Fitness and comfort have influenced the fashion style of work from home (WFH). As technology continues to make working from home more commonplace, it won’t be as necessary to pack a suitcase for a business trip. In the near future, we could be going to work in a digital outfit.
Two years ago, when the world almost shut down because of the pandemic, WFH became a household word and began a trend that continues today. When that switch happened, many people became uncertain about what to wear for work.
Home was where you walked around in PJs, fuzzy slippers, or gym clothes. Were you expected to dress up in slacks and a shirt while working in your home office? People continued to dress the way they did for the office because it was familiar. Later, the fashion became a hybrid of styles. At virtual meetings, people wore business casual tops for the camera, and shorts or yoga pants for under the desk.
As the years continued, people accepted that the worlds of work and home could be blurred, and they showed up to virtual meetings wearing clothes that they could do housework in. Work-from-home fashion became more casual and influenced by sportswear.
For example, the fashion has become cardigans, sweatshirts in material that’s too nice for gym clothes, comfy dresses with pockets, and pants with a jogger waistline. These pants have a flat front and elastic back to like very casual slacks.
Fashion continues to evolve.
In the near future, video calls will be replaced with 3D digital projection. The technology will reduce travel costs – an important consideration with the rising cost of EVERYTHING from inflation. Consider the time saved from traveling to and from airports and the money saved on hotels and airfare!
In these futuristic meetings, your image is beamed from your location to the meeting location. Your image will be able to look around and interact with the people in the meeting room – you’ll be much more lifelike than in current 2D calls!
For the 3D projection to work, you will stand in a portal surrounded by cameras and microphones. However, you will need to dress up for the presentation (unlike a virtual meeting in which you only need to be presentable from the waist up).
We wouldn’t be able to shake hands or hug people during a virtual call yet, but we’re getting closer to that technology.
Perhaps the next advancement in virtual meetings and networking would be alternate projections. Just like our current capability to create virtual backgrounds, you will be able to roll out of bed with your PJs and project a pre-programmed image of yourself to your meeting.
There won’t be a need to dress up or check your appearance. Your pre-selected meeting outfit is ready to be projected with the press of a button. As technology advances, the possibilities are limitless.
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Are writers supposed to dress for the runway? Fashion trends and writers aren’t terms that are usually combined, yet a random search of “fashion” and “writers” led me to the intriguing topic “fashion for writers.” What would writers’ fashion look like?
Most writers I know are introverts: shy and unseen. You read about them and their work. You just don’t see them, so does it matter what they wear?
Of course, writers wear clothes, but what exactly are the fashion trends for this elusive group? The mystery is about to be solved. Here are some fashion tips and trends for writers… and anyone who wants to dress like a writer.
What should a writer wear?
A search through Google images showed me a wide range in fashion: a suit and tie (while standing in front of the stereotypical bookshelf, because what is a writer without books, right?), a blazer with scarf and sunglasses, and a t-shirt and dark-rimmed glasses.
These days, I rarely see anyone in a shirt and tie. I’ve never met a writer with a scarf and sunglasses before either.
In some of my writer groups, people write about lounging around the house in gym wear or PJs while they sip a glass of wine at their computer.
Some easy fashion tips
The topic of fashion and dressing like a writer has resulted in an article on Wikihow that provides fashion tips on dressing like an intellectual writer or an artistic writer. Writers write a lot, the article advises, so wear glasses. And writers should carry an accessory, such as a book. To look more “artsy”, the article recommends wearing sunglasses or scarves, anything to flatter your looks.
This article describes fashion that fits with the times. Many of us have worked from home lately, and writers are no different. For one of its fashion tips, the article says, wear whatever you like as long as you’re presentable from the waist up for those virtual meetings. Pants are most important if you leave the house. Otherwise, no one at home really cares what you wear.
Comfortable clothes, such as yoga pants, are fine.
Or find an outfit to show off if you’re a writer who is into social media and wants to show off your outfit-of-the-day.
For genre writers, the article suggests dressing for your niche; perhaps dressing more like the characters in your stories. For example, if you’re a romance writer, dress like the heroine. If you’re writing a western, dress like a cowboy.
Writers should have fun with whatever they wear, as long as these fashions inspire them to write. Practically speaking, it may be easier to wear what anyone working from home wears to sit for a day in front of the computer.
But unlike most people who work from home, writing is its own profession. What we wear is like our work “uniform” or our unique identity.
