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Everyone's eyebrows shot up when The Wall Street Journal suggested that instead of sweatpants, you should be wearing proper office clothes to work from home.
You may be wondering: what specifically does the WSJ say I should wear to work from home? Is it like comfortable workwear for late nights, the kind of stuff you wear when you suspect you'll be stuck at the office for hours and hours past your usual quitting time? Comfortable magic pants for work that feel like pajamas but aren't? Maybe, you think, it's the kind of stuff that we here at Corporette have suggested you might consider wearing to work on the weekend if you're supervising people — fleece blazers and jardigans and things.
Um, no. This was what the WSJ suggests you wear to work from home, and Twitter had a field day with it.
I kind of feel like the phrase “slacks” might apply. (Should we be wearing pantyhose under the slacks as well?) And I love that they show the purse in there — like you should be walking around your home with your purse so you can complete your look. Total dollar value of everything pictured there: $4,195.
I mean…
We've talked a lot about comfortable workwear, as well as how to set up the best home office and (over at CorporetteMoms) we've discussed mistakes to avoid when working from home. But we haven't actually talked about what to wear to work from home, so let's discuss.
Readers who work from home all or most of the time — what do you wear to work from home? Readers who work from home sometimes, what do you wear to work from home?
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{related: how to elevate a simple t-shirt}
As of 2024, some of the best weekend women's t-shirts include Caslon, Madewell, Amazon Essentials, Fishers Finery, New Day, Rag & Bone, Frame, Splendid, Michael Stars, Three Dots, James Perse, and Velvet.
What I Wear to Work From Home on Solo Days
Even though we have a small team at Corporette (me, Kate, April at CorporetteMoms, and a few others for occasional/part-time work), we conduct almost all of our correspondence via Slack, email, or telephone — so it really doesn't matter what I wear for anyone but myself.
Personally, I don't notice a huge difference in productivity if I'm “dressed” versus if I'm in, say, workout clothes. As I kind of got into in our discussion on makeup looks for different occasions, my work-from-home look has slightly shifted from when I worked from home occasionally to now, when I work from home all the time:
When I only worked from home occasionally, this generally meant “no makeup.” When I started working from home all the time, though, I struggled with this a bit because I had read all this stuff about how if you’re working from home you should “get dressed as if you’re going into the office,” and it conflicted with my previous “no makeup” mentality. Even if I had successfully completed a workout, if it was just me, why should I put on makeup?
It all came down to “who am I wearing makeup for anyway”? …
What I’ve settled on lately for ease of application but a bit more polished than absolutely no makeup is sheer lipstick like a Chubby stick, blush, undereye concealer, waterproof eyeliner, and occasionally a liquid shadow. The routine takes me about two minutes, maybe less.
So “looking dressed” for me involves a 2-minute makeup routine and basically weekend wear in terms of clothes — jeans, cords, leggings-as-pants, maybe occasionally a super easy dress. Simple jewelry. No heels.
{related: check out all our work from home tips}
(The only difference with my actual weekend wear is that, during the weekend itself when the kids and I are around each other all day, I may wear more easily washable stuff like fleece tops from Gibson (affiliate link) or actual sweatshirts.)
My daily work from home look is a little bit more relaxed from my “business casual” look when I was a staff attorney at a non profit, but that's only because my “business casual look” at the time was the more comfortable end of my “conservative law firm attire” — much of what I wear now, I would wear to a business casual office.
I've found I vastly prefer clothes with pockets to work from home — these are some of my favorites.
You can see more of our What to Wear to Work From Home Hall of Famers at this tag.
Looking for the most comfortable bras for working from home? These are some of my favorites, as noted in our roundup of the most comfortable bras for working from home:
Prefer to wear actual denim around the house? These are some of our favorite jeans:
Hunting for great jeans for work? As of 2024, our favorites are J.Crew, Veronica Beard, Wit & Wisdom, Levi's, Paige, Madewell, and Topshop — and you might want to check out our recent discussion on how to wear denim trousers!
What to Wear to Work From Home If You're Video Conferencing, Supervising People At Home, Or More
I think these situations are entirely different cans of worms, and I'd love to hear from people who do it often. (I've actually been meaning to write a separate post about what to wear for video conferencing.) Some quick thoughts:
If your work from home includes videoconferencing, think about what will be visible in the video. I know a lot of women who wear “personality glasses” as a way of minimizing makeup needs, and that can include work from home purposes — if you have a big pair of Warby Parkers on and your hair in a bun or otherwise pulled back it's an acceptably studious look.
