Working
from home has enabled me to experiment with fashion in a way that I
never would either at the office or in a more social setting.
When
I know no one's around to judge me, I feel free to push the limits,
whether they're about weird silhouettes, color/pattern pairings, or
level of formality. Or preferably all three, as in yesterday's outfit!
I
started with this pair of floral printed leggings, which I had very
nearly given up as a lost cause. I got them from Swap.com for $1.80,
extra-cheap because they were non-returnable, and oh, how I wished I
could return them! I suspect they might have been kids' leggings
miscategorized in the adults section, but they had no tags, so I have no
way of knowing. The length hovers awkwardly somewhere in between a
capri and above-the-ankle—a strange cut that works nowhere, and
certainly not in the middle of January. Cropped pants – even oddly
cropped ones – can be cute in warm weather, but these ones are lined
with terrycloth, which makes them too warm for warm weather! I was ready
to just send them straight to the thrift store, but I couldn't bring
myself to do it. I've been so desperate for printed pants, there had to
be a way to make them work!
As
you can see, the way I made them work was to put knee-high socks
underneath. Thus, my legs are completely protected from the cold, even
though the effect is a little unconventional—weird silhouettes, here I
come!
Next
decision was what to wear on top. My first choice was a modest brown
tunic, but that violated the cardinal rule of never cutting yourself in
half by wearing long tops with short bottoms. Instead of breaking that
rule, I broke another—the now-more-broken-than-kept rule of no leggings
as pants!
Away
with the dowdy tunic, and in its place, a beige long-sleeve tee!
Leggings and T-shirt together would be too informal at the office
(though I would wear each separately), so this work-from-home look takes
full advantage of my lack of a dress code.
However,
since I was still on the clock, I did decide to notch up the formality
by adding something I rarely bother with when lounging at home: an
accessory! The T-shirt by itself is quite plain and thin, so I decided
to draw attention elsewhere with a strategically positioned scarf.
Or,
to be more accurate, napkin. Yes, the thing around my neck is
technically a napkin that I got for Christmas in a lunchbox set, but I
figured it would get much more use if I kept it with my clothing, and I
was correct. It jumped out at me when I was searching for a coordinating
scarf for today's outfit. The colors and the print were different from
those on the pants, but in an adjacent sort of way.
I felt
the combination. almost matching but not quite, was perfect for work
from home, because I might never be brave enough to try it in the real
world!
In total,
today's outfit may have been too skimpy, too mismatched, and too
experimental for the office, but I thoroughly enjoyed wearing it for a
cozy day of teleworking!
