I recorded a Short earlier this week that asked, “Should you ‘get ready’ to work from home or nah?” As in, does it matter if no one is going to see me all day if I wear my workout clothes and no makeup?
And of course, on a broader scale, it doesn’t matter. In the grand scheme of things that are important or not, what I wear while sitting at my desk at home ranks pretty low.
But let’s explore the subject at hand a little deeper, because I think it does matter.
For me, getting dressed is an indication of how I’m showing up for the day. It puts me in the mindset of being at “work” instead of in the gym, cleaning, or being a couch potato. And frankly, it means that when I walk by a mirror, I don’t avert my eyes.
I saw a video this morning on Facebook by comedian Trey Kennedy. It was from his podcast Correct Opinions with his wife, Katie Kennedy, and the title was “We Need to Dress Better in Public.”
I agree.
While it’s a nice change that men no longer have to wear suits and ties every day and women don’t have to wear girdles, stockings and heels, I frankly think we’ve gone too far in the other direction. We can be comfortable for a long flight or running into Walmart and still wear actual clothes instead of, say, pajamas.
Of course, any time the words “need to,” “should,” or “appropriate” or “inappropriate” come up, there’s the inevitable backlash. Actually, any time someone talks about appearances at all, I could probably list the comments that will follow: “Maybe we should normalize not judging people on their appearances.” “Who are you to decide?” “People should wear what they want!”
And it’s not that they’re necessarily wrong. But I do think those responses shut down a conversation that is more interesting than simply deciding whether someone is “judgmental.”
Because appearances do matter. We may not like it, but they do.
We make very quick assessments about the people and situations around us all the time. Clothing and grooming are part of the information we take in. That doesn’t mean our assumptions are always correct, and it certainly doesn’t mean someone is a good or bad person based on what they’re wearing. But clothing is a social signal, whether we intend it to be or not.
There are also certain unspoken rules about being a member of society. Things we do or don’t do according to our culture. One of those has traditionally been wearing clothing that is appropriate to the situation. Actual shoes in public instead of house slippers. Clothes to the store instead of a nightgown. Brushing your hair instead of looking like you literally just rolled out of bed.
Does that mean someone is a ‘wrong’ if they don’t? Of course not. Are there legitimate reasons for leaving the house in the clothes we wore to bed? Certainly.
But I also think there’s room to ask whether our increasing casualness has changed something about how we show up, both for other people and for ourselves.
Studies have suggested that what we wear can affect how we think and behave. We tend to act differently when we’re dressed for work than when we’re dressed for the gym or to go out or for bed. And that brings me back to the original question.
Does it really matter if I get dressed when I’m working from home and no one is going to see me?
For me, yes.
I simply feel better and more ready to work when I’m dressed in something other than sweats and a T-shirt. I feel more pulled together, more intentional, and more like the workday has actually begun.
So maybe “getting ready” when you work from home isn’t really about whether anyone else is going to see you.
Maybe it’s about how you show up for yourself.