrum are clothes to wear outside. If you are like me and walk every day, coats and jackets still qualify as a sensible purchase. And as you are not really going anywhere where you’d remove said coats and jackets, you can easily wear them on top of that cashmere set (or whatever loungewear you prefer) I talked about in the previous paragraph. It’s probably not surprising that even with outerwear, I have gravitated towards the more casual stuff. I wear my Uniqlo puffer more than I ever thought I would (I am planning to get a fancier one, but cannot decide which one) and even my ‘nice’ coat of the season is very flowy and comfortable.

Sneakers. You may think that this belongs in the exercise section, but it doesn’t. In addition to proper gym shoes I have also bought two pairs of sneakers that are definitely not fit for sport. In fact, both pairs are by Balenciaga and are utterly unsuited for any activity that even resembles a workout. There is a logic to it, though. Perhaps not one you’d subscribe to, but there is one. My Balenciaga sneakers are now my fancy shoes. As I’m mostly going out for long walks, I am not going to wear anything with heels. Most of the time I will be wearing my Nikes, as they are the absolutely comfiest thing around. But if I am going to the nice takeaway coffee place or meeting a friend in the park, I may want to signal some kind of effort or elevate my extremely casual clothes somehow. And what can I say, fancy sneakers work perfectly well for that. So basically my shoe spectrum has gone from Gucci loafers (the casual end)/12-cm golden stilettos (fancy end) to Nike sneakers (casual end)/Balenciaga sneakers (fancy end).

Food. I never quite got to the sourdough stage, but I maintain that food is one of the pleasures of the lockdown, although it is a chore as well. Even if cooking isn’t something you enjoy, buying good quality, tasty food is in my opinion always a worthy investment. As we cannot travel, reading and cooking are two of the easiest ways to pretend you are somewhere else. In recent weeks, I have made Ukrainian borscht (three times), Afghan and Uzbek palaw/pilaf, Romanian sausages, French rabbit stew and Russian buckwheat blinis with caviar. I have also bought Skye McAlpine’s Table for Friends which, you could argue, is the absolute worst cookbook to buy right now. But I have honestly found it inspiring rather than depressing (it helps that the book is gorgeous and the recipes are simple but glamorous).

Perfume. I have seen people argue that there is no point to wear perfume if there’s no one to smell it. This of course goes entirely against my scent philosophy. Not that it isn’t nice when others enjoy your perfume (in fact, I have recently received a couple of compliments for scents that are rather complex and not obviously likeable and this has made me so happy – and inspired long rants about the perfumes in question), but the main point of fragrance for me is that I want to smell it myself. Like reading, this is probably best done at home, because you can wear exactly what you want and however much you want. My perfume buying has calmed down significantly in recent years and in lockdown in particular, but I have been wearing what I own, when I’m in the mood. Incidentally, today I made my first scent purchase in months, finally getting Neela Vermeire’s Trayee that has been on my wishlist for more than five years.

Hamilton. I know many people have survived the lockdown thanks to Netflix or TV in general. I have still not embraced that form of entertainment (it’s not because I don’t want to, it’s because I already don’t have enough time), but I did watch Hamilton when it was launched on Disney+ in Belgium. Dear friends, if you take away ONE THING from this post, let it be this: watch Hamilton. It is my favourite cultural experience of 2020 in any genre and make no mistake, I read some fantastic books last year. If you are not familiar with the piece of brilliance that is Hamilton, it’s a rap musical about Alexander Hamilton, one of the founding fathers of the US and the architect of its financial system. Yes, you heard that right. It is genius, its creator Lin-Manuel Miranda is a genius and pretty much everyone involved in the production of it is a genius. I usually don’t get upset when people don’t like books that I love. But if you watch Hamilton and don’t like it… I’m not sure we can be friends.

What has kept you going through the pandemic? What have you been buying and what have you given up?

(Things I have given up for now: footwear with heels, structured clothes, most makeup, earrings (because they don’t work with a mask), sunglasses (ditto), work bags, occasionwear (with the exception of the dress I bought for the NYE), alcohol.)

The photos are from the summer when Estonia was pretty much virus-free. I’m earing a Massimo Dutti silk shirt, Loulou Studio cashmere tracksuit bottoms and Gucci loafers. The photos are taken by Laura Nestor at the Pärnu Rannahotell, MUAH by Lembe Lemmiksoo.