Your Working From Home Outfit

With many people working from home, the subject of what to wear is not an easy one. I am sure that the word ‘pyjamas’ has suddenly sprung to mind for many and whilst I love wearing mine, especially in the colder weather, the topic of  ‘working - from - home - wear’ can become a bit of a dilemma.

Wearing your pyjamas to work from home will undoubtedly have a negative effect upon your productivity as they are associated with comfort, lounging, relaxing and sleeping - none of which will help you get the most out of a working day. So tempting as it may be, you do need to strike a balance between the professional look and remaining practical, therefore remaining fully motivated and confident throughout the day.

Some people have their own office at home or a space which is especially designated for working whilst others work from their kitchen table or their sofa. Wherever you are working from, you can still remain professional yet relaxed.

If you are involved in virtual meetings and conference calls, which many are, then the focus will be on looking and of course feeling, professional, neat and tidy. As it is usually the top half of your body that others see, then your main focus should be here.

If you were at work in the office or attending a meeting in person, then you would probably have a selection of work outfits that are just for work purposes and many of these would be in plain and neutral colours.

Research shows that blue, black, grey, brown and white are the most popular colours to be worn in a workplace setting. Therefore, it's a good idea to have a few items of clothing that puts you in work mode without going overboard. These are comfortable yet professional clothes that you only wear for working from home and then once your working day is over, you can replace them with whatever you wish. As well as making you more relaxed, it signifies that work is over for the day which is similar to shutting your laptop down.

On a personal note, what I find works for me is wearing my lanyard if I am working from home. As soon as the lanyard goes on, I switch automatically to business mode but when my work is finished, I remove the lanyard and I am back to feeling much more casual.

To add an extra touch of formality to your day, blazers, cardigans, accessories and scarves can all give the appearance of sophistication and structure whilst staying comfortable.

Working from home gives you the opportunity and flexibility to dress both comfortably and professionally at the same time. You can stay relaxed but also presentable and ready for any planned or impromptu video calls with colleagues or clients - even if you do choose to wear pyjama bottoms and fluffy slippers!