If you’re just starting your working from home adventure, you’re probably wondering what you’ll need in the way of clothes – will you need a whole new wardrobe?
I’d say comfort is the main thing to think about, but there are one or two other things to consider when creating your work from home wardrobe.
I don’t think you’ll need to buy a whole new set of outfits (unless you want to!). The information below should help you to decide which of the clothes you already own are suitable for your new way of working.
How Do The Clothes You Wear Make You Feel?
The first thing to consider is how the clothes you are wearing make you feel. When you look in the mirror, what sort of person is looking back at you?
Do your clothes make you feel that you are in control and ready for work? Or do they make you want to go back to bed, or laze on the sofa all day?
I think it is helpful to dress differently when you are working at home to when you are having a day off at home, or at the weekend.
This will give you a sub-conscious mental cue to feel more professional on your workdays. Also, it will allow you to feel more relaxed when you’re not working – it’s all too easy to be drawn back into your home office on your days off!
Who Will You Meet?
The second thing is to think if you will need to meet or talk face-to-face with anyone during the day. What sort of image do you wish to project to your colleagues or business contacts on Skype or FaceTime? Will you be doing any video conferences during the day?
I’d suggest more formal clothes if you’re going to be seen on camera – you don’t want to perpetuate the myth that people who work from home lounge around in pyjamas doing nothing all day!
Perhaps you need two sorts of clothes – the ones to wear on days when you are working from home on your own, and others to wear on days where you have video calls or meetings scheduled (or maybe accessories like a scarf or jewellery to “glamorise” your more relaxed outfits).
Even if you are working alone at home, there are also times when you will meet people in real life – collecting the kids from school, popping to the corner shop or garage, and so on. It’s worth making sure that you are wearing clothes that allow you to leave the house when you want to.
My Take On It…
I’ve been working from home for over 20 years now, and I like to think that I dress comfortably but reasonably smart.
The clothes I wear make me feel in the mood for work (without being uncomfortable) and project the correct image if I’m meeting someone or appearing on a video conference.
I choose to dress this way because I don’t want to feel like a person who can’t be bothered to get dressed properly in the morning.
I wouldn’t like to wear fitness clothes all day as I would feel I was about to go to the gym at any minute, and similarly, I wouldn’t like to wear pyjamas all day as I would feel that I was about to go to bed!
I like to wear clothes that make me feel respectable and competent, yet not so formal that I feel stiff and uncomfortable.
If I was planning to record an online course or video I would probably dress up a little more, as I like to project a more professional image for these sort of things.
In summer a t-shirt top, a long summer skirt and sandals are my standard outfit. To smarten it up, I would put on a light jacket or blazer, and long necklace.
In winter, I wear warmer clothes as we live in Scotland and often have rain or snow outside. A polo neck sweater, and a heavier weight skirt or coloured jeans are my usual outfit.
My absolute favourite winter item is my plain leather knee-high boots – perfect with trousers or skirts, and great if it’s raining and I want to just nip out and walk the dog!
If I want to dress up a bit in winter, a silk scarf knotted around my neck or shoulders, or a chunky necklace and earrings can add a bit of “glam”.
Of course that is my own style and everyone will have their own favourite outfits to wear.
Some will want to go more formal and dress up more, and of course others will not feel relaxed in those clothes and want to dress down more.
If you live in a warmer climate, you won’t need to have warm and cold season outfits.
That’s an entirely personal choice, but I hope the things I’m talking about here will make it easier for you to choose what to wear when you’re working from home.
As always, if you have any thoughts or comments about this, please let me know below. What is your favourite work from home outfit?
If you’ve enjoyed this article, please share it on Pinterest:
Thank you for this article! I do struggle with what to wear and often am wearing pyjamas. In fact, I have often joked about doing a course called ‘100K in Your PJs’. 🤣 And I do sometimes want to be wearing more ‘professional’ clothes while still being comfortable. This is great food for thought. 🙏
That’s a great name for a course Vanessa!
I love this! I work from home too and maintaining a good self image is still very important!
Glad you enjoyed it Laura.
Nice read, sometimes we don’t notice the importance of having a professional attire working from home.
It’s certainly helped me Shenna, so I wanted to share it.
Never thought about changing clothes when working from home! I’m usually in PJ’s – thanks for giving me a different perspective!
You’re welcome Anna – if you do try a different work-from-home outfit, please come back and share how you got on.