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7 Reasons Why You Should Dress Up to Work From Home

Posted by Jen Anderson on

7 Reasons Why You Should Dress Up to Work From Home

These days a lot of people are working from home for the very first time. They're like kids in a candy store. Whee! Pajamas all day! Showers are for chumps! Bring on the sweatpants! I've been working from home for a long time and I'm here to tell you not to go feral.

So, why should you dress up to work from home?

1. Shlumpy gets boring quickly

Lydia in wisteria short sleeve tunicTrust me on this one. I suffer from migraines, so some days I just can't manage to shower and get dressed. Staying in your PJs all day for a holiday is fun. Doing it 1-2 days a week gets to be a drag after a while. Dressing down every day? You won't be able to stand the sight of your sweats before you know it.

2. Your wardrobe isn't designed for all casual, all the time

You don't own enough super casual clothing to make it your work uniform. By Thursday you'll be reaching for that oversized t-shirt from college that has a lot more holes than you remember.

3. You don't have to dress down to be comfortable

Clothes are uncomfortable when the style doesn't work with your body shape. They're always too tight somewhere. If you're wearing the right styles for your body, even your dressiest duds are comfy. 

woman wearing animal print separates
Vikki Vi Classics are as comfortable as pajamas, but they look office-ready. The relaxed fit and drapey fabric (and elastic waistbands) make all the difference. Comfortable Confidence means that you can be sure you look fabulous while being as comfy as can be. 

4. You deserve it

It's all too easy to decide that it doesn't matter how you look if you're not going out. But it does matter. Are you really going to dress nicely for everyone but yourself? What does that say about your self-image? When you spot yourself in the mirror and cringe at the thought of someone coming to your door or requesting a video chat, it doesn't feel good. You don't think, "this outfit is the pits." You think about what a mess you are.

5. It'll help you get down to business

Working from home doesn't mean vacation. It means work. If you're wearing PJs all day, you'll keep scrolling through Facebook longer and longer, starting work later and later. But when you shower and get dressed, you make the same mental transition that you used to make during your daily commute. When you look ready for work, you feel that way too. And if your spouse, children, or grandchildren are around, dressing up reminds them to let you get down to it.

woman wearing tan separates
6. Your neck will thank you

It's one thing to slip out of your bra every evening, but you do need to wear the dreaded thing sometimes. Boobs weigh several pounds and your bra makes it so that your shoulders are doing some of the weightlifting. Go braless for a few days and your neck will get sore. You may even get a headache. 

Wearing a bra for a few hours a day (or every other day) will make all the difference. Properly fitted bras aren't even uncomfortable.

7. You'll be more social

You're a lot more likely to jump on a video chat with a friend when you're already dressed for it. Working at home can be isolating, so you want to be able to connect easily.

Check out our other posts about plus size style.

2 Comments

You are SO right. I have been meaning to make more videos for my business, but I just … ugh. But today, I’m done up a bit, lipstick, a pretty top, a nice cardigan. I’m wearing jeans which is NOT business wear for me, but at least they’re pants, right? And I will be much more likely to make a quick video or two when I’m not looking and feeling like something the cat dragged in.

—Kate in mi,

I had to smile as I read this! I just got out of a Zoom meeting – in my car, because I don’t have a quiet workspace at home, and we stopped all video because the team leader had a bad connection, but hey, I was dressed for a professional meeting!

—Renee florsheim,

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