We are working obviously! We are working from home (WFH). Our families know that, our colleagues know that. Our simple Iron box though, is unaware. It is wondering why haven’t we humans ironed our office clothes for the past 2 weeks? Akin to the iron box, I have been asking a few questions too.
Are we being conditioned for a new way of life? A lot of us have been asking ‘The What Next’ question. Well, for starters, we will see lot of changes in appearances. Some of us will walk out of the lockdown resembling our ancestors in cave mode, long bearded men and no blow-dried hair women, the curly ones. (oh ya, I have thing for that!) The next, probably may be finding out how comfortable we are working in casual clothes. As a dear friend remarked, I want to burn all my black dresses and stilettos and wear dungarees & sneakers, I don’t want a Red Ferrari, I want freedom to cycle to work!
I have been a sneaker guy for a while, but I do wear a crisp ironed white shirt with my denims for my formal meetings. Like a hairstyle change for humans, a dress code change is a life changing moment. As I spend these summer days working in & working out of Athlos’ Bamboo Tees, will I care for the crisp white shirts anymore? Yes, I have a few pounds of fat to burn before I look suave in tees!
I read somewhere that in 2020 many fashion houses were focusing on suits/ formal wear and less athleisure. But then hey, 2020 had different plans for all of us, did it not? In an article Fast Company talks about how fashion can play an important role in social distancing, in the Victorian-era Crinoline, popular in the 19th century the large hoop skirt & large hats were used to create a barrier between the genders in social settings. Today, a mask signals, “Stay Away!” In 2020, we have the “Be a Batman” suit developed by Chinese architect Dayong Sun. Sun views the PVC shield as a wearable building, which creates a physical barrier between you and viruses that might be flying at your body.
Then, we have ‘Love’! Have you watched the now viral ‘The Quarantine Love Story’? On March 22,2020, Jeremy Cohen from Brooklyn, New York, managed to find a way to ask his neighbour on a date despite being confined to his apartment - thanks to a drone and a handwritten note. For the date, Cohen dressed in an inflatable bubble so that he could meet Tori while protecting himself from the virus. “Hope she doesn't burst my bubble!” he said while the financial bubbles created by the banks & hedge funds were busted this March worldwide.
In entertaining you with these tiny amuse-worthy stories, have I forgotten the Iron Box I started with? Nopes! In fact, the technical definition of how ironing works is what started this thread in my head. Ironing works by loosening the bonds between the long chain molecules in the fibers of the material. While the molecules are hot, the fibers are straightened by the weight of the iron, and they hold their new shape as they cool. May be just maybe, we are ironing our social relationships, our styles of working, our outlook and our worlds. Loosening up those long-formed bonds to help us give new shapes to a few of them in sometime.
So then here we are my dear iron box! The crisp white shirt will be back soon, and we all are working, but as of now, it is likely that I will be comfortable in my bamboo tees till this is over.
P.S : The first known use of heated metal to "iron" clothes is known to have occurred in China centuries back, so is the “Be a Batman” suit in 2020. Coincidences anyone? Anything is possible!
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