10 Outfits Formulas For Working From Home In
...and the results of my very 'scientific' research
There are a fair amount of us working from home these days and opinions on what to wear to do so are divisive. I know because I asked! Here are my findings from the very scientific survey that I popped in the chat:
I was interested in the wearing of jeans when working from home, and 43% of people surveyed were pro-denim.
Coming in very close behind, 42% of those surveyed were disgusted at the thought of wearing jeans for working from home (I’m paraphrasing here but the general mood was that jeans are ‘hard pants’ as someone commented).
The final 15% stood on the fence; most commenting that they wear jeans for half the day, or that the jeans have to be extremely slouchy.
The results were really interesting. Those who were pro jeans said that the changing into them for the day ahead helped them switch their mentality, or that removing them at the end of the day felt like a commute. But like the 15% who sat in the middle, there were some prerequisites that the jeans were ‘sitting down’ jeans, instead of ‘standing up’ jeans and I know EXACTLY what that commenter meant. We might be wearing jeans to work from home, but we still want them to be comfortable.
For the 42% who said no, the opinions were strong. ‘Absolutely not’ was the general response and various reasons were given, from people saying that they just preferred skirts and dresses, to others using a walking pad whilst working so needing something sportier. Also, some people just hate jeans; ‘jeans are HORRID’ someone said!! The anti-jean community felt very passionately that it was a no-no for them.
For putting together this guide I’ve gone straight down the middle. Here you’ll find five jean-free looks and five looks with jeans to work from home in. All are seasonally appropriate if you’re in the northern hemisphere, and all are created with general comfort in mind, whilst still mustering that ‘ready for the day’ feeling.
A few things to note before we crack on:
There are no coats or bags featured in these outfits - we’re working from ‘home’ after all - but for all these outfits if I needed to pop out I would just grab my black wool oversized coat and throw it over the top.
I have, however, featured a shoe and for the most part it’s the same with every outfit. I wear my UGG Slippers* around the house but they are just too heinous to photograph, so instead I’ve gone for a simple flat which is probably what I’d wear whenever I popped out anyway.
FIVE JEAN-FREE LOOKS
Denim shirt + wide-leg knitted trousers. I know I said no denim on the bottom half, but what about the top half? I’ve 100% worn this outfit before and it’s mainly because I love the colour combination of the camel with the denim. If anything’s going to break me out of my black head-to-toe bubble then it’s going to be this.
Heavy knitted jumper + silk wide-leg trousers. If you’re part of the working from home workforce and you don’t own a pair of silk trousers, then allow me to persuade you. Featuring an elasticated waistband and a luxe texture that makes you feel like some kind of Olsen twin, it’s a summer staple in your wardrobe if you’re like me and you’re averse to having your legs out. I get so much mileage out of these. Although black feels like an obvious choice, I’d encourage you to be a bit more adventurous; a paler shade adds brightness to an outfit and makes the texture shine. Literally.
Turtleneck + knitted vest + drawstring wide-leg trousers. This one feels SO office-appropriate, but there isn’t a waistband to be seen. The trousers are drawstring at the top which is fun because you can hoik them up and wear them cropped, or go for them a little lower and wear them full-length as I did here. Everything is stretchy, but doing black-on-black feels so timeless, whilst feeling like pyjamas.
Long ribbed dress + cashmere crew neck + jumper over the shoulder. I loved putting this one together. It’s not one that I’d automatically think to reach for, but there was so much love for dresses in the chat that I had to include one. Here I’m wearing it as a skirt (but I appreciate the extra layer it creates under the jumper, especially whilst it’s still technically winter), but it all felt so cosy and put together. I’d say this was the comfiest one of the five looks.
Oversized textured jumper + jogging bottoms + a statement flat. I can’t say I’m in LOVE with this outfit - I think it’s the flats that feel a bit jarring, perhaps something less loud would work better? - but I wanted to find a way to style tracksuit bottoms in a different way to how I’d usually wear them (with the matching top, a wonky bun and a fake tanned stained t-shirt). My thoughts? Go tonal, add a fun shoe, and go in heavy with the chic, but chunky jewellery. All help to make it feel more elevated.
FIVE DENIM LOOKS
Cable knit jumper + wide-leg light wash jeans. I’m easing us into jeans with an outfit that feels like a massive hug, whilst still wearing denim. The jeans themselves are wide-leg with a looser waist so feel like a solid choice for a day at your laptop. Then I’d recommend wearing your cosiest, largest, toastiest jumper to lean into the comfort.
T-shirt + suede overshirt + straight-leg jeans. If I had to pick an outfit that summed up my style perfectly right now, it would be this. There isn’t much to say except that it’s a classic and it would almost be rude not to wear it out the house. Save this for a working from home/errand hybrid day.
Denim jumpsuit + contrasting turtleneck. Do I look like I’m about to jump from a helicopter in a nineties challenge-based daytime show? Yes!!! But this denim number is pretty comfortable and I’d make the case that working from home is THE PERFECT time to wear your all-in-ones. There’s a nearby toilet that it’s cool to be completely nude in and if your boilersuit is cream like mine, a WFH day is a mess-free one without the little around.
Silk shirt + knitted vest + straight-leg jeans. Similar to the all-black look from earlier, I thought I’d give my cream knit a go and instead lean into the suiting feel of a classic shirt. To me, this works because it’s cream on cream, I don’t think I’d like the contrast if it wasn’t. This feels like a softer way to layer.
Oversized shirt + interesting shape of denim. When all else fails, go back to a staple. A simple button-down with an interesting shape of denim - think horseshoe, flared, super wide-leg, more ideas here - is a way to mix it up that still feels within your comfort zone. This might just have been my favourite look from the five.
I hope this brings you some new formulas to try for spring. Have I referenced these photos and worn exact copies on days when I didn’t have the brain power to make wardrobe decisions!? Yes, I have! I hope you’re able to do the same using what you already have in your wardrobe. Thanks for having a read and please consider subscribing if you made it this far!
Anna x
This isn't anything revolutionary, but I recently discovered the benefit of having proper "house shoes". As someone who works from home full time, I found that wearing slippers all day made me feel a bit schlumpy no matter how much I liked the rest of my outfit. I also work at a standing desk for part of the day and was really craving something with more support. I got a pair of birkenstocks lined with shearling and wow - what a difference! They are cozy like slippers, but much more supportive and look and feel like actual shoes. They aren't the fanciest things in the world, but make all of my outfits feel much more polished and intentional than my slippers (even though I am squarely in the no-jeans camp!). They would also work great for quickly popping out of the house in a pinch, though I reserve mine strictly for indoors. Something to consider if you want something cozy like your ugg slippers, but more polished feeling :)
re: wfh shoes - are we not all still wearing our suede birkenstock bostons??! THE comfiest shoe/slipper hybrid and decent for popping to the shop etc