3 Ways to Spruce Up Your WFH Wardrobe

Working from home has its benefits, like a 30-second commute from bed to the home office, the ability to take care of chores during breaks and a wardrobe that typically only matters from the waist up. 

While we probably all started out with the intention of keeping it professional no matter what — let’s be real — most of us are still in our pajamas when we don’t have to be camera ready.

The truth is, what you wear while working from home matters. In fact, recent studies show that what you’re wearing actually impacts your performance and impacts your mood. Here are three tips to help you revamp your work from home wardrobe.

Tip#1: Keep It Professional on the Top

While dressing for video conference calls is different than dressing for in-person meetings, many of the same principles still remain. Men should stick to button-up shirts (plus ties and a sport coat if your job calls for this type of dress), while women should opt for professional-looking blouses paired with a blazer (if necessary) and perhaps a few accessories, too.

Tip #2: Go for Comfortable (but Still Professional) on the Bottom

By now you’ve probably seen one of the many videos circulating showing someone who had to jump up in the middle of a meeting unexpectedly (because a kid ran in or there was a bug or the cats decided now was the perfect time to start a conga line across your desk) and got caught in shorts, or worse. And while, yes it’s nice to be comfortable, we’d all agree we’d rather avoid the embarrassment of getting caught sans pants. 

A great lower-half option for women is super stretchy yoga pants that are made to look like dress pants. And for men, there are a variety of pants that aren’t dress slacks, but do get high marks for comfort and will be a lot less embarrassing to be seen in should your bottom half become visible during a zoom call.

Tip #3: Don’t Forget Your Feet

And let’s not forget your feet. They are still doing important work, too, like getting you from your bed to your home office (or couch) or keeping you moving while you walk the dog and run errands. While it may tempting to stick to a trusty pair of house slippers or slides, you might be surprised at what a comfortable-yet-stylish pair of sneakers like Nike Air Max can do for your feet and your wardrobe, too. Whether you choose a standard black or a pop of color, show your work-from-home wardrobe some love with a perfect pair (or two) of new sneakers.

You’ll Thank Yourself Later

Working from home comes with a lot of benefits for many, but recent studies are highlighting how important it is for our productivity and mental health to still dress the part, too. 

Although there’s no way around business or business casual dress on the top if we want to be taken seriously, there are ways to dress comfortably from the waist down. So why not dust off some of the clothes that have slowly made their way to the back of your closet or buy yourself a few new shirts and a new pair of shoes. Not only will you look more professional on camera, but you’ll likely feel better overall, too.