If you’re a writer, ask yourself, what pieces of clothing would define your identity? What clothing characterizes you so that when you’re famous, your fans can recognize who you are with one single glance?
After a year of remote work, are you ready to set aside your hoodies and sweatpants and dust off your business suits? I miss how dressing up for client meetings made me feel. Let’s capture that feeling again! If you’re still working from home, start off the new year by looking powerfully stylish. Here are some fashion trends for pandemic life to release the negativity of the past year and dress you up for remote work.
Masks and Fresh Faces
Like Superman and Clark Kent, or Supergirl and Kara Danvers, the pandemic has given me a new fashion trend and a new identity. Bear with me for a few paragraphs while I explain. I miss wearing full makeup when I go out. Wearing lipstick and then smearing it on my mask seemed counterproductive. Instead, my mask became the fashion accessory for the lower half of my face.
A disposable mask says, “you’re practical.” A homemade mask with patterns or solid colors became an extension of my wardrobe. Mixing and matching clothes and masks is now the “in” thing. I learned to smile with my eyes as a new way to connect with people, instead of smiling with my mouth. Walking into a bank with a mask on was finally acceptable.
A half-hidden face was like a Supergirl identity. I revealed the real me when I got home. I could wear makeup and try a new hairstyle for my next virtual meeting. The camera was my fashion runway. My secret identity, my entire face, was exposed to the world only in the virtual world. When I next go out, I’ll be disguised again, at least, until this pandemic is over.
Recycle It or Do It Yourself (DIY) Fashion
A fashion trend I’m seeing on Instagram and TikTok is making old clothes new again. Most of us have a shirt or a cardigan. Now if you tuck in that shirt or cardigan just above the waist, you’re accenting your waist and wearing old clothes a new way.
Updating old looks is easy if all we have to do is find what we have and wear it differently than before. These days, with restrictions on our social lives and where we can go, it’s handy to be able to shop at our own homes and be trendy. For those of us hit hard financially during the pandemic, being able to refresh old items is especially good news. Recycling is also good for the environment.
Do it yourself fashion is also a trend. Creating new looks seems as simple as watching a video and following a few steps. I’m a bit hesitant to cut away at old items or colour old items to create something new that I’ll wear in public. But if you’re handy with your hands, DIY is an option to look into.
After dressing down for almost a year, it’s time for a change. Some people are dressing up with brand name yoga wear. It’s still casual, but trendier. I’m ready to update old clothes – wearing my skirt, shirt, and cardigan 2021 style. Dressing up to work at home can put me into a professional and productive mindset.
Online Vs Brick and Mortar Trend
Another fashion trend for pandemic life is online shopping. For those who have a sense of what clothes fit them just by eyeballing photos, online clothes shopping is both convenient and safe.
You can avoid the malls and lineups. If you have health issues, online shopping keeps you safe. Most conveniently, you can shop during your coffee break while you work from home.
As an entrepreneur myself, I would encourage people to shop brick and mortar small businesses, such as clothing boutiques.
Summary
It’s time to refresh your look for the new year. If you’ve been working remotely for a year, you can liven up your pandemic life by trying out some new fashion trends. Dressing up can make you look and feel good. Most importantly, we can recapture how wonderful it felt to look fantastic while at work.
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If you’re wearing pajamas while sitting at your office, you might not be dreaming – you’re likely awake and remote working in 2020. After all, if your coworkers and boss can’t see you, do you need to dress up? Wouldn’t you rather be comfortable and practical in your fashion choices for remote work? This shift in priorities during pandemic life has created some memorable fashion trends to look back on years from now.
What used to be one of the bigger tasks of the day is no longer a big task. I no longer waste time or energy on planning what I need to wear to the office: no need to bring an extra sweater for that team meeting in a freezing room… no need to plan out which days to wear which blazers or sweaters so I don’t wear the same thing two days in a row … no need to bring an extra pair of shoes to wear after I take off my clunky snow boots. Fashion has become much simpler.
I roll out of bed, put on my comfy sweater or hoodie and loose-fitting pants, comb my hair, and I’m good to go. Are other workers as casual when they work from home? How are others dressing for remote work? Let’s take a look at some fashion trends for work and fun during the pandemic.
As an entrepreneur, I’m used to wearing what I like, but companies are talking about having a dress code for remote work. As working from home (WFH) continues into 2021, companies are talking about implementing official, gender neutral policies for what you wear during work hours.
Wearing professional clothes while WFH helps with a mindset shift as you mentally switch from being at home to being at work. If you live with family or roommates, your clothes also signal to them that you’re in work mode.
