"You know the opening credits of Sex and the City where Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica-Parker) is strutting the streets of New York City in her pink tank top and white tutu? That’s how radiant and powerful I used to feel as I walked to work every day (minus the part where she gets splashed by a bus). In those times, I wasn’t just headed to the office; I was on my way to make the halls my catwalk and the cubicles my red carpet. I’ll tell you a secret, we (fashion-lovers) get dressed for two people and two people only: ourselves and the people in the office who compliment our shoes.
Unfortunately, the last nine months have reshaped the reality of our working world. Who knows when we’ll ever be required to be in the close quarters of an office building again? When I first started working from home, it was so hard to find the motivation to actually wear something other than pajamas—and let’s be honest, on some days that motivation still evades me. However, I find that I feel the most productive and like myself on the days where I make the conscious decision to actually get dressed. So, I decided to act upon this intentionality for an entire week. These were the work-from-home looks I came up with:
Day 1
Any outfit that involves sweatpants is automatically a winner, am I right? For day one of my week of outfits, I paired a seamless bodysuit from Fabletics with some super-soft sweatpants and my fuzz-lined Crocs. To give this gray look a little bit of personality, I donned a soft, cheetah-print headband. The bodysuit/sweatpants combo is super trendy right now and is an effortless way to look chic while feeling extremely comfortable. I’ve also worn this bodysuit with black leggings when traveling, and—aside from having to unbutton the suit every time I went to the bathroom—it was the perfect, fashionable, comfy ensemble.
Day 2
On a perfect day, I wake up before work hours and go for a walk to set my intentions for the day and listen to whatever podcast, book, or playlist I’m into at the moment. On those days, an outfit like this is my go-to. I love to take an all-black look and layer colors on top of it. I’ve been really into earth tones lately, so I decided to pair this H&M turtleneck with some black leggings, my trusted Ugg boots, and this quilted vest for warmth (and style)! When it’s a bit chillier, I layer a black crewneck sweatshirt under the vest, and on warmer days, I trade in the boots for my trusted Nike shoes.
Day 3
Some days I just can’t be bothered to do my hair for a marathon of Zoom meetings. On those days, I make my headscarf an intentional and attention-grabbing piece of my outfit. (Can you tell that green and black are my favorite colors?) For day three, I paired an all-black sweatsuit with a statement crystal necklace from b.serene and a Classic Flow headwrap from The Wrap Life. I honestly wish I had this sweatsuit in five different colors! I would 100 percent wear it for every day of the week and switch up my headwrap to match.
Day 4
After living in sweatpants and leggings for the first three days, I decided to switch it up and recall what it felt like to wear jeans! Due to the fact that I am morally opposed to wearing jeans that tug at my thighs and pinch my waist, especially while I’m at home, there was only one pair of jeans that I’d even consider wearing. If you have read the article about my five favorite wardrobe pieces, then these jeans will look familiar. They are the best plus-size mom jeans on the planet, I promise. I paired them with this headband from Dia&Co and a cowl neck sweater that happens to be permanently borrowed from my mom’s closet for a cozy and casually dressy look.
Day 5
Hooray for another matching set! I’m obsessed with this look, and while it may seem quite plain, there are a lot of subtleties that bring it to life and make this comfortable look feel fashion-forward. I paired this biker short and crewneck tee co-ord with an adjustable bandie from The Wrap Life and finished with rings from Cali Tiger to accessorize the look. It got a bit chilly throughout the day so I threw on a long cardigan and some long socks, and what do you know? Fierce!
Day 6
I think having sweatpants for all occasions is my superpower. For this casual look, I paired a pair of joggers with a long-sleeve crop top that had drawstring ruching detail on the sides. I loved how chill this look was, but if I were to style it again, I might opt for a top that matched the color of my joggers and layered some gold necklaces as trendy statement pieces.
Day 7
I have to admit, this is my favorite work-from-home outfit. It went into the group chat, and everyone was a fan, so I know I looked cute. The standout element in this ‘fit is the jumpsuit from Urban Outfitters. The best thing about this jumpsuit is its versatility. Be honest: could you tell it was a jumpsuit? Exactly. Although I am aware that this is meant to be a summer piece, there’s so much you can do to style it for winter. You can throw on a cardigan like I did here or layer it atop a sheer, long-sleeve bodysuit. You could also place a colorful mock-neck underneath it and add a statement belt, or don a cardigan and wrap the belt around the jumpsuit and cardigan combo. The possibilities are endless.
The phrase “dress for success” has taken on a whole new meaning this past year. We have to maintain a professional, put-together look for video calls while also prioritizing comfort for our sanity. Dressing to work from home is challenging, but here are a few of the things I do to make it easy and fun:
- Collect headbands and headwraps: Every day is not a good hair day, and that’s OK! Gather about five headbands or headwraps that you can rotate on those days where you don’t want to do your hair for a 30-minute Zoom call.
- Rely on matching sets: Everyone loves a good coordinated set, and they take the thinking out of matching your tops to your bottoms.
- Keep your accessories simple: I’m the kind of girl who buys hoop earrings in bulk and just changes the color of them to match my outfit. Simple elegance is something to strive for, even while working from home.
- Be aware of the Zoom Square: That’s the rectangle around your face that your coworkers can see. If you’re having a lazy day, just remember that the only parts that need to appear polished are the shoulders and up!