The Best Work-From-Home Clothes for Women, According to Stylish Freelance and Remote Workers
Save this article to read it later.
Find this story in your account’s‘Saved for Later’section.
Comment
If you’ve been wearing the same pair ofsweatpantsfor the past two weeks, same. Making the switch from dressing for the office every day toworking from homeduring thecoronavirus outbreakhas been a sartorial shock for many of us. However, for freelance and remote workers who haven’t been in an office for years, the challenge of looking put-together enough for a Zoom call but comfortable enough for working from thecouchis nothing new. We asked five stylish women who’ve been working remotely since way before anyone had heard the term COVID-19 for their advice on getting dressed with nowhere to go.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Mercedes Kraus, executive editor and interim editor-in-chief ofCurbed(Curbed and the Strategist are both part of Vox Media) has been working remotely on-and-off since 2012. Since she’s on a lot of video calls, she says she focuses on her “above-the-desk look,” pairing work-friendly tops with comfier bottoms. “If my baby’s drool is on my pants, that doesn’t concern me,” she says. She has a Uniqlo top similar to this one that she’ll wear with relaxed pants.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Another Uniqlo pick, Kraus says she would “wear the hell out of this in olive.”
New! You can now save this product for later.
“Aside from sending a few morning emails in my pajamas, I always like to be showered and changed by the time I sit down to work,” saysCarrie Carrollo, a freelance writer and content strategist. She still likes to keep it casual, though, and typically wears one of the vintagecrew neck sweatshirtsshe collects. She’s especially drawn to “graphic, collegiate, or logo versions” that double as street-style pieces. Here’s an old-school Champion sweatshirt to get you started.
Note: Stock of this vintage sweatshirt is limited. Check out a similarnew style here.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Carrollo says she’d “also settle for a cozy half zip, like this one from Outdoor Voices.”
New! You can now save this product for later.
A self-described “athleisurequeen,” freelance writer and editor (andStrategist contributor)Alexandra Ilyashovsays she has “a real affinity for fancy sweatshirts” from high-end performance wear brands like Alala. They’re comfortable, she says, but also, since they’re designed for working out, they repel liquids, which is very handy for spills.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Wearing a dress may seem counterintuitive when you can easily get away with leggings and a sweatshirt, but some say it’s an easy way to look polished while still being comfy enough for curling up on the couch. “Tent and babydoll styles, especially tiered versions [like this one from ASOS] are my favorite because they’re the furthest thing from form-fitting, but feel a little more put-together,” says Carrollo. Stick with dresses made from soft jersey or cotton and avoid stiffer materials.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Like many of us, Ilyashov has put aside herjeansin favor of stretchier pants. She says some leggings designed for working out are too compressive for everyday wear, so she likes that these ponte legging-style pants from American Giant offer more flexibility. With a thick, covered-elastic waistband, she says, they’re “the closest thing to pants that are not real pants.”
New! You can now save this product for later.
“I’m just as serious about lounge leggings as I am about workout gear,” says Carrollo. “The fabric, cut, and rise all matter. I like ones that have a good amount of stretch while still being structured, a seamless waistband — a thick seam can be uncomfortable when you’re sitting down — and fabric that has at least a little bit of that spandex/elastane feel.” She says that Everlane’s new Perform leggings checks all those boxes and is “basically my ideal legging.”
New! You can now save this product for later.
“My general WFH outfit philosophy is that comfort is key,” says freelance writer andStrategist contributorTaylor Trudon. “I wish I could be one of those people who puts on red lipstick or even a bra, but I don’t.” She says that recently she’s been “living in” these “supersoft” Brooklinen sweatpants that her boyfriend gifted her “so that I would stop stealing from his supply.”
New! You can now save this product for later.
Although technically pajamas, these pants are moisture-wicking and temperature-regulating, making them something “between athleisure and performance sleepwear,” Ilyashov says. “I wear their stuff as pajamas all the time, but I’m finding that I’m living in these wide-leg pants. They’re basically like sweatpants.”
New! You can now save this product for later.
If leggings or sweatpants feeltoorelaxed for you, Kraus loves these pants from Everlane that have just enough stretch to not feel constricting.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Ilyashov often turns to a pair of viscose Eileen Fisher cropped pants that she calls “lovely, thick, drapey sweatpants.”
New! You can now save this product for later.
One of Ilyashov’s favorite options is a pair of brick-red linen pants from a hot-springs spa in Japan, but these spa pants on Etsy are similar. “They feel more elevated,” she says. “They’re not quite soft enough to sleep in, for my taste, but I’ve been going on walks in them.”
New! You can now save this product for later.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Social media consultantEvelynn Escobar-Thomas’s work-from-home philosophy involves mixing “cozy items with more polished pieces like a blazer,” she says. “I love a sweatsuit/blazer combo because it’s a perfect balance between the two worlds. Business, but make it comfy.” This Free People set is her “go-to,” because “it’s the softest, warmest set of my life.”
New! You can now save this product for later.
“Frank and Oak makes my favorite blazers,” says Escobar-Thomas. “The fit is great and I frequently pair them with an oversized vintage tee or sweatsuit for a laid-back, polished look.” She pointed us to this plaid blazer with a roomy fit that’s perfect for throwing on over a sweatshirt for an impromptu Zoom call.
New! You can now save this product for later.
A lot of us can probably identify with Ilyashov when she says, “I haven’t put on a single underwire bra on” since hunkering down at home. Instead, she’ll go for something that’s comfortable yet supportive, like the Athena crop top from Outdoor Voices. She also likes that it’s “cute enough, when it is warmer, to wear as a top.”
New! You can now save this product for later.
Both Ilyashov and Kraus mentioned the power of accessorizing, either for adding visual interest on a video call or just because it makes them happy. Ilyashov has a collection of vintage rings that she likes to look at as she types, and Kraus says she’s “very much about” the gold chain necklace trend, which she feels gives her “a little bit of presence,” over video.
New! You can now save this product for later.
New! You can now save this product for later.
In the warmer months, Kraus says she’ll switch from her Glerups to these lightweight Birkenstock EVA sandals for padding around the house.
The Strategistis designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the bestacne treatments,rolling luggage,pillows for side sleepers,natural anxiety remedies, andbath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
