Relish the upsides of social distancing by embracing a cozyboi level of dressing down. Way down.
If you have ever worked from home (y’know, pre-global pandemic), you’ve probably heard the advice, “make sure to get yourself dressed every morning so you feel like you’re really working.”
Whether these words of wisdom come from well-meaning friends who telecommute or productivity experts, I say: I hear where they’re coming from, but also, well, fuck that. The world is burning and you might as well ride it out in your most “only to be worn at home” gear. Now that we’ve got a formal excuse to lean into the “casual” part of business casual it’s time to run with it.
That’s why we’re ready with six comfy AF WFH men’s style recs, from house slippers to pseudo-sweats, to help you make the most of your quarantine isolation.
Ace Sweatpants | $78 | Mack Weldon
Look, I get it. I’m very (very) familiar with the urge to feel semi cool and put together while working from home, while at the same time doing the absolute. Bare. Minimum. That’s why I’m also very into these Mack Weldon sweats for guys.
The slim, tailored leg keeps them looking super sharp (especially for a sweatpant!), while the stretchy, French terry blend means that these bad boys will fully support whatever weird position you curl up into on the couch to work (just me??).
Also, yes, they are machine washable. Obviously. We got you.
Dry Touch Jersey Henley | $195 | James Perse
I really don’t want to be that person — i.e. the one who recommends a $200 t-shirt in a product round-up that you definitely do not need, but HERE I AM. So yes, while you certainly don’t need this luscious, indulgent, magical muscle-grazing tee from James Perse, t-shirt king, I’m not not about to peer pressure you into making this purchase.
Hear me out, though. Everyone knows that henleys are objectively the sexiest men’s shirt style in existence. Objectively. You’re basically guaranteed to be ~feeling yourself~ all day. And, bonus: because you’re working from home, nobody can judge how many times you backtrack to check yourself out in the bathroom mirror (consider yourself respectfully wolf whistled at in spirit, though!)
Plus, a long-sleeve shirt is slightly more dressed up on the WFH style spectrum. If you’re going to be getting on a video conference call, you’ll feel just as comfortable as if you were wearing a t-shirt, but twice as pulled together.
Nimbus Cotton Shorts | $65 | Outdoor Voices
I only recently learned the term “house shorts,” and I’ve really been abusing it ever since. It has, personally, given me the permission I’ve been seeking to wear almost exclusively shorts while lounging around my house (well, my overpriced, sixth-floor walk-up one-bedroom apartment). Oh these? These aren’t my brother’s old basketball shorts from middle school. No, these are my house shorts. Very different, my dear.
Looking for your very own pair of house shorts? These beauties from Outdoor Voices literally have the word “CLOUD” in the name, so you know they’re comfy. They’re also 100% cotton, and thus fully equipped to handle your work-induced stress sweats (please tell me I’m not alone here…).
Also, let’s just relish for a moment how the instructions request that you “don’t iron” and “don’t dry clean” these babies. Yes, I realize they’re cotton shorts and that’s probably a given. But guess where you won’t see those care instructions: on the tag of regular work pants!
Those things are all kinds of high maintenance, and you, my friend, are only on Skype from the waist up. Take those silver linings where you can get ‘em, people!
Y-3 Yuben Low Sneakers | $250 | Adidas
I fully recognize that not all of us are sneakers-in-the-house folks. But assuming you’re not leaving the house much over the next few weeks, what about treating yourself to a new pair of clean kicks to make yourself feel a little more “at work” by wearing them during business hours?
And, if you are gonna wear sneaks, might I recommend some of the coolest ever? It’s tough to talk about athleisure without talking about Adidas’s Y-3 collection from Yohji Yamamoto. And since not everyone wants to drop $300 on a branded sweatshirt, these Yuben Low sneakers are a dream come true for a hypebeast on a budget.
The branding is subtle, they fit perfectly into any outfit you’d wear with a pristine white sneaker, and the little hints of leather make them versatile enough to wear in most settings. Including inside your apartment. Alone.
Long Underwear | bottoms $70, top $65 | Hemen
A fair chunk of my WFH time so far has been spent writing while mainlining TV in the background that I wouldn’t otherwise watch. Such as? Outlander, in which the time-traveling characters come together in various states of long underwear’d undress. It’s very sexy in a way that I’ll unravel with my therapist once she’s taking in-office appointments again.
The tl;dr? Dudes in long underwear are hot. This brand bases their styles on an old basque tradition in which wives would give their shephard husbands undergarments that were “endowed with the power to protect them from the harshness of nature’s elements.” Swoon, amirite?!
Not only that, but Hemen is hyper concerned with sustainability, meeting the Global Organic Textile Standards for all of its organic cotton. Every garment is manufactured in Porto, Portugal and while I cannot confirm this, I’m pretty sure wearing these long underwear will instantly give you a European accent that can’t...quite be placed. Plz report back.
Dorm Boot | $199 | Quoddy
When it comes to most things, but particularly slippers, we take style inspiration from the grandfathers in our respective family trees. That’s why Quoddy’s handsewn shearling moccasins are right up my alley. The leather touches make them aesthetically satisfying - like you’ve had them forever, even though you just Amazon Prime’d them to your lobby - while the Vibram rubber soles make them extra practical in any WFH situation.
Whether it’s coronavirus that gets us, or we have to wait a few more years for global warming to send the globe into a The Day After Tomorrow scenario, I assume these slippers will be a heavily coveted item when it eventually all goes down. Also if everything turns out sort of okay. They work for that, too.
To reiterate, the whole notion of “getting dressed to work” means whatever you want it to mean. And if, like me, you want it to mean pairing long underwear with the nicest t-shirt you’ll ever own, SO BE IT. We here at Style Girlfriend endorse doing what makes you feel happy (and, you know, look good) at an otherwise scary time.