How to dress when you work from home

This past little while since I started my dream career of being a writer who works from my home office, I have been curating my at-home wardrobe.  When we moved here to Hawke’s Bay, it was the middle of winter and a lot colder than I was used to in Auckland.

To keep warm I wore thick leggings, a merino wool cowl neck jersey and at least one layer underneath.  Cozy merino socks and sheepskin books completed my look.  I wouldn’t often put makeup on, especially if I wasn’t going out, and I wouldn’t do much with my hair either.  There didn’t seem much point if no-one could see me, right?

Over the past six months I have been changing my thoughts on that, and now most days I put on a tiny amount of makeup such as foundation – because my skin is very pink and shiny by itself :) – blush and/or bronzer, lip colour and mascara.  I either brush bronzer on my eyelids or use a non-sparkly neutral eyeshadow.

Plus, perfume. Always!  Even when I don’t wear makeup the odd day, I always wear perfume.

I also keep my hair clean and do something with it each day.  It’s summer here at the moment and I’ve been letting my naturally wavy/curly hair air-dry.  We have low-humidity here so my hair looks pretty rather than frizzy, as it did when we lived in a high-humidity area.

I actually do see quite a few people I’ve realized, even if my car doesn’t leave the garage that day.  There’s the courier or rural post van, neighbours when I’m out walking, our friend who lives in the flat attached to our house and Teddy the poodle’s mum too when I take him for a walk.  Plus… my husband when he gets home from work!

I’ve started putting together my favourite easy looks for each season, and also making sure I have enough outfits to see me through until laundry day.  In the hot weather I have simple just-above-the-knee dresses in soft denim, which I wear with Birkenstocks or jandals (thongs/flip-flops) at home or wedge-heeled sandals going out.

For spring and autumn I like inexpensive cropped soft stretch jeans that feel more like leggings, paired with a pretty tee-shirt or shirt.  On my feet I’ll wear Converse or ballet flats going out, or Go Walks staying in.

In the winter I plan to wear my full-length comfy stretch skinny jeans with cozy jumpers and my sheepskin boots, changing to merino socks and ankle boots (flat or with a small heel) if I go out.  One thing that keeps me warm is having my neck covered, so I’ll either make sure my jersey has a cozy cowl neck (I don’t like to be strangled by polo necks) or I will loop a soft cotton or wool scarf around my neck.

It feels good to dress at home as if I was going out, as long as I choose comfort as well as style, and it’s a fun ongoing project.  I also love to find pretty and feminine colours to feel good in.  It’s easy to choose a black top and jeans, but yesterday when I wore a new tee-shirt - Kmart $10 :) – in a blush/coconut ice pink fine-slub cotton, I felt really good.  Plus I received two compliments!  When I saw myself in the mirror, the muted pink really lit up my face.  I wore it with grey-black skinny jeans and melon-orange wedge sandals to go out to do a few errands.

When I used to work full-time, I always felt better when I dressed for the day.  On days at home when I wore loungewear and no makeup or hairstyle, I may have gotten a lot achieved, but I felt like I hadn’t really participated fully in the day.  By making myself presentable, it was like I was stepping forward and claiming my spot in the world.

I know a lot of you are interested in what to wear at home, because it’s one of my all-time most popular posts on the blog.  I am always nosy to see what others wear at home too!  The ideal outfit would be pretty, comfortable, easy-care, inexpensive, elegant and chic.

What is your favourite at-home outfit?  Summer and winter please :)

Chloe and Daphne Update:

The new girls are doing SO well.  (Daphne is in our closet at the top of this post, and Chloe is taking a selfie above.)  They’ve been with us almost three weeks and are like my little shadows now.  Everywhere I go around the house I hear eight paw-steps following me, and if I even go to the letterbox it’s like I’ve been away a month when I come back in the front door.  Waking up early in the morning to let them outside I receive a royal welcome from both of them.  It’s lovely :)

They are S L O W L Y getting used to my husband… that will take more time.  He bribes them with dog treats sometimes.  I take my new girls for a walk down the road and they are so good at walking on a leash.  Jessica and Nina have put them in their place a few times but generally just ignore them.  Life is calm and I think we’ll all be just fine!

You can see a cute little one-minute video of Chloe and Daphne playing here.

~Fiona~

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