Getting ‘properly’ dressed doesn’t mean you can’t be
comfortable too. By Prudence Wade.
Many of us are working from home for the first time ever right now,
which can come as a bit of a shock to the system.
Initially, it feels quite exciting (you don’t have to wear a bra! You
can stay in your pyjamas all day!). But the novelty soon wears off.
While working from home is a good opportunity to relax your normal dress
code (and save on some laundry too), it’s still worth putting some
amount of thought into what you wear. There’s no pressure here of
course, but fashion can be a valuable tool for bringing a bit of
sunshine into your day – which is something we all need right now.
In recent weeks, Instagram has shown just how chic loungewear can be. If
you want to be bang on trend with your working from home outfits, follow
these key rules…
- Do actually get dressed
This might sound obvious, but it’s important. If you stay in your
pyjamas all day, your work and home life will slowly seep into one, and
that has the potential to get pretty scary and depressing. Getting
dressed in the morning signals your working day is about to start – and
you can change back into those PJs as soon as work finishes, if you
like.
We’re definitely not saying you should slip on a pair of skinny jeans at
9am though, as wearing denim, or anything with a tight waistband when
working from home really isn’t necessary (there is no need for this sort
of punishment!). Luckily, many chic loungewear outfits are just as
comfortable as your favourite PJs and will help kick off your day in
style.
- Keep it neutral
One thing is clear from celebs posting about their quarantine
experiences (other than the fact they’re holing up in some pretty
incredible mansions) – neutral colours are the way to go.
To keep your loungewear looking chic and elegant, focus on shades like
beige, grey, cream or stone. It might sound trivial, but a relaxed
colour palette can do much to help keep your mood calm and stress-free.
- Invest in a matching set
A matching set is the ultimate working from home look. This isn’t a time
for loud patterns or colours though. Instead, pick one block colour and
wear it throughout your whole outfit.
If you’re keen to mix up your look, it’s all about subtlety. Take
inspiration from stylish celebs like Olivia Palermo and wear a ribbed
set, which gives a low-key bit of oomph to loungewear.
It almost goes without saying, but make sure you choose comfortable
fabrics. Why make life any harder than it is – this is a good
opportunity to wear your softest, most luxurious clothes in jersey,
cotton and wool.
- Mix fitted and loose
If you’re not wearing a matching set, follow the golden rule of mixing
fitted with loose. If everything in your outfit is baggy you risk
looking, and feeling, like you haven’t changed out of your pyjamas, but
adding a more streamlined element to your outfit will make everything
look infinitely more put-together.
This is a simple ethos to follow; this could mean anything from pairing
leggings with a loose knitted jumper, or wearing your best trackies with
a simple white T-shirt. Tracksuit bottoms have come a long way in recent
years and, chosen carefully, can actually be worked into a ‘dressed up’
look, believe it or not.
- Pyjamas aren’t always in bad taste
You should absolutely change out of your pyjamas to start work, but
who’s to say you shouldn’t change into another set? Putting on a pretty
pair you didn’t sleep in is totally fine!
Floral, silky pyjama tops can be seriously chic – the kind of thing
you’ll easily be able to wear out with a pair of jeans in the future.
Thinking about those video conference calls with colleagues? People can
only see your top half in a video chat remember, so no one will really
know if you’re actually wearing a PJ set or just a nice floral shirt.