Introduction

What we wear is often defined by where we are going, what we are doing, who we are going to see, who is going to see us. As I have been stuck in my house for quarantine, I have found that the urge to dress up hasn’t gone away, even as there is no one to see me. I decided to funnel this desire to wear regular clothes, going out clothes, work clothes even, into a photo project. “What I Would’ve Worn” is a series of photographs documenting outfits I planned to wear to events that have been canceled or indefinitely postponed.

Partially inspired by the photos and videos of high school students showing off the prom outfits they won’t get to wear, “What I Would’ve Worn” is about missed opportunities. It is about the emotion behind social isolation and the ways we try and battle loneliness. This project is about me, and how I am dealing with the world right now.

To create these photographs, I compiled a list of events I have missed and planned an outfit for each. For each event I styled my hair and did makeup the way I would’ve had I actually been going out, and imitated actions I’d likely have done. I posed in front of an off-white background to give uniformity to the photos.

Taking these photos has been a catharsis of sorts for me and I hope that others can relate to this project and feel comfortable sharing their own photos and stories.