Looking Good While Working from Home
The global pandemic has obligated us to continue our social-distancing pledge, which translates to the ‘work-from-home’ concept for many of us. This begs the question, “What should I wear to work in my kitchen/bedroom/living room?” or “How do I curate a wardrobe to keep me looking good while working from home?” Following five years of being a travel, beauty, and fashion writer, I’m confident that I have mastered the art of deciphering the work-from-home dress code. Read on for the ultimate guide on what to wear when working from home!
I reminisce my time before my blogging days, where I would wake up early to leave myself with plenty of time to get ready before leaving for work. I had a set morning routine that marked the beginning of a fresh day filled with high levels of energy and enthusiasm. This time allocated to getting ready and travelling was eliminated for me once I struck out on my own. I’m not going to lie, although it felt good to follow my passion, the main obstacle I faced during my transition from a corporate worker to a full-time work-from-home blogger was the loss of routine.
Working from home really throws you off it and routine is difficult to achieve. The need to adapt to a new way of being or flexibility, if you will, was a boon as well as a bane. Figuring out the ropes of handling everything on my own ~ scheduling client meetings with Brand and PR representatives {both virtual and in person} what with my packed calendar, managing finances, and yes, figuring out my work-from-home wardrobe ~ was a task!
Now, working exclusively from home since early 2020 {read: completely shunning physical contact with the outside world}, these home etiquettes have become even more important for my work; creative writing at my work area {like I am right now}, prepping for a shoot, curating visual content, taking client meetings on Zoom, and appreciating quality time during much-needed breaks with Vikram. Since they all have a separate dress code, and I believe that being in the right outfit makes a lot of difference ~ my everyday wardrobe ranges from a put-together look for my shoots to striking the right balance between elegance and poise for a conference call, to {let’s be honest} being dressed comfortably enough for an afternoon of relaxation on the couch. Of course, we all love to feel comfortable, so the mix of fashion and function helped me get the best of both worlds when choosing work looks.
Of course, balancing between looking presentable for virtual meetings and being comfortable enough to lounge at home was an elaborate process of trial and error, thus, in my opinion, I have pretty much aced the possible combination of outfits. Although, these uncertain times have made me push further and experiment with my look even more, and that’s what you should do as well.
I would absolutely encourage you to make the effort to:
Dress As Per Your Mood
Fashion allows us to be versatile, i.e. we have the freedom of dressing up according to our mood. And since I strongly believe that clothing gives us a sense of comfort, for me, dressing accordingly is vital. This translates to the right outfit giving me the morning push I need to ward off the laziness and avoid slouching all day when working at home. But this doesn’t mean compromising on comfort. My optimal work-from-home style, as with most things, is really all about finding this balance based on my mood, and creating and maintaining a daily routine is the most important aspect.
Choose Colours To Boost Your Mood
How many of you have noticed that we frequently dress in colours that mirror our mind-set? Do pinks and purples brighten your day while greys make you gloomy? Our mood is greatly affected by our surroundings, and the colour of our outfit plays an equally important role. I personally love to dress in warmer tones like yellow, red or reddish-purples to brighten up my day and induce the right amount of enthusiasm in me. Whereas, I choose cooler tones when I want to feel relaxed and slow down my pace for the day. You can work out something similar by choosing colours that represent your emotional state. I assure you, you will get by your day very easily.
Make It Fun But Stylish
Staying at home, I definitely crave comfort, and so I find myself reaching out for cotton and linens ~ but that doesn’t mean I have to look like a “potato sack”. Summers encourage me to mix-and-match fashion pieces, such as wide-leg striped pants that can be teamed with a t-shirt or a pretty linen blouse, or a floral cotton dress worn with an accented slim belt for video calls. However, I love to dress cosily during winters. So, jeans with high neck tops pulled together with a jacket or blazer would be my go-to winter work look. Another thing we easily overlook is accessorizing our look ~ earrings, headbands, or belts can completely transform an outfit while helping one look stylish-yet-approachable.
To conclude: My final thoughts on what to wear when working from home would be to wear your own personality. As long as your outfit boosts your own confidence, you can pull off anything and look great in it. So now, take this newfound confidence up for a spin and enjoy a work-from-home life in style!
Do you think it’s important to get dressed when working from home? Share your thoughts with me in the comments below!