11 Ways To Look Chic And Stay Motivated At Home
If you want to shake the quarantine blues, it’s time to get up and get dressed. Look great, feel great is the rule to live by this 2020. In this guide, we’re giving you tips on how to look chic and fashionable at home, so you can stay motivated, empowered, and confident right in your living room.
Self-isolation right now has us all feeling a little lazier. We’ve substituted our daily makeup routines for chocolate for breakfast and our favorite spring dresses for unwashed PJs. Although hanging around the house can be relaxing, there’s also a lot of stress and anxiety floating around. We’re all going a little stir crazy - we miss our friends, our coffee shops, entertainment. I never realized before just how much I enjoy just seeing strangers’ faces throughout the day!
But what’s really getting us all into a slump isn’t the isolation itself. It’s that we feel we’re losing our sense of freedom and individuality. You throw on sweatpants to sit and watch Netflix all day, video chat with friends, or work on your laptop from home. You’re in the same seat, wearing the same thing, doing the same stuff day after day.
The psychology of your clothes
We’re here to break out of that rut. By throwing on an outfit that looks good, you’ll start to feel good in turn.
Clothes affect our psychology.
Research proves that if you’re in exercise clothes, you’re more likely to workout or take the stairs; if you’re in a suit, you’re more likely to take on leadership roles; and if you’re in your sweats, you’re more likely to feel chill and less motivated. One study found that putting participants in doctor’s lab coats actually caused them to be more aware and make fewer mistakes than those participants in their street clothes.
People embody the expectations of their outfit.
The same is true for what you’re wearing at home. I made the mistake of wearing PJs a few days in a row… and guess how much work I got done? Not a lot. So I threw on one of my favorite work outfits—a polka dot blouse with flexible pencil skirt—and I worked for 9 hours straight. Of course, I didn’t feel like wearing a pencil skirt every day just to sit at home, but simply throwing on jeans or a pair of black pants has radically improved my ability to focus on running my business.
Plus, if you’re reading this, you probably love fashion. Why give up on a passion of yours? Love your stay-at-home fashion just as much as your out-door outfits!
So let’s get down to the tips and tricks that can make you look effortlessly chic and stay motivated, so you can keep living life and pushing forward on your dreams this season. Here are my 11 Ways To Look Chic And Stay Motivated At Home
1. Choose fitted sweatpants
You’ll feel better in fitted sweats that have a tailored look as opposed to pants that are falling down and ill-fitting. Ditch the oversized sweatpants and look for a form-fitting silhouette and tapered leg. All of your clothes should be fitted to your body, even your sweats.
Style Tip: Cuff your sweatpants. Really? Yup! If you’re loving the luxury of wearing sweats at home, just roll them up at the bottom. This takes the look from grunge-y to purposeful, which will leave you feeling more put-together in your comfy sweats.
2. Put on your skinny jeans
A lot of people don’t want to lounge around the house in their jeans all day. But remember, you’re not looking to lounge all day! You’re here to stay motivated and get stuff done. Throw on a pair of skinny jeans to get back in that sexy, powerful mindset you rock on the regular.
You may even want to put on your “happy hour jeans” (the ones you wear out with the girls or on a date) to give you an extra boost of confidence and remember how stunning you are!
3. Black leggings are a must
We all love our black leggings. And they might just be my quarantine fave piece right now. They’re so comfortable, but they’re also slimming and attractive. You can pair it with an oversized vintage tee for a casual ‘90s look, or you can throw on your favorite fitted sweater for a more elegant style.
I’m especially a fan of wearing black leggings with a crisp button up. Paired with gold earrings, and it’s my favorite WFH outfit to stay motivated and creative!
We recommend cotton leggings, as opposed to spandex or polyester. Cotton is a breathable (and sustainable) fabric that will give your body space and your skin freedom.
4. Rock the white T-shirt
What is it about a white tee that seems so put together? A soft, clean white t-shirt feels like PJs while looking so fresh and chic. We recommend a more fitted T-shirt that will show off a few of those gorgeous curves.
Throw on a white tee with your jeans, leggings, or even sweatpants for an instantly composed look. You can also throw a neutral colored cardigan on top for a complete ensemble that will trick your mind into thinking your headed to work.
Check out some of our pre-loved white tees here.
5. Wear flats that feel like slippers
Barefoot or socks feel very casual. It’s pretty rare that you’re without shoes out of the house. So putting shoes on at home can trick your mind into feeling like you’re outside and at work.
You can still keep it casual, though. No need to wear heels around the house (unless that’s what you like!). There are a lot of super snug flats and loafers that will feel like slippers. Check out this list from SmarterTravel and another with Travel+Leisure to get some ideas.
You may want to have a separate pair of shoes just for the home. This lets you wear shoes around the home without tracking in bacteria and gunk from the outside, which is especially important during these uncertain times!
6. Put on a bra
We’re all guilty of it. No one’s around, so let go. I’m a big proponent of not wearing a bra all the time, because doing so may have health benefits! However, you might want to wear it during “productive” at home times.
Most women wear a bra when they go to work. So your mind associates that tightness around your ribs with getting to work. If you don’t have that band there, your brain could actually feel a little looser and lazier. Plus, your bra likely makes your clothes fit better since you wear a bra regularly; and better fitting clothes make you feel better and stay motivated.
7. Wear minimalistic jewelry
You probably don’t feel like wearing a lot of heavy jewelry when you’re hanging at home. (And if you have a pet, you probably don’t want them feeling the urge to bite your long necklace or paw at your earrings.)
Still, a few dainty pieces of jewelry will make you feel extra put together and gorgeous. Watch how your face will light up when you throw on your pendant necklace or add some pearls to your ears.
Check out our stunning array of jewelry.
8. Purchase silk pajamas.
Want to climb into your pajamas a little early? No worries. But up the game a little bit with a set of matching silk pajamas. Your sweats and t-shirt might be comfortable, but silk feels insanely sultry and soft on your skin. Plus, it’s a totally chic silhouette that will have you staring at yourself in the mirror.
If you live alone, this is one of the most luxurious ways to treat yourself before bedtime. If you live with a partner, they’ll appreciate the little extra effort to go to bed together!
9. Get down with athleisure
Athleisure is still in style, and it’s one of my favorite styles for working from home. Although it’s not as trendy as it once was, it’s a good in-between style if you don’t want sweats but also don’t want to get too dressed up. Plus, dressing in workout clothes makes you more likely to workout—so it might help you get off the couch and do some crunches in between Netflix movies.
10. Wear the “first two pieces”
Start getting dressed like you normally would for work, for brunch, or for a date. Put on the first two or three pieces of clothing that you would for that outfit, like the jeans and blouse or the dress and shoes. You can get rid of all the rest, so you’re still “dressed down” while dressed up!
I’ve found that after I put on the first few pieces, I have so much fun getting dressed up that I want to add even more, like my belt and jewelry and a cute hat. It’s fun to get dressed!
11. Brush your hair and wash your face
Listen, I’m guilty of it too. There have been a few days in the past couple weeks where I’ve rolled out of bed, gotten my coffee, and just stayed in my post-sleep look for hours. But that bed head is going to keep your head in bed!
First thing when you wake up, brush your hair, wash your face, and perform your regular morning routine. Your mind and body will thank you for it!
Don’t forget to drink water and eat healthy, too. We don’t have control over the situation around us, but we do control our own health and wellness. So treat yourself right—you deserve it!
How do YOU look chic and stay motivated during the quarantine? What makes you look and feel beautiful and motivated?