How To Dress For Work From Home
So, you got your first “work from home” job and you’re wondering what you should wear while you’re working from home?
You may have thought that leaving the office behind meant that getting dressed was no longer an issue as most of the time when you’re working remotely, nobody can see you.
But that’s not always true and it can help with your success when working from home if you put together a simple business casual wardrobe for work clothes. Here’s why.
Do You Need A Working From Home Dress Code?
There is no law that says when you start working from home, you need to wear formal dress as you would in the office.
However, it can help to have some sort of dress code to wear when you work in your home office and these are some of the main reasons for that:
- When you dress well, it helps you feel as though you are working from home, rather than being at home. Changing your clothes can help you change your mindset from “I’m at home and having fun” to “I’m here to work from home.”
- It can help you bond with other employees. If you have regular video meetings, if you all wear something relatively similar then you can find it helps to create a feeling of “team”. That doesn’t mean having a suit, it just means dressing in a casual, but professional style rather than slobbing around in pajamas all day.
- It can make being truly casual in your free time more appealing. We’ve all worked in an office where you can wear what you want on a “dress down Friday” and it feels good to be dressed in your own clothing and personal style. But if you live in those clothes 24/7? It no longer feels special to wear them. In fact, some people say that when they wear a more business-like style at home, it helps to boost their productivity (though we’d recommend they try these hacks and tips if they want to shine too) and makes them feel like they’re working on something important.
The Ideal Contents Of A Professional Work From Home Wardrobe
Please note, we’re suggesting wearing a decent outfit when you work remote, but we’re not suggesting that you spend a fortune on suits, ties, etc.
All you need for most everyday remote positions are some outfits that look presentable on camera and which bring some balance between your home and office life.
A Nice Sweater/Jumper/Cardigan
You can mask all manner of fashion sins by wearing a cardigan, jumper, or sweater (depending on where you’re from) over the top of your day-to-day outfit.
You’ll look good on calls without spending a fortune on fashion.
Clean And Relatively Formal Jeans
Dressing in suit trousers at home is overkill but if you wear jeans every day (and this author does) they ought to, at least, be clean and presentable without holes in them.
This makes you feel like you’re on the job, rather than ready to veg out in front of the TV.
And nice jeans won’t damage your home office desk chair either.
Maybe A Jumpsuit?
I wouldn’t go to work in a jumpsuit but it can do the job instead of other clothing choices if you opt for something neat and well-presented rather than something that looks like it should be on the sports field.
Don’t be afraid to be you when you pick work clothing, it’s your work life, not mine.
Khaki Pants
Our tips of clothing could hardly be complete without a nod to khaki pants (or trousers or even a skirt, for that matter).
They might be bland but that means they can be worn with just about anything else in your wardrobe and they will still look reasonably professional on a call too.
A Shirt/A Plain T-Shirt
If any of these tips will elevate your online presence, it’s this one. If you see someone in a smart shirt or a neat, plain t-shirt on a call? It tells you they are taking you seriously and this is a good thing to communicate to all of your colleagues, clients, bosses, etc.
A Blazer
A blazer (you can ensure that a blaze never goes out of style with these Business Insider tips) is more versatile than a suit jacket and somehow it conveys that you’re both comfy and productive. That’s always a good look when you’re on camera with the virtual team.
You will, eventually, work out the right routine when working from home to make you feel good, cozy, and productive.
But to begin with, it can’t hurt to pay attention to what you look like and use that to drive your personal productivity.
Start the morning in decent shoes, with nice hair, and dressed to impress and you can’t go wrong.
