Dear Poetess Vinny,
Here's a challenge for you: I'm a freelancer and I just sold my first book (a memoir with poems). Hooray for me. Now I'm on a tight deadline so I'm basically working at home, all day, every day. I can stay in my bathrobe 24/7 but I find that when I do, I end up sitting on the couch, watching Law & Order reruns and eating last night's pizza. I do believe that "clothes make the man (woman or person)" so I want to figure out what to wear so that I feel like I'm "at work" but comfortable and I want to look pulled together in case I get a visitor (or so that the Seamless person doesn't call 911 on me). What should my work-at-home uniform be? And do you have tips to keeping myself focused during these long stretches of keyboard time?
Thank you!
Marissa
Hey Marissa!
Sorry for taking so long to get back to you. I, too, was writing a book in my bathrobe, praying for more focus, or more time, all the while wondering, how can I make myself look (and therefor feel) more productive?
This is what I came up with.
Step One: Hanging Up Your Robe
Leave the bathrobe on a hook in the bathroom, the pajamas in a drawer or under your pillow, and save the sweatpants for after work. I find that giving my more comfortable clothes a place to live that is out of sight forces me to put on “real” clothes, and allows me to focus on what I’m working on rather than thinking about all the interesting shapes I can make with my robe.
Step Two: Getting Dressed
I’m not saying we get into freelance work because we hate white button-downs and slacks, but I will say that if it’s not required, it probably won’t be your first choice. Luckily, we have options.
1. Put on some pants.
I know it sounds silly, but let’s be real: how many days have you worn your “comfy pants” just to avoid real ones? Putting on a clean pair of pants can help you feel like you’re zipping up your lazy urges and stepping in to a new day. But, let’s not forget that most pants (especially jeans and work pants) are unbearable after a few hours. The answer? Yoga pants.
Now, we all knew yoga pants were “in,” but I bet that most of you didn’t know they had worked their way out of the athletic section and into the workplace. These are perfect for working at home because they are stretchy and wrinkle-resistant, which means you can move seamlessly between typing at your desk and eating lunch cross-legged on the couch, and if you need to jet for a meeting with an agent, you’re already dressed. My favorite place to shop for these is Betabrand (above), with options starting at $58 (with 20% off your first purchase). Cheaper options include pants from Rekucci, which can be found starting at $30 on Amazon, or jeggings or work pants with 4-way-stretch from places like American Eagle and Express starting at $25.
And the best part? Pair these with a cotton v-neck and you’ve got a comfortable, professional look that you can even throw a blazer on top of if you need to.
2. Grab a shirt. Not a t-shirt.
Like I said earlier, button-downs are not everyone’s cup of coffee, and for that reason we have things like loose blouses and cashmere sweaters, articles that look as good as they feel; because honestly, who can bear to wear something tight and scratchy when they’re home all day with all of their comfortable clothes just a few steps away?
Try a flowy shirt with ruffled sleeves like this one from Zara:
Or this loose v-neck tank top from Express:
The first place I go to look for nice clothes that I can’t afford is the local thrift shop. I can’t tell you how many people buy nice clothes, even designer clothes, wear them twice (or never at all), and then sell them to Buffalo Exchange for a fraction of what it cost them. The result? Low-end designers with high-end quality for around $20. It may take a little time to leaf through the stacks, but I promise that you will find some lovely and unique pieces like this blazer from Banana Republic (left) or this spring sweater from Rebecca Taylor (right):
3. Lastly, let’s talk shoes.
I know, I know. Shoes are the worst—because most of them hurt like hell—but the fact of the matter is that you will have to leave the house sometime, and as a freelance professional, sneakers just won’t cut it.
Or will they?
I don’t know about you, but I’m a shoes-off kind of gal when it comes to working from home, and even I can’t resist this new trend of dress shoes that are actually sneakers, like this pair of shoes from Cole Haan. Coming in at $140, these are a little pricey even for me, so check out your local DSW for similar styles in lots of colors, and for more at-home fancy shoe choices, try some loafers or flats that you can easily slip in and out of.
Step Three: Tips for Keeping On-Task and On-Target
For most people, the hardest part about working from home is the world of comfort and the list of chores that make up they environment. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve cleaned my entire apartment instead of writing an article, or how many times I’ve put Sex and the City on for “background noise” only to find myself eating chips and yelling at Charlotte. So here are some tips for getting back to work in the place you call home.
1. Figure out which environment makes you feel the most productive.
I know we all think that we can sit on our beds with our laptops open, but really, we’re just asking for the writerly slouch to turn totally horizontal, meaning your Word document will soon be eclipsed by your web browser. Does your kitchen table offer you a place to work? A desk by an open window? The coffee table in your living room? Try them out and see which one makes you lose track of time (in the good way).
2. Take breaks when you need them, but set a limit.
Say to yourself, I will watch one episode, make myself a cup of coffee or a snack, and go back to work. My advise here is to stay away from shows like Law and Order or Game of Thrones, shows that are made for binging, because really, we just can’t resist. Watch a thirty-minute comedy or an episode of a show you’ve seen before so that when the break is over, you don’t have to tear yourself away from the tv, you can just get up and walk.
3. Try working in a nearby cafe or at the local library once in a while.
Getting out of the house and into a setting where other people are also working, reading, and writing, can be really helpful to your psyche, especially when you’re working on a long-term project. Better yet, invite one of your writer friends who is probably struggling just as much as you are to stay on target.
4. Keep a blazer or cardigan hanging on the back of your chair while you work.
This little trick not only reminds you that you are in work mode, but it allows you to be ready to go at a moment's notice, like when your agent inevitably stops by without alerting you beforehand.
5. A touch of makeup never hurts.
This isn't a beauty thing, but a war-face thing. Putting even just a little bit of moisturizer, skin-colored eye shadow, and mascara on at the beginning of your work day can help alert your body to shift gears, which comes in handy when you are feeling sleepy or lacking motivation.
Even if you find yourself in your bathrobe on a Thursday afternoon, don’t fret! The beauty of freelancing is that you can work at the time you are most productive, which doesn’t have to be 9 to 5. The important part is checking things off your to-do list and finishing your project so you can move on to the next one.
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I hope these notes have been helpful! Got a question? Comment below! And I'll see you all next month for another installment of fashion and beauty tips. For more work from Poetess Vinny, check out her weekly write-up of Next Line, Please, Tuesdays on Best American Poetry or follow her blog, Vinny the Snail.
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