Just how much is the mindset shift determined by what you wear? A survey found that people who dressed business professional, business casual, or smart casual felt 80% productive throughout the day. Those who wore gym clothes felt 70% productive throughout the workday. And those who rolled out of bed to work in their pajamas only felt 50% productive throughout the day.
Dressing up, even to work from home, seems to be the best option to maximize productivity. However, a case could be made for dressing more casually as well. Some workers may have to look after a child or two while working. And friends have told me how much more productive they have become by doing housework during their breaks instead of crossword puzzles in the staffroom.
The answer to what to wear seems to depend on your pandemic lifestyle. Also, it might not matter as much if your coworkers can’t see you!
How to dress for virtual meetings
Whether your meetings are scheduled or you’re on call, it’s a good idea to dress up a little for virtual meetings when working remotely. How much you dress up depends on who you’re meeting with.
When networking or meeting new clients, I may wear a blazer or a fancy sweater. When meeting with team members, I sometimes wear my good hoodie (not the faded one with some holes). In the summer, team members showed up in a t-shirt or even a tank top! The formality depends on your workplace.
During the pandemic, there is the expectation that your coworkers are seeing a more personal side of you. I’ve seen family members walk across the room in the background. Family pets have made an appearance. A friend said her coworkers are now familiar with her husband’s superhero t-shirts as he crosses the screen in their tiny, shared home office.
Many are also familiar with dressing from the waist up for meetings. If you’ve done this, then you know the drill. Business formal or business casual from the waist up. It looks impressive but remember not to get up if you’re just wearing jogging pants or PJ bottoms. If I need to get up, I slide to the side and off screen before I stand up. (Yes, I am guilty of blazer and blouse plus pajama pants.)
Something I never considered as part of my wardrobe before the pandemic is my background. Your coworkers get a peek into one part of your home during a virtual meeting. I’ve learned to accessorize my look with an assortment of virtual backgrounds that I project on my green screen. I have daytime rooms for day meetings and nighttime rooms for meetings after dark. I even have seasonal rooms. At the moment, I have a Christmas-themed living room. People have complimented me on my backgrounds.
The handy thing about having eye-popping or realistic rooms is people tend to look at your background more than you. I can dress down and my ultra modern kitchen background gets attention and makes me look more professional.
Fashion trends during the pandemic
During the pandemic, people are not really going anywhere. No more vacations, big weekend birthday parties, sports events, concerts, or dancing at night clubs. If you’re really in the mood, you could spend a half hour dressing up to go get your groceries for the week. The effort seems a bit of a waste, however.
Practical, casual clothing choices have become the fashion trend, not just at the home office when remote working, but also when you go out. If you bought a fancy outfit to wear to the next party this year, it likely spent 2020 in your closet.
Depending on your tolerance for germs, you may have a simple or complex routine for outings. When you get home, you may want to wash your clothes to ensure you’re COVID free. The regular use of hot water and detergent probably deters you from wearing expensive, handwash items. And don’t forget part of your face could be covered by a mask.
When I go out, I see people who are dressed for comfort. Baggy and loose instead of body hugging and tight. Practical and comfortable instead of expensive and fancy. I haven’t seen people in suits lately. Post pandemic, casual clothes could remain the fashion trend for work, home, and going out.
Work and home life easily merge into each other during the pandemic. Dressing for remote work could mean dressing up or being comfortable and casual. With lockdowns and restrictions affecting our social lives, fashion trends have become more relaxed and practical and this trend may continue into the new year.
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What do your clothes say about you? In the pre-COVID days when I worked at the office at a job, I had a supervisor who wore body hugging suits and stiletto heels. Her makeup was polished and stunning. Overall, her fashion sense gave her an aura of confidence, power, and strength.
These days, working from home has made makeup, business fashion, and coats unnecessary. At virtual meetings, you only need to look presentable from the waist up (just don’t stand up). It’s easy to roll out of bed and show up at the office in a hoodie and sweat pants, oversized cardigan, or even pajamas.
You feel relaxed and comfortable. No need to impress anyone, and you don’t even need to wear contacts. Glasses are fine!
After almost a year of remote work, people have redefined fashion trends for the at-home workplace. What do our clothes say about us though? Does comfortable still mean professional? Does baggy, loose fitting, and relaxed still give us the feeling of confidence that we had at the office?
If you’re working from home, what is your work outfit these days? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Vanya Wryter Consulting Services 