I always think a collar looks nice, so consider having a cardigan with a shawl collar, a comfortable blazer somewhere nearby to throw on before your videoconference, or even the crisp collar of a blouse.
A simple necklace goes a long way towards framing your face or finishing your look.
You also want to think about what will be on view behind you, of course — if you're working from your bedroom, try to angle the camera so it's not facing your bed or the huge pile of clothes on the chair that you keep meaning to hang up. (Just me?)
{related: what IS “the Zoom Shirt” for women?}
If your work from home includes supervising others, consider a stricter interpretation of business casual. For example, I've heard of some lawyers who are either solo practitioners or the sole firm representative in their city, and they may work in their home with a paralegal or other assistant, either on a daily basis or an occasional basis.
{related: The Ultimate Guide to Business Casual for Women}
Every relationship is different, of course — these tend to be highly personal situations, after all! — but I would urge you to consider being on the more formal side of things.
For example, instead of ripped skinny jean leggings or yoga pants, wear knit ponte pants like NYDJ or the beloved Eileen Fisher magic pants.
Readers, over to you — what do you wear to work from home? Would you wear the WSJ's outfit? Do you feel more productive if you're dressed in business casual for the day?
Pictured at top and on pin: via Stencil.
Anon
Hmm..husband works from home 75 – 80% of the time. He wears pajama pants and a t-shirt all of that time. In winter, he may throw on a sweatshirt and wear wool socks. He is very well respected at work and thriving.
Cat
Yeah I am definitely not wearing anything that requires ironing or dry cleaning to WFH. No video concerns here.
I WFH for two reasons:
– Weather. In this case I am in leggings and a tshirt or sweatshirt. Makeup… yeah prob not.
– Mid-day repair or delivery window that needs babysitting. In this case I wear jeans and a tshirt or sweatshirt because I feel more like “adult homeowner who won’t take any sh!t” when I have real pants on. I’ll put on minimal makeup (concealer, brow gel, mascara, blush, Chapstick).
Anonymous
I work from home for your two reasons plus two others:
– Got home from business travel very late last night and am not fit to drive or interact with other humans
– Hiding from co-workers so I can write productively
For all WFH situations, I prefer athleisure. If a repair person is coming over, I put on minimal makeup to achieve the “adult homeowner who won’t take any sh!t” effect. Otherwise no makeup.
Tired
Pyjamas. Regular clothes are for outside.
Anononymous
Yes.
Ellen
I agree. When I work from home, I do not get out of my PJs, and sometimes in the summer, I just wear my nightie. I am glad I do not Skype, b/c then everyone would see me half naked, which I am sure would thrill them, but NOT me. I do not wear any makeup either, so they probably would not recognize me. I do have to work to look the way I do, Dad says, unlike Rosa, who he says is a natural beauty, and he is RIGHT! FOOEY!
Gibson
I haven’t found the “fleece” from Gibson warm or cozy. I had a t-neck tunic that wore more just of fuzzy material. I had to layer heat-tech underneath for any warmth.
One reason I WFH is that I control the thermostat. My office is ~68 degrees and drafty, so I just freeze.
anon
Granted, I WFH only very occasionally, but isn’t dressing down one of the perks? I’d be in yoga pants, soft t-shirt and cardi.
Of course, I’m currently bitter because I feel like a frump-a-lump trying to stay warm but fashionable in my WOH office.
Anonymous
When I worked from home full-time, I needed to get dressed in real clothes in order to signal to myself that it was work time and not down time. I was working on long-term projects with very little client interaction, so I needed all the signals and cues I could give myself to stay on task. I didn’t dress up — usually just comfortable jeans or stretch cords.
Now that I work from home only here and there, that signal doesn’t matter so much.
Anon.
I am 100% remote when not traveling to see clients. I wear athleisure 75% of the time that I’m at home and occasionally ‘dress up’ by putting on jeans. I definitely don’t wear makeup. I find that it is important to me to get dressed and ready for the day as in shower, brush my hair and change out of pajamas, but I find no value in putting on fancy clothing. Why subject my nicer clothing to the wear and tear of regular wear and laundry/dry cleaning if I don’t have to?
