Telework trifecta

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!