Home working outfits: comfortably dressed in the "home office"

Tip 1

Get a good night's sleep.

Tip 2

Don't start working at breakfast.

Tip 3

Keep yourself entertained because your colleagues are not there.

Tip 4

Don't forget to communicate with your team, customers and boss.

Tip 5

Set yourself short intermediate goals, then you will see your work progress.

Tip 6

Check your mails or start the washing machine, everything at its time and not parallel.

Tip 7

Do not eat in front of the computer, but sit at the kitchen table as usual.

Tip 8

When it's quitting time, it's quitting time. Turn off the computer and the company smartphone.

In front of the PC in your pyjamas?

The most extreme case would be to stay in your pyjamas after getting up and to sit down to work in them. This is not a good idea, as your mind and body associate nightwear with rest and relaxation.

You run the risk of working less focused and less productively in an outfit that is all too informal. How would you feel in your pyjamas if you have to take a call from a customer or the bank, and the caller wants to discuss something important with you? Rather insecure, or even unprofessional? Remember, your inner mindset has an impact on your image and can also be sensed on the phone.

Self-management: carefully choose your home working outfit

The right clothing and a suitably well-groomed look promote working effectively. Obviously, this calls for a certain level of self-discipline and self-management. However, the impact this has on the results of your work makes it worth the effort.

The California State University has addressed the question of the degree to which being formally dressed has an impact. It invited 90 students to participate in an association test. Fifty percent of the people tested wore everyday clothes; the others were formally dressed. The test showed that those who were formally dressed were able to think more abstract and saw the bigger picture more clearly.

THESE TWO QUESTIONS SHOW THAT IT IS IMPORTANT TO WEAR AT LEAST A PROFESSIONAL-LOOKING TOP. DEPENDING ON YOUR WORKPLACE, PEOPLE MIGHT ALSO SEE YOUR TROUSERS OR SKIRT, YOUR TIGHTS AND YOUR SHOES. WE THEREFORE RECOMMEND CHOOSING YOUR BUSINESS OUTFIT CAREFULLY.

What's the dress code for the "home office"?

You don't have to dress as formal as you would to the office; your clothes can be more comfortable, to a certain extent. It is all about bringing your personal style in line with your industry's dress code and the particular requirements of your job. A casual business outfit is a good idea, as it combines comfortable clothing with a professional approach to your work. There are leisure trousers and shirts as well as comfortable blouses and dresses that are ideal for working from home.

Our tips for the perfect home working outfit

What does the perfect home working outfit look like? It is relatively easy to answer this question. If you feel that in your chosen business outfit, you could

• spontaneously take part in a video conference,

• meet a customer face to face and

• receive your boss at home,

then you are dressed correctly. It should also be suitable for all of the positive and team-building activities digital (team) events call for. After all, you should always keep one thing in mind, regardless of how professional you'd like to come across: there is nothing wrong with enjoying working from home.

Quite a few people feel somehow uncomfortable working from home; above all, they miss talking to their colleagues. No morning gossiping session by the coffee machine, and you can't just nip into a colleague's next door office to steal a few sweets. In short: the opportunities for social contact are so extremely restricted that it might get you down. What can you do to prevent this? Below our top seven tips and tricks for more social interaction, cheering yourself up, exercising and enjoying your daily working routine:

Video call your office colleagues in the morning and drink the first coffee together in front of the computer. Meanwhile, you can bring each other up to date as usual – with regard to your private as well as your working lives.
 

Meet up for lunch via video call: why not eat together? Coordinate your lunch breaks and eat lunch together. Lunch again offers plenty of time for socialising.
 

Agree a steps competition: use a fitness app to initiate a fitness competition with your colleagues. You could, for example, start a steps competition to ensure that all of you get more exercise and improve your health. A step counter on your smartphone records the number of steps walked, and you can monitor each other. You can also comment on each other's efforts directly via a chat feature.
 

Host multi-player online games: Depending on your taste, you can play a wide range of games together, usually without additional costs. Particularly popular, for example, are these games which can also be played on an app on your smartphone:

Quiz Games, Ticket to Ride, Risk (online version of the board game of the same name), The Settlers of Catan, Scattergories, Phase 10, Angry Birds or 8 Ball Pool.

Exercise together: you could organise a workout where colleagues work up a sweat together via Instagram live, for example. One team member could be the workout leader. Alternatively, you could exercise together via a local gym. An increasing number of gyms are starting to offer online courses. With a bit of luck, your company might also contribute something to the cost, as any expenses related to the promotion of staff health and fitness are generally tax deductible.

Take regular breaks and exercise: keep moving to keep fit. This applies particularly when you are working at home. You don't move as much as you usually would, as you neither have to get on your bike to go to work, nor use the stairs up to the office. Make up for what you are missing out on and be your own fitness coach. Set your timer to 60 minutes and take a real break every hour. Use it for a mini office gym session, for example, motivating meditation or a quick dance to your favourite song. You're bound to feel more cheerful and revitalised afterwards!

You can also socialise online, rather than sitting around on your own. Host a watch party with your favourite colleagues, or hold an office party together with the whole team via live stream. Get some drinks and snacks, organise the right kind of music and, if necessary, run the idea past your boss. Now, someone just has to agree to host the event to ensure that everything on the agenda happens at the appropriate time.

Tips for women

A fresh blouse with a slightly flared cut and wide sleeves offers you plenty of room to move and makes you look well-dressed. Rely on natural materials such as cotton, for example; this will make you feel even more comfortable.

Choosing a pair of leisure trousers for your business look is a good idea, as comfy chic and athleisure have long since become acceptable office wear. Leisure trousers can be suitable home office wear for women, as their typical casual style has become established business wear. Choose a design with cotton, wool or cashmere content. These materials will make you feel suitably dressed and smart.

A dress is a good alternative to a blouse and trousers. Pick a dress in a neutral colour or with a fashionable pattern, the choice is yours. If you would wear it to "Casual Friday" at the office, then it's also suitable "home office" wear

Tips for men

Men should also rely on a sophisticated casual business style shirt to feel like a professional when working from home. Understated patterns or plain-coloured shirts are a good choice and easy to match.

Choose a pair of comfortable trousers like modern flat fronts with a classic Glen check pattern, for example. Dark jeans with a high stretch content are also a suitable choice for your "home office" outfit.