What to Wear When You Go Back to the Office

After more than a year of uncertainty, social distancing, and serious COVID-19 guidelines, it seems like we’re finally getting a touch of normalcy in our lives. With that normalcy comes the return of the in-person office setting. For many of us, that change comes with some anxiety and fear for less life-threatening questions like, what am I going to wear?

The work from home setting taught many of us that comfort is key when it comes to the work wardrobe. Unfortunately, sweatpants and hoodies probably won’t cut it for most professional work environments. Below are some things you should consider wearing when you finally go back to the office.

Keep it comfortable

OK, maybe the sweatpants and hoodie are a bit extreme, but comfort doesn’t always mean pajamas and fuzzy socks. Find a happy medium by creating outfits that are both comfortable and professional. Yes, that’s a thing. Trousers, blazers, and blouses can now be found in stretchy and breathable fabrics, a great hack when you want to dress for the office but mentally be working from your sofa.

Show off your personality

You’ve been stuck inside your house for too long not to redeem yourself by showing off your awesome personality. Our style says a lot about our personality, and your return to the office is a great time to show it off. Take out those special pieces from behind the closet and bring them back to life. After all, Zoom does not do us justice when trying to show off our full looks.

Dress for your job (and your future)

When researching ideas of what to wear during your return to the office, you must take your specific role and industry into consideration. Dressing for Wall Street looks different than dressing for an internship at Vogue. When planning your outfits, think about what your role is now and what you want your role to be in the future.

Test the waters

The great thing about fashion is that you can experiment every single day. Don’t feel pressured to dress a certain way just because you’ve done so in the past. Going back to the office is an experiment in and of itself, so take your time re-discovering how you want to show up in your professional life. You can always change it tomorrow.