THE TAILORY’S TAKE: Work From Home Edition
Fashion is more than just a medium for self-expression or social signaling; the clothes we wear can actually prime us to think and act differently. Although it may be tempting to wear sweatpants 24/7, we cannot stress the importance of wearing professional attire while working from home enough. The benefits of a formal dress on maintaining a productive and balanced WFH lifestyle are unrivaled. “Enclothed Cognition,” as scientists like to call it, is the study of how clothing can affect our mental and emotional states, as well as our behavior and social interactions.
Scientists have found that structured office wear like bespoke suits and jackets put us in the right frame of mind to conduct business negotiations by giving us confidence and triggering an increase in hormones needed to be more confident in conversation. Wearing a suit also beneficially impacts our ability to think abstractly – the perfect outfit to complete complicated tasks that require us to invest mental resources.
Here are some of our top WFH fashion tips to help you work from home:
ON/OFF – To create a healthy work-life balance, wear professional attire while working during the workday and change into more comfortable clothing once your day ends. This will allow you to avoid premature burnout by creating a physical separation between your ON and OFF modes.
WERK – We understand that a full suit might be overkill. Instead, slip on a suit jacket and notice the immediate shift in perspective. This has done wonders for our motivation levels!
GO-GETTER – Fashion signals who we are to those around us. Maintain regular dress codes while on video calls, since this projects a go-getter image and communicates that you are staying motivated and productive.
THANK US LATER – For video calls, opt for solid colors over patterns – these tend to translate better on camera. If you wear glasses, adjust lighting to reduce glare from your lenses.
TGIF – Reserve your most comfortable attire for casual Fridays at home. A dress shirt and sweatpants are the perfect WFH cheat day outfit!
Perception is reality – for those who see us and for how we see ourselves. Use fashion to structure your WFH lifestyle, and go get ‘em, tiger!
