What? Why should I bother to dress up? No one’s going to see me at home, except for my kids and/or my dogs.
Good question. Now that working from home is here to stay, we all probably have a different idea of what an appropriate work outfit looks like. Raise your hand if you’ve been working in sweats or pj’s all this time. (Heck, I’ll be the first.)
But let’s face it. There’s something about getting dressed for work in the mornings. We might not miss commuting to work, but don’t you sometimes look back wistfully on the days looking and feeling more put-together during working hours?
Apparently, there’s a good reason for that. You see, getting out of your pj’s and into work clothes is an establishing routine. It sends a signal to your brain to shift into work mode. Plus, dressing up in a neat, crisp ensemble just gives you confidence that pj’s and sweats won’t.
And when you’re already having difficulty drawing the line between your personal and professional life at home, every little gesture helps.
So, in the interest of helping our dear clients make the most out of WFH set-ups, here are some tips to help you stay on track, sartorially speaking:
1. Plan your outfits beforehand.
It would take the stress out of your mornings, certainly. No more frantic “What’ll I wear???” moments.
You don’t have to plan your outfits a week in advance. (Though if this works for you, hey, we’re not judging.) Laying out your work clothes the night before works just as well.
You don’t even need to go straight to wearing full-on business attire either. Baby step it by going for sweaters and leggings or even denim jeans. You can move on to the more formal stuff later on, if you’d like.
2. Incorporate some themes to make things fun.
Speaking of things that’ll help you decide what to wear, themes can be both helpful and fun. For instance, you could wear black on Mondays, checkered prints on Tuesdays, plaid on Wednesdays, and so on.
If you have regular video meetings, you can even try to get your colleagues in on it for added fun. (And, well, added motivation to actually put in an effort.)
3. Declutter your closet.
Having to choose an outfit from an overflowing closet can be overwhelming. So, take ten minutes a day to sort through your clothes. Set aside the ones you haven’t worn in a while or no longer fit and put them in a box for donations.
Got a bit more energy and time to spare? Try organizing your closet by color or category (e.g., tops, pants, skirts, outerwear, etc).
Who knows? You might even find some long-forgotten pieces that are back in style today. Or find inspiration from finally viewing all the clothes you own.
4. Organize your closet using an app.
Image Credit: Youtube
Yes, there is an app for that. Smart Closet, for instance, lets you take photos of your clothes and create outfits from them. You can even try mixing and matching what you own with clothes from retailers in case you need to buy new clothes soon.
5. Try out different OOTD’s.
Since no one else will see you at home, now’s the perfect time to try out some fresh new looks. Been wanting to wear thigh-high boots with that ruffled skirt? Want to add those big, dangling earrings to your white shirt and jeans uniform? Knock yourself out.
Hopefully, you’ll have some new ootd’s to debut once this is all over.
6. Bring out your favorite clothes and wear them often.
Every day of working at home can be a daily fashion show if you want it to be. So, put on those jeans that make your butt look good, that sweater that brings out your eyes, or anything else that can make you look in the mirror and go, “Dam, I look great today.”
Look good, feel good, and kick @$$ at work while you’re at it.
7. Yes, do wear pants (or bottoms, for that matter).
Sure, your colleagues or the people you meet with on Zoom won’t see them, but you might as well go the whole nine yards. Plus, think of it this way. If you need to go to the bathroom mid-meeting, you won’t have to feel awkward about getting up right there.
Same goes for greeting delivery personnel at the door. You won’t have to scramble to put on your pants if you’ve already got them on.
8. Care for your pj’s.
They’re built for sleep, not for taking a beating as you work all day. Please, please treat these babies with respect and use them only when the sun goes down. They’ll last longer in your closet that way too.
9. Do your hair and skincare too, while you’re at it.
If you really want to take things to the next level (and look camera-ready in the process), do your hair too. Ditto for your skincare and/or makeup. I personally still like to spray on my favorite perfume even if I’m just working from home. Anything that makes you feel more put-together will help you be more productive.
10. Give yourself permission to slack off once in a while.
Of course, there will still be days when you simply CAN’T. You or someone in your family could be sick and with a deadline looming over the horizon, getting out of your robe or sweats will feel a bit too much. And that’s okay.
Just don’t make a habit out of it when things are otherwise more manageable.
You know what else would help you establish a better work-life balance? Delegating repetitive and routine tasks to an effective Filipino team.
With over a decade’s worth of experience in the remote work industry, Remote Staff has accumulated a rich pool of the best Filipino remote talent out there…along with the infrastructure and the skills to train and onboard them properly so you won’t have to.
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Serena has been working remotely and writing content for the better part of the last decade. To date, she's written for Pepper.ph and Mabuhay Magazine, among others, and has churned out more than a thousand articles on everything from The Basics of Stock Market Investing to How to Make Milk Tea-Flavored Taho at home. Hermits, aspiring hermits, and non-hermits with interesting project propositions may email her at serena.estrella10@gmail.com.