Anonymous
+1. I work from home 1 day a week and generally wear leggings and a comfy shirt, hair up, and no makeup except possibly concealer and brow pencil. I take my older child to elementary school and younger child to daycare.
emma
Same- I now have 5 decent business shirts to make sure I have decent clothes for when I do have to travel for work for the week… but at home where I telecommute 95% of the time (I’m a lawyer), I’m in PJs/sweats- drop kid off- come home, maybe shower/dress around lunch when I can fit in a break from work (usually put on more comfy clothes), and I’ve pretty much given up makeup entirely- it irritates my skin and I see literally no upside as the only people I see all day is the post man, my husband, and my toddler.
anon
I put on dressy business casual clothes for work meetings, networking events, or CLEs. The rest of the time I wear whatever I would have on for the rest of my day. Work out clothes are my default. I used to get a ton done in pajamas but got a dog who needs to be taken out for a walk first thing so that routine came to an end. I once took a document to the clerk’s office (which is in the courthouse) for filing while dressed in jeans and, of course, ran into two attorneys I know and the judge I work with regularly. :/ Bad luck and not a huge deal but taught me a lesson.
Anon
Sweats and no bra, 100% of the time. Idgaf what the WSJ thinks about it.
Anonymous
Yes, thank you!
MsMaryMary
I have to wear a bra when I work from home. Comfy pants and a soft t shirt, for sure. But even when I used to have very early conference calls or very late software migrations, if I was talking to or chatting with coworkers I felt like I needed a bra. I’d roll out of bed, grab a sports bra, and call into those early calls (and go make some coffee).
Squiggles
I am just not comfortable without a bra. What I found were Just My Size microfiber bra. They’re super comfortable (as in half the time I don’t realise I am wearing one comfortable) and the last.
Otherwise, sweats in the winter, shorts in the summer. I do need to change out of my pjs, only because I suffer from insomnia and pjs are a trigger that it is time for bed.
Loo
I work for a small company with a fully dispersed workforce, so I’m home all the time. We do an occasional video-conferencing which is always planned in advance. Video-conferencing days involve minimal makeup, simple sweater, and jeans/chinos. Non video conference days are the same, just no makeup and a ponytail. I stick with the weekend wear mentality- comfortable but put together. I can’t be productive if I’m in pajamas all day, but I still try to stay comfortable. Most of my colleagues are in athleisure or jeans/tshirt
LT!
I am 100% remote with occasional trips to the office (out of state) or for client meetings. I rarely have video conferences. If I’m at home and don’t anticipate leaving the house until much later in the day, I am generally in my pajamas until I’m able to find time for a sanity break, at which point I will shower and put on leggings/sweatshirt/t-shirt, which is fine for running quick errands or walking the dog. If I know I’ll be leaving the house later on in the evening for a casual dinner or movies/drinks/etc, I’ll begrudgingly put on jeans for my workday. I like to be comfortable and while I have admittedly not tested the theory, I don’t think putting on $4k worth of clothes is going to make me more productive or better in my field.
Anon
What do I wear to work from home? Loungewear, bedhead, and bad breath.
Panda Bear
It depends on what else I’m doing in the day. Most WFH days, I stay in my PJs to work for a couple hours in the early morning. Then I go to the gym, so I take a shower after and change into jeans or lounge pants and a tee shirt/sweatshirt. But if I’m not going to the gym until after I finish working, then I work in my PJs all day. I guess the only exception is that if I am on an important video-conference, I put on a real shirt or sweater, but nothing fancy.
Anomnomnom
I WFH and have a pretty flexible schedule. My usual attire is casual dresses (like Old Navy ponte sheaths) with tights and boots if I am running an errand or working at a coffee shop for part of the day (I try to get out of the house for a bit most days unless the weather is bad). If all I’m doing is working and going to the gym, then gym clothes all day. I do my normal make-up routine on the former days, and usually just concealer and mascara on gym-only days.
Worry about yourself
Yoga pants and a t-shirt. I don’t do video meetings or anything, if I did I’d wear something else, but most of the time there’s really no need to wear work clothes at home. But I do need to change out of my sleepwear and wear something else or I’ll never get anything done.
