How to wear your WFH clothes to the office: A guide to help you get dressed in under 30 minutes

By now, most of us would have gotten the call to return to the office - if not for the whole duration of the work week, then for at least a fraction of our working days. This means leaving the creature comforts that you've developed in the past two years. Gone are the Zoom calls in your favourite lived-in sweatshirts, mid-day huddles wearing shorts and a sports tank top, or catching up on emails whilst in bed in silky pyjamas. Cue sad face.

For some of us, a return to the office after an extended period of working from home may also mean forgetting things: forgetting door codes, forgetting pantry rules, and forgetting how effortlessly easy it used to be get dressed and look good for work.

We've got just the solution for both problems. What if we told you that you don't have to give up the WFH clothing that you've come to love, and you can still get dressed under 30 minutes each morning? Drum roll please, because we'd like to introduce our (Un)Official "Wear Your WFH Clothes To Work" Guide. Let's begin!

The (un)official "wear your WFH clothes to work" guide

If you've been living in a sports bra… 

…try wearing it with smart tailoring!

The trick here is to dress it up in a way that makes it look more like a cropped top than a sports bra. Finding a bra with good support and sans sporty logos or overly athletic details is a good place to start. Team with a chic blazer and trousers, and whatever you do, avoid sneakers. You're now ready to take meetings at the office.

If you've been cosying up in a cardigan… 

…keep it on with a pencil skirt!

The cardigan-plus-pencil skirt combo takes its cue straight out of '50s Hollywood, and you'll look like one of Hitchcock's impossibly chic heroines. Throw it together with a comfy camisole and some kitten heels for a complete look.

If you've been Zoom-calling in a knit sweater… 

…try doing a twinset!

We love the comfort that a sweater affords us, so why stop at the top when you can take that comfort and apply it to the whole look! We're seeing several high street brands like Zara and H&M putting their spin to the cool knit two-piece look, so you're going to have no problems finding your fave twinset. Plus, having a matching top and bottom saves you some headspace when you're deciding what to wear.

If you've been lounging in a house dress… 

…try mixing it up with urban separates!

Ah, the ever-reliable house dress. Usually cut like an elongated t-shirt, keep the comfort and ease of movement that your fave WFH dress lets you enjoy by teaming it with more contemporary outerwear. Oversized vests are having a moment now, but you can always count on a boyfriend blazer or a white shirt knotted at the waist to spruce up your look easily.

If you've been doing the silky pyjamas look… 

…try taking it apart and re-styling it!

The matching pyjamas top and bottom may work for home but wearing it together when you're headed out might draw comparisons to you forgetting to change before leaving the door. Instead, break up the set and wear them on their own with other things. We love the item of pyjama pants with a clingy knit or a tailored shirt, just as much as we adore pairing pyjama shirts with high-waisted wide-legged trousers. Remember: it's all in the mix.

If you've been winging it in athleisure gear… 

…try dressing it up with accessories!

Look, we love a ribbed tank top as much as the next person, but we can't promise that your HR person is going to share that same enthusiasm. Fret not, because once you pair your ribbed knit with a pair of wool trousers, it's half the battle won. A masculine belt and chic earrings can help you complete the look in a very "I work in a cool, cosmopolitan company" type of way.

If you've been skipping on your hair appointments… 

…try dressy headgear to keep those tresses looking fab!

We won't fault you for missing a hair appointment (or ten), especially when your life mostly happens in the comforts of your own pad. The good news? There are plenty of fabulous headgear options out in the market. A leopard spotted bucket hat, a printed silk scarf, a satin hairband…the options never end!

If you've been sitting comfy in shorts… 

…try working it into a suit!

Sure, the ideal situation here would be that you own a shorts suit that you can break out of the closet. If you don't, then you only need a little creativity (and maybe a bit of shopping) to get you similar results. Your starting point should be a pair of shorts that look smart on their own, such as berms or cuffed shorts (sorry, you're going to have to put away the yoga shorts). Then, identify aspects of it that you can find matching options for. It can be a jacket in a similar tone of red, or a blazer with a clashing pattern for that intentionally mismatched look. Voila, you're set.

ALSO READ: 10 stylish Korean celebs to steal office outfit ideas from

This article was first published in Her World Online.