Today I’m sharing my work from home wardrobe guide – a few guidelines to help you figure out what to wear while working from home (and why it’s important to care!)
Raise your hand if you’ve suddenly found yourself in a work from home position and you have NO idea what to wear every day? It can be so very tempting to celebrate by staying in your pajamas, forgoing a bra, and barely brushing your hair, let alone your teeth. But I’m here to tell you that is going to be devastating to your work ethic when you’re not accustomed to being at home all day (with your kids, surrounded by chaos and distractions).
I’ve been working from home exclusively for eight years, and I’ve learned a thing or two about the importance of getting dressed every single day. It is important to maintain some kind of routine for yourself. Whether this is a temporary gig or you’re adjusting to a permanent work-from-home situation, creating or keeping a routine is vital to your productivity and mental health.
A proper outfit for the day sets the tone for the entire day. When you roll out of bed and never change clothes, you’re subconsciously admitting that its okay to be lazy today and not care much about what you get done. When you wake up and get dressed, you’re subconsciously telling yourself that you’re going to be productive AF today and you’re ready for whatever comes at you.
And lastly, if you have kids at home with you, you’re setting the example for them as well. Speaking specifically to the quarantine we are currently in – even though we are all on an extended spring break (and for some of us, out for summer several months early), that doesn’t mean it is a vacation and we all still have some responsibilities. When they see you in grubby clothes, it is going to be that much harder to get them motivated to do things when you’re not even really motivating yourself!
Now, all that being said, here is what I do want to release you from: you’re not going in to the office, so you definitely do not need to be dressed in your best corporate gear. So then, what are you supposed to wear then? Let’s talk about it!
Work from Home Wardrobe Guide
First let’s outline some rules:
- You must wear some semblance of a bra, every day. It can be a comfy bralette or a sports bra, but if you would normally wear a bra to work, we are going to wear a bra of some kind at home.
- Since I’m making you wear a bra, you do get free reign with your shoes. I honestly get fully dressed and usually wear my house shoes all day.
- When it comes to your ensemble, pick one professional piece, one comfortable piece, and one in between. I swear, for me at least, that having on one thing that feels professional will change my attitude for the entire day! So I like to always throw something in that I would actually wear to the office (were I going to one!)
- Now is a great time to try something new or different you may not have wanted to before. For the most part, nobody is going to see you, so if there is a new trend you want to try out, now is the time!
I’m going to share twenty different outfits below to give you some inspiration for what to wear while working from home! I’ll also break down each one for you and link things where I can but I also tried to pull from old outfits that will always work!
Outfit one: Classic, casual, and pulled together. These are ponte leggings, so they are a level up from regular leggings but you could bust out your black leggings instead! A chambray button down is always a good choice and I added a pop of leopard with my earrings.
Earrings / Top / Leggings / Shoes (all similar items)
Outfit Two: colorful and springy while still being cozy! A bright colored cardigan is a great piece to have in your closet! It makes a great layering piece over simple tops and can pull an entire outfit together!
Similar cardigan / Similar tank / Jeans & no longer available
Outfit Three: Another example where a bright, colored cardigan takes a simple black tee and black joggers from a little too casual to pulled together!
Outfit Four: Basically, a maxi dress is never a bad idea! I love the bright floral print of this one and I cannot tell you how comfy it is! Add a white denim jacket to bring it all together!
Outfit Five: These wide leg pants are beyond comfortable but still look like nice work pants! If you don’t have a pair of these might I suggest adding them to your closet and you can thank me later! I love them with a bodysuit or another more fitted top to balance out the extra fabric in the legs.
Tee / Vest / Pants / Similar Shoes
Outfit Six: There is nothing more exciting to me lounge pants that double as work pants! I am just wearing simple black joggers with a bodysuit and a blazer and love how it all looks put together but in reality I feel like I’m in athleisure! This is a fave!
