If you’re working from home and struggling to stay productive and get your buttcheeks off the couch, here’s one of the most important things I’ve learned in my the last almost 4 years working from home as a freelancer: what you wear matters!
Yes, you’re home and you want to do the things you usually do at home: wear comfy clothes, watch Netflix, and snack on junk food. That’s why it’s so important to distinguish your work time from your time off, and clothing is one of the simplest ways to do that.
While working from the couch in your PJs is the ultimate dream that motivates many people to become freelancers, we all soon realize that kind of lifestyle only exists in stock photos, not irl.
I put on my normal work clothes every day which helps me remind myself that it’s time to work. It’s that simple. If you wear loungewear, you’ll want to lounge, but in workwear, you’re supposed to work.
But work from home dressing is an art that’s hard to master. Yes, you want to be put together, however, you can (if you want to) avoid all the unnecessary and uncomfortable workwear rules you need to follow at a workplace (blazers, uncomfortable shoes, and such).
So here are 7 work from home outfit ideas you can try out, get inspiration from, and see what works for you the best!
Photo: @ccatslowsdown1. Jeans + White Button-Up + Cardi
There’s just something about a crisp white button-up shirt that says “let’s get sh*t done”. Even if you pair it with more comfortable and casual clothes like a pair of jeans and a cardigan. It’s the perfect mixture of comfort and productivity.
Photo: @chloe.kian2. Smart Casual
Smart casual style is more informal and comfortable than business professional, but more neat and professional than casual style. In my opinion, that’s the sweet spot you should be aiming for when working from home. But fortunately, there is no dress code for working from home (except for business calls, and zoom meetings maybe) so you can dress even more casually if you want to until it doesn’t make you feel unproductive.
Photo: @alisa.koz3. Black Turtleneck
Do I need to say more? A black turtleneck looks polished, but it’s also very comfortable. It should be one of your work from home staples.
Photo: @inspiredbyel4. Activewear
This might seem contradictory at first, but activewear actually works great for working at home. Especially if you have a matching set. Workout wear is so comfortable I understand if you don’t really want to wear anything else, and with a matching set, it looks like a nice outfit. If you usually hang out at home in your workout clothes and want to work in them too, maybe dedicate your nicest sets for work time.
For affordable sustainable activewear recommendations check out:
- Girlfriend Collective: The Best Activewear Brand To Shop Right Now
- Cute Eco-Friendly Activewear Brands You Can Actually Afford
Photo: @countercultureliz5. Hair, Makeup, Accessories
Do your hair, makeup, and add accessories, but only for yourself. Yes, you can wear fancy jewelry at home, and makeup, and wear any hairstyle just because you want to look good when you look in the mirror. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to look good for yourself, actually, it’s the only valid reason to want to look good. But it’s also fine leaving these things out and save yourself some time in the morning if they don’t “bring you joy”.
Photo: @giuliachiri6. Be Yourself
As cheesy as it sounds, it so important to find your own style and figure out what do you like wearing. Since there are no dress codes at home, it can be very challenging at first, but in the long term, it’s what makes dressing up only for yourself interesting, fun, and not like a chore or an inconvenience.
Photo: @_sarahchuck7. Find Your Own Work From Home Uniform
Take the tips from above and try them out, experiment, and take notes of what you like the most. There’s no one fit-for-all solution, some people will like to have a more relaxed and casual style, and some need to wear more formal clothes in order to feel more productive.
After a few weeks of experiments, trials and errors, you’ll be able to identify one or two reoccurring items, colors, or even complete outfits you just enjoy wearing. That’s your work from home uniform, that’s the outfit formula you can rewear over and over.
Do you have a work from home uniform? What is it? Let us know in the comments!
