The Work-from-Home Wardrobe Dilemma

When the world shifted to working from home, I thought, "This is it. This is the dream!" No more early morning alarms, no more scrambling to catch the bus, and best of all, no more dress code. It was going to be sweatpants and T-shirts all day, every day, and I was here for it.

At first, it was glorious. I reveled in the freedom of not having to squeeze into stiff office attire. My wardrobe quickly morphed into a rotation of the comfiest clothes I owned. But as the days turned into weeks, and then into months, something strange started to happen. I realized that I hadn't worn "real" pants in... well, I couldn't even remember the last time.

It started with just one or two days a week, then three, and before I knew it, I was living in a perpetual state of loungewear. I began to feel a little too comfortable, if you know what I mean. I wasn’t just wearing sweatpants during work hours—I was wearing them all the time. Grocery runs, Zoom meetings, even the occasional trip to the mailbox—all done in the same outfit.

Speaking of Zoom meetings, let’s talk about the fine art of dressing from the waist up. You know, the classic business-on-top, party-on-the-bottom look. I had perfected it. A crisp shirt, maybe even a blazer, on top, while underneath, I was rocking my favorite pair of pajama pants or, more often than not, no pants at all. It was foolproof—until it wasn’t.

One day, I was feeling particularly fancy and decided to throw on a full outfit for a big meeting. Yes, full! I pulled on an actual pair of jeans, only to discover that they were… tighter than I remembered. It turns out that months of living in elastic waistbands had its consequences. After a brief struggle, I managed to button them up and made my way to the meeting. I thought, "I’ve got this." But halfway through, I realized I’d forgotten how uncomfortable "real" clothes could be.

As the weeks went on, I started to notice other things. Like how I had developed a whole system for quickly changing into something “presentable” when a surprise video call popped up. My camera-off mode was my default, and for good reason. My home office had become a sea of cozy blankets and mismatched socks, and my hair? Let’s just say it had seen better days.

But the real turning point came one afternoon when I decided to take a quick break and run to the store. Without thinking, I grabbed my keys and headed out the door. It wasn’t until I was halfway there that I glanced down and realized, with horror, that I was still in my plaid pajama bottoms.

I froze, contemplating whether to turn around or just go with it. In the end, I did what any rational person would do—I owned it. I walked into that store like I was making a fashion statement, and you know what? No one even batted an eye. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one embracing the new normal.

As the work-from-home life continued, I started to make peace with my new wardrobe choices. I even found myself embracing the mix of comfort and style, pairing my coziest sweatpants with my nicest tops, just in case the camera caught more than I intended. And on the rare occasion that I did dress up, it felt like a special event—a reminder that, yes, I could still pull it off when I needed to.

Now, I’ve learned to find a balance. Some days, I let myself lounge in my favorite hoodie, and other days, I make an effort to put on something a bit more structured, if only to remind myself that I can. But no matter what I wear, one thing is for sure—working from home has forever changed my relationship with clothes, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

So, if you see me at the store in my pajama bottoms, just know that I’m living my best life, one comfortable step at a time.