When I returned to working from home post-legislative session, I lost the desire to get dressed every day. Not all at once. But it just slowly stopped feeling worth it.
Why put on real pants when the only people who’ll see me are my daughter, the UPS guy, and a few faces in tiny Zoom boxes? So I just started putting on a knit sweater and my Miramar track pants most days. I told myself this was the sane, efficient choice. Mostly, I just refused to admit that this WFH life feels very boring to me.
But here’s what I’ve noticed recently as work has picked up: the days I don’t get dressed are the days I don’t get much done. I feel foggy, a little flat, and somehow I never fully wake up. The days I put on a real outfit, even something as simple as a crisp shirt and a five-minute face, are different. I sit up straighter, answer emails faster, and feel more like ‘Abra’. Getting dressed doesn’t have to mean dressing up. It’s a signal to your brain that the day has started and you’re showing up for it. So if you’ve been living in loungewear and feeling a little lost, let’s ease back into it together.
+ How I tried to make new friends in mid-life. (Gloria)
+ This collared Alice + Olivia sweater keeps winding up in my cart.
+ What sports psychologists want you to know about mental toughness. (NYT, gift link)
+ Nordstrom has all your K-Beauty favorites. So tempted to try this lash lift kit.
+ Forgetting words? It could be perimenopause. (Call Your Dr. Podcast)
+ Someone please stop me from buying this oversized bandana.
+ This Korean Style Burrito is on my meal prep list for next week. (Endless Meal)
+ These incredible Sarah Flint flats are on sale and going fast.
+ This sub-Reddit is where men are sharing their most intimate feelings. (GQ)
+ The Mango blazer shop is a dangerous place. I mean, come on with this one.
+ Ranking defunct celebrity clothing brands. (I Have Great Taste)
+ I still love the portrait stamp from our wedding so much. Need one with Sloane.
+ Questions to ask at your next parent-teacher conference. (Instagram)
+ This Cuyana pouch is a great gift for a hard to shop for woman. I own three.
+ How to make a flu box for the sick season. (Dr. Beach Gem)
{this post contains affiliate links that generate commission for the author; capitol hill style is thrilled to be a Nordstrom partner}
Shoes. For me WFH works better if I put on shoes with some arch support rather than just wearing socks or slippers.
Greetings from day 4 of maternity leave! I got myself two new LL Bean flannels and having something to look forward to to put on really does make a difference. Now if I could just get my reels to stop giving me the side by side comparison of how to un-millennial my outfit…
Your post reminds me of one of my med school classmates who used to dress up for tests. She felt it gave her a mental edge.
Well. You just nailed something about WFH that I never realized . . . off to wash my face and brush my teeth. 🤣
Also: I have been wearing some version of pointed-toe flats since law school in SF, when I realized I could walk (most anywhere) in them, they easily dressed up/down an outfit when needed, and they elongate my legs. My ultimate score was a pair of chocolate leather J. Crew mary janes via Ebay. I’ve had something similar in rotation every since – most recently from Lauren Ralph Lauren (Macy’s). Thanks for the Sarah Flint tip!
Thank the gods whose job it is to maintain my (laughably minimal) accessory budget that the Sarah Flint black velvet shoes are sold out in my size! Elegant though they undeniably are, they’d never survive a Midwestern winter, and I absolutely canNOT justify wearing them around the house, singing “I Feel Pretty” at the top of my lungs and no doubt scarring the grandchildren for life.