Work from home: Continue in pyjamas or don the corporate look?

While the WFH concept has been around for over decade, it's still a challenge to many

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The coronavirus outbreak has made us home-bound for the last few weeks. Millions of people around the world are working from home. And while working from home has been around for over a decade as an established practice, for many, it can be a challenge.

Bharati Chaturvedi, the wife of Indian High Commissioner to Canada Ajay Bisaria, tweeted an image of Bisaria working from home dressed to the nines. The caption reads, “Different uniforms for work-from-home. I continue enjoying my jammies. Others insist on dressing up to walk the 3 meters from bedroom to their study. #StayatHome lesson 1: Clothes may still need to be ironed. Don’t fold the ironing table. #COVID19.”

Former CA, style influencer and writer Lavanya Mohan, has been posting images of outfits she has been wearing each day to work from home on Instagram. Mohan has been wearing breezy outfits like boxy tops and lounge pants, possibly for comfort.

The host of the Late Show with Stephen Colbert has been posting videos on Instagram. Colbert, it looks like, has been wearing sports or lounge wear, while working from home.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who has been under isolation ever since his wife, Sophie Trudeau, tested positive for COVID-19 on March 13, recently posted a video. While Trudeau seems to have let a beard grow, he is seen wearing a crisp shirt. Trudeau certainly seems to think wearing work clothes will help his productivity!

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Founder of Tweak India, a lifestyle site, Twinkle Khanna on the other hand, seems to be sitting on the fence with breezy kurtas and kaftans while working from home.

Entrepreneur Tom Popomaronis, who contributes to a CNBC blog, wrote about mistakes to avoid while working from home. Popomaronis, vice president of Innovation- Massive Alliance, a global service agency providing digital solutions, has been working from home since 2010.

In the blog, Popomaronis says, one of the top mistakes to avoid while working from home is to work in your pyjamas, as it will not put your mind in ‘work mode’. According to him, presentable clothes, no matter what profession you belong to, also have a symbolic meaning.

Other don'ts on Popomaronis’ list include working from a couch, over-communicating or checking emails when it is not urgent, neglecting health and not setting clear boundaries or creating a structure or schedule to be followed.

So, we guess PM Trudeau and High Commissioner Bisaria have got it right after all!

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