The work-from-home wardrobe: Everybody’s doing homework now

Staying comfortable, looking professional while you work from home

Because I’ve worked at home throughout my career, most of that in rural settings, social distancing has often been the norm. Life in the Siskiyou Mountains in Southern Oregon hasn’t changed so much for me and my husband during the pandemic. But I’ve found myself involved lately in far more teleconferencing. Which has me musing about how we present ourselves in that situation. Whether it's for business, community, or purely social, Skyping and Zooming, with your own image displayed onscreen front and center, raises some interesting questions.

You may have seen some of the recent stories reporting sales of women’s tops are way up, but bottoms, not so much. With so much teleconferencing going on, the inference is hard to miss.

Rachel’s an an artist and friend, who, like most of us, is adapting to our new reality. Her Princess Top works well whether she’s teleconferencing for her day gig or hanging out on video chat. Cropped Pants are dressy enough but feel comfortable, like pajamas.

Perhaps it’s because clothes and apparel making have been such integral part of my life, but I still make an effort to dress well, even if the only witness will be my mate that day. A woman I knew years ago who ran a domestic agency out of her Chicago apartment told me she routinely dressed up for work, even shouldering a bag as she walked from her bedroom to her home office. She said it just made her feel more businesslike and productive.

For those whose work permits it, telecommuting may well become routine in a post-coronavirus future. And that brings with it many rewards and a handful of challenges.

A couple of the challenges I’ve faced (and sometimes still have to deal with) include establishing boundaries between home and work and the sense of isolation that distance work can bring on. But the rewards are often immense. I’ve been more focused on healthy living as I’ve aged, and working at home allows that far better than if I were commuting to a job somewhere. If I want to take meditation breaks midday, that’s fine. So’s brewing lots of green tea. Or grooming our long-haired cat’s matted fur. I’ll start and knock off work earlier or later based on my energy and how things are progressing. There are no time clocks.

Many of us who are mothers have already done plenty of homework. To the rest of you who now find yourself doing your day job remotely, welcome to the club! I’d love to hear about and maybe share your experiences.