When trying to find some perks to being homebound, one of the things on the top of my head would be the freedom of dressing down, and, in many cases, forgo pants altogether.

You’ve probably heard the hilarious stories of news reporters or politicians who got caught in their briefs on a zoom interview. And while these embarrassing work moments were a great source of entertainment during our first lockdown days, I need to admit that I have now succumbed to the bottomless trend.

It requires many mental gymnastics to motivate oneself to get dressed in the morning when the highlight of the day is that walk from the sofa to the kitchen. The welcoming prospect of an elasticated waistband makes it hard to resist the appeal of a fuzzy tracksuit or a stretchy legging. As this Twitter user wrote back in April: 

“This could be the end of the world as we know it. Anna Wintour is seen in sweatpants for the first time ever.” 

Maybe saying it's the end of the world is a tad dramatic, but it certainly is the beginning of something, shall we say... different. When even the grand priestess of fashion does it, surely there must be a way to escape the dreaded “Slob style” ? All the while maintaining our new-found standards of comfort of course. 

When working from home, one can enjoy the freedom to wear outfits outside of the corporate box and turn that lockdown wear into the new power dressing. With the highs and lows of what is now the new normal, the process of getting dressed (or rather not getting dressed) can take its toll on our well-being. Although the cosiness of the home wardrobe may sound like the dream, research has proven that the human mind desperately needs a proper routine. And within that routine, the boundaries between our relaxing time and work time need to be defined. Not only has it shown better productivity but it has also shown improvement in mental health and sleeping patterns.

Undeniably, the idea of working legs up on the sofa as we type away on our laptop, tucked in our “day” pyjamas (+ the occasional jumper as a professional disguise during meetings), seems like the ultimate luxury. But the importance of routine means that we need to find a way to associate our love for snugness with the steps needed to condition ourselves for a workday. And as comfort gives us that mental space to fully focus on the tasks ahead, finding the right balance in our wardrobe is key. So long tight trousers and restrictive shirts, hello soft knits and cosy all in ones!

With no office to go to and no co-workers to impress, it seems like the perfect moment to make our most comforting outfits shine. With what we wear being one of the few things we can control and seeing the most dedicated fashion lovers giving in to the trend, this new uniform could be the height of lockdown fashion.

Like queen Anna Wintour, you could elevate your tracksuit with a smart colour coordinated jumper for that ultimate boss move or channel your inner Kate Moss with the cosiest oversized jumper and make it a dress to impress. Whatever fits your mood! Of course, this might appear like a small speck in the galaxy of our lockdown world, but with the pandemic dismantling our routines, it could also be a small step towards re-establishing a sense of normalcy in our lives.

Hopefully, this will set the tone for the post-pandemic era and allow this focus on comfort to settle in nicely within our daily routines. Because at the end of the day, the only thing to remember is:

Dress to make yourself feel good 💜

For ideas of zoom appropriate outfits 💜 click here