Housecounsel
I work from home at least 90% of the time and I am pretty much all athleisure, particularly Athleta, all the time. My clothes are athleisure, but they’re always coordinated and I don’t wear actual sweats. I do put on some makeup and fix my hair, because I drop my kid at school every morning and go to the non-drive-through Starbucks and run into people I know all the time. I can’t imagine wearing office clothes for WFH. I have heard that some people need to wear pressed and starched clothing in order to feel like they’re really working, but I do NOT have that problem.
Rosie
I work from home 75% and travel 25%. My team and clients are mostly East Coast or EMEA based and I live on the West Coast. Very early calls are a regular part of my routine, they typically don’t require video thank goodness. My rule of thumb is if I have a call before 6am it’s going to be a no make-up sweat pant day, but I still get up an hour in advance so I can work out, shower and prep. I try and limit sweat pant days to no more then one per week as I don’t feel as focused and productive. On regular days I wear jeans and a professional top or a dress in the summer.
Professor McGonagall
Im a professor and work from home 3 days a week. I dress what I would call “smart casual.” Usually dark wash jeans or slim ponte pants, knit shirt with cardigan or knit jacket or a nice sweater, booties or oxfords . I do my hair and the same 5 minute makeup look everyday (concealer, mineral makeup, blush, sheer lipstick and mascara) but I usually skip mascara when I’m not teaching.
I walk my daughter to school and do pickup at day care and I often work for a few hours at a local coffee shop for a change of setting.
I find I just feel less mentally present in sweats. I usually change into comfort or lounge-wear in the evening to signal the mental shift even if I’ve basically been home writing or grading all day.
Alyssa
I’ve been working at home for 2 years now, and always put on full face makeup but not office clothes. In the morning it’s workout clothes, and generally mid morning I’m showering or cleaning up and getting into cute cotton shorts (in south FL) and a cotton top. Sometimes I feel like dressing up a bit more, sometimes I feel like dressing down. Oh and I don’t wear shoes anymore either: )
Anonanonanon
This WSJ article cracked me up. I also can’t figure out some of the outfits. Particularly the flat lay of a bodysuit and a button-up shirt and a coat. Where does the button up fit in? Under the bodysuit? Over? Over but unbuttoned? Also, it was suggested because you can be comfortable at home in the bodysuit then run out to “meet clients”. Why would I lounge around in something that requires me to completely undress to pee?
Also, a close second was the $4,000 earrings suggested for skype meetings.
Parfait
Currently working from home in fleece pants and a graphic tee. In summer I wear lightweight jersey dresses.
I can’t see myself wearing any of these items ever.
Trish
I have to put on a bra and change out of PJs and into gym clothes. Otherwise, all I want to do is go back to bed.
anon
I don’t think the WSJ is that off-base. I used to WFH nearly full-time (in a creative industry) and always wore at least smart casual: jeans or comfortable trousers with a sweater or blouse and blazer in the winter, dress in the summer. I don’t wear shoes in the home but would wear something decent (boots, loafers, etc.) to go out for meetings or errands. These are my preferred types of clothing and I saw no reason not to wear what I wanted just because I wasn’t interacting with people face-to-face for much of the day.
No Longer Anon
I’ve been living in ponte pants (BETABRAND FTW), crewneck sweater from Nordstrom Rack or a quarter-zip and a puffy Uniqlo vest some days. When it gets nice I’ll probably do skirts. Since we’ll probably still be WFH when it gets nice. UGH. Been wearing the he11 out of my Allbirds, Ugg “McKay” boots, and Toms booties. Nothing with heels. F that.
I have to get dressed or I won’t do anything but it doesn’t have to be work outfits, just not “going to work out” outfits.
M
I think your WFH attire entirely depends on who you are as a person. For myself, I feel more productive on the days that I shower and put some effort into my look. Somewhat effort for me is a pair of clean leggings, a plain t-shirt, a cardigan or sweater, and recently I invested in a pair of Birdies. They’re flats that feel like slippers. I stopped blowdrying my hair when I started WFH to give my hair a heat break, but I have extremely curly natural hair that I clip/tie back for Zoom meetings. I also cannot recommend Spanx work pants enough! I’m an attorney at a mid-sized firm and the Spanx work pants are my go-to for my longer days.
I totally respect those that can still be productive in their PJ’s! I envy the people that are able to get work done from their couch or bedroom. I literally can’t even open my laptop unless I’m at my desk. And I bow to the people that still wake up and do their full hair and makeup routine to WFH because that’s how they get themselves in the zone to work.