JOANNE watkinson
THE NEW WORKWEAR
HOW was your commute this morning? Short? Mine too, past the bathroom, down the stairs and left at the kettle.
If you are among the millions of people who have been working from home since the pandemic began, then you will know what I’m talking about.
“Work clothes” as we know them are, for the most part, a thing of the past. Even those who are heading back into an office environment tell me the dress code isn’t as smart as pre-covid. Lots of men are no longer wearing suits, trainers are commonplace and everything is a little more relaxed, in a good way.
But as I browsed through the rails in Cos, once my go-to for smart but modern workwear, I felt sad that many of the pieces would never fulfil their destiny in the boardroom because so many people are now starting casual Friday on a Monday.
WFH, as it’s now commonly known, (Working From Home for those of you who detest nouveau abbreviations) has its pitfalls, the social side of work has all but been obliterated, communication is limited to video and phone calls, while on a bigger scale, city centre businesses are suffering from the lack of commuters buying lunches and takeaway coffees.
For many though, the benefits outweigh the negatives: no travel time or cost and less distractions, while the money spent on those daily coffees – which at £3 a day could be as much as £700 a year – can be spent on making your WFH wardrobe a little more stylish.
Is it just me or has the novelty of wearing gym gear on a daily basis worn off? Now that
I’m actually exercising again and not just dressing in case such an occasion occurred, putting on clean gym gear after I shower seems futile.
Inspired by the much-vaunted Danish trend of Hygge, I have now upgraded some of my shuffling- aroundthe-house essentials from useful to luxurious. I’ve switched my hoodie for a chunky alpaca cardigan, exchanged my slippers for sheepskin sliders and my synthetic leggings for super-soft bamboo joggers. Working from home never felt so good.