Similar Blazer / Bodysuit / Joggers / Heels
Outfit Seven: Business up top, leisurely on the bottom! Take a classic top you could wear with literally anything, add a pop of color in the earrings, and then wear a pair of comfy linen shorts (or pants)!
Earrings / Tee / Shorts (Similar)
Outfit Eight: Cozy is never a bad idea really! This one is a cozy, simple sweater that you can wear with jeans, joggers, shorts, or leggings! Tie it up for a little something different or do a little front tuck into your jeans. Done!
Sweater / Jeans / Shoes (all similar)
Outfit Nine: There is never a bad time for a pretty button down top! This one is incredibly comfortable and still very tailored so it looks great on a video call but doesn’t feel stuffy at all.
Top (New prints available) / Jeans / Similar Shoes
Outfit Ten: This falls in to my “signature look” comfort zone. Skinny jeans + a v-neck top + flats and I’m good to go! I’m still very comfortable and able to do lots of whatever I need to do but look pulled together and professional at the same time!
Top / Jeans (Similar) / Shoes (Similar)
Outfit Eleven: There are definitely days where comfy joggers will just have to do! If you’re going to wear this, I suggest making sure you do a little hair and makeup so you still feel put together for the day! Even just a little mascara and some lip gloss can take something extra comfy from pajamas all day to loungewear!
Outfit Twelve: It is warming up quickly here – we have already had a couple of 90 degree afternoons! Going from inside to outside requires something comfy and cool, so I love this outfit because you can wear it with just the tee and shorts OR you can throw a blazer over it for a quick Zoom meeting!
Blazer (similar) / Tee / Shorts / Shoes (Similar)
Outfit Thirteen: Jumpsuits for the win! I love these because they feel super soft and comfortable but you still have on an actual outfit! I would add a denim jacket if it is cooler or you need to look/feel more professional. (Also a hat is a great accessory to add to take an outfit from borderline pajamas to a “lewk” as they say)
Jumpsuit (Similar) / Hat (Similar) / Shoes (Similar)
Outfit Fourteen: Another variation with a cardigan! A comfy pull on work pant + flowy tee + cardigan is an easyway to pull off business casual while still being comfortable.
Cardigan / Top / Pants (All similar)
Outfit Fifteen: This affordable top from Amazon is comfy and so affordable – one of my favorite buys! I am wearing a Large here but returned for the x-large so I could wear it with leggings too.
Outfit Sixteen: This is another outfit that falls into my signature style: skinny jeans, simple top, pointy toe flats! 9 days out of 10, you’ll see me in something similar to this!
(All of these items are currently sold out!)
Outfit Seventeen: On the tenth day, you’ll find me in a cardigan (as evidenced by the many, many cardigan pics you see in this blog post!) I love the color-blocking style and this one is such great quality and so soft! (It also comes in about 1000 colors)
Cardigan (TTS, wearing in a L) / Tee / Jeans / Sandals
Outfit Eighteen: joggers, but make them professional. Okay, done! I love these ponte joggers and think they’re great with tennis shoes OR heels (though I’m often just wearing tennis shoes!) Super comfy but still technically a work pant because of the luxe material.
Outfit Nineteen: I have one word for you: bodysuit! Yep, I said it. Now is a great time to try one too because like I mentioned earlier, nobody is going to see you! I love wearing this black one with high waisted jeans and (of course) a cardigan! Super comfy!
Bodysuit / Jeans / Slides /(Similar) Cardigan (similar)
Outfit Twenty: When all else fails, take your color cues from your pup! As you can see, I love the color combo of black and tan – it is always classic and easy – no fuss, no muss! Honey likes it too!
Cardigan (Similar) / Tee / Jeans / Flats no longer available
Have you made it to the bottom of this blog post? If so, congratulations!! 🥳That is truly something worth celebrating! I hope you found a couple of outfits to inspire you to get dressed and be productive while you’re working from home!
If you loved this post, I would be forever thankful if you pinned it to your favorite Pinterest board or shared it to your Facebook page!
What is your favorite outfit to work from home in? Share it in the comments below!
