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Work smart?

A 1930s photo of a woman and a vaccuum cleaner
1930s housewear. Nice!
Any hopes of me looking good have gone right out of the window!

As a precaution, the firm I work for has asked us all to work from home for the next fortnight, which is no problem for me as I do it about once a week. It's good for my anxiety to have a break from the noise of the office and just to be able to get my head down without noise or distractions. However, it's fair to say I let myself go a bit on the days I'm working from home. I do get dressed, but probably not as nicely as I do for work – trousers and a simple top mainly – and I don't tend to bother with makeup unless I know I've got a Google Hangout planned. It makes me respect the glamorous home-based bloggers I know all the more.

Of course, women in the past weren't much different from us today; they didn't dress from the nines when they were at home alone. If you're doing housework you don't want to spoil your nice clothes (and clothes were comparatively more expensive decades ago, and laundry a more complex thing), hence housecoats. They were cheerful, not unattractive, but made from robust, easily washable fabric. I tend to shy away from buying vintage ones because they often have zip fronts and I'm not a fan of that.

A brown-haired woman in a floral wrap dress
My old Swirl!
The Swirl wrap dresses which were in vogue with the vintage community a few years ago evolved from an apron to something a little smarter than a housedress, good enough for shopping or casual evenings. (I had a 60s one but gave it to Vix in a clearout; I do still have a Heyday 'Fleur' repro wrap dress that's very similar in style to the 50s Swirls.) I'm pretty sure Butterick's famous 'walk-away' dress (published 1952, revived in the noughties and one of their top patterns in 2007, popular again in 2015 in Britain after being featured on The Great British Sewing Bee) fills a similar niche. I quite like those as one thing I'm not going to do is change my outfit and put makeup on before Mr Robot gets home, so something treading the line between 'easy' and 'glamorous' would be perfect. (A Sheila-style 'jammy dress' perhaps.)

Part of me's thinking about making a walk-away for my days working from home, but given what I like to wear, and what's on my 2020 Make Nine list, I think a better option might be that beach pyjama outfit I've already got a pattern for. Still trousers and a simple top, just a tad more glamorous. What do you reckon? What do you like to wear if/when working from home?
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  1. Goody14 March 2020 at 01:02

    I thought you'd be flouncing around in a peignoir! Something with ostrich feathers.

    I just get dressed, makeup and all and put on an apron/pinny if I'm doing housework. I'd lose my mind if I didn't, but that's me. On the farm I had a few jersey, easy to launder dresses that did the trick. Swirl dresses serve a similar function.

    I don't know about you, but I'm running out of things to clean at home. Being here all day (school is shut now as well, so no reason to go out)has left me with not much left to do. I hope you can enjoy your time away from the office even if it is under stressful circumstances.

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    1. Mim24 March 2020 at 14:01

      I think a peignoir would raise eyebrows on the morning team Google Hangout.

      I am still working, so there's plenty to clean, though the house is definitely already looking better. Now Pete is working from home too, we have to make sure we're not leaving cups and bowls all over the place.

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  2. Sheila14 March 2020 at 01:19

    My company has also strongly suggested that we work from home for the next two weeks, but the nature of my job doesn't allow that (it's kind of hard to deal with the coffee maker if I'm not there), so I'll be self-isolating at work by myself!

    I do love a good Jammy Dress (thank you for the shout-out!), but around the house, I typically wear moth-eaten cashmere, and step-down cardigans (ones that are not nice enough anymore to be in public) and I rotate a few pairs of stretchy jeans-style trousers.

    I vote for the dress and then the jammy suit!

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    1. Mim24 March 2020 at 14:03

      I do have a few bits that aren't nice enough to wear out, but I try not to have too many of those - I only have a small wardrobe, and too much 'it'll do' means not enough room for 'it's great!'.

      Delete
  3. Vix14 March 2020 at 14:42

    You'll be pleased to know that the lady who now owns that fabulous dress still wears and loves it to death.
    A walkaway dress would be a fantastic choice for working from home, comfy and easy to wear but glam, too. I always function better when I know I'm well dressed. I remember TGBSB episode and some of the fabulous fabric choices.
    xxx

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    1. Mim24 March 2020 at 14:05

      Heh, I'm glad it gets loved. I saw that photo and slightly regretted getting rid of it - but there's going to be more vintage for me out there.

      When buying new I have ridiculously luxurious fabric taste. But if I've got to work with something and then wear it, it may as well make me happy twice over.

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  4. Polyester Princess14 March 2020 at 19:05

    That dress is gorgeous, is that the one you gave to Vix? I'd never heard of that "walk-away" dress you mentioned, so I had to google it. Not sure it would be the one I would wear for working at home. I think a Sheila-style jammy dress would be a better option. I usually get dressed up even for a day at home, but in that case I don't like to wear anything too constricted. I'd still be wearing something colourful and slightly glamorous - not to mention lipstick - or I would be feeling out of sorts all day! xxx

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    1. Mim24 March 2020 at 14:06

      That is!

      I'm in my tweed trousers and nice blouses this week; I'm feeling a bit stressed and the trousers are smartish and comfy, and about as much as I can cope with. Hopefully full glam will resume later in the week.

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  5. Vicky16 March 2020 at 05:08

    I think I will be heading into the work from home in the not to distant future and as we are coming into cooler weather it will probably be jeans and hoodie....Not very glamorous, will still sort my hair out in case I need to skype in for a meeting LOL

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    1. Mim24 March 2020 at 14:08

      Yes, got to look reasonably human for the online meetings. ("Wear pants" seems to be the advice men give each other... who doesn't wear pants at home?!)

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  6. Vronni's Style Meanderings16 March 2020 at 16:17

    I think beach pjs are just the ticket - they always looks so glamorous! I loved you in your swirl dress - beautiful colours on you. I didn't know about the dress pattern and GBSB; I can't wait until it comes back! I think I might have missed a series somewhere; I wonder if it would be possible to catch up with it?

    I have to say whenever i was working from home when I worked at the university I always got up up, showered, dressed and made up then I felt like me and could get to work...

    Hope you don't go stir crazy...!!
    xxx

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    1. Mim24 March 2020 at 14:09

      I bet it's on iPlayer somewhere.

      I'm not going stir crazy, but maintaining my work/life balance is getting out of whack again, and my stress levels are rising once more - I did a 16-hour day yesterday.

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  7. Suna17 March 2020 at 13:01

    I'm also working from home these days. Since Thursday last week. I definitely dress down and tend to wear comfy clothes, but try to resist the temptation of pajamas.

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    1. Mim24 March 2020 at 14:10

      I hope it's going well for you- and that if you do give into temptation, the pyjamas are splendid ones.

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