workbery.com – Many people work frequently or even exclusively from their home office. There is a great temptation not to take clothing too seriously. Find out here why sweatpants and feel-good shirts are not a long-term recommended solution.
You are what you wear: What do I wear in the home office?
A self-imposed dress code in the home office is worth it. After all, clothes make the man – and not just in the eyes of others. Two psychologists from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois investigated whether the choice of clothing affects the performance of the wearer. The experiment came to a clear result: Yes!
Subjects’ attention and performance improved when they wore a lab coat. If this lab coat was called a doctor’s coat, the characteristic values increased even more. If, on the other hand, the smock was referred to as a painter’s smock, the researchers also noticed an increase compared to test subjects without a smock – but this was lower than in the two comparison groups.
The research team identified two causes responsible for this effect: the symbolic meaning of the clothing and the physical experience of wearing it. Both affect self-image and self-confidence and, at best, make a person more productive.
Conversely, this does not mean that you should wear a doctor’s coat in the home office – but it is worth choosing the clothes consciously and based on the occasion.
But nobody sees me! This is how you find the perfect middle ground
In the home office, the focus is less on clothing because you usually don’t meet anyone from work – in contrast to the office or to appointments with customers. That’s why you have to make sure that you don’t let yourself go too much. Because as the psychological research team has proven, the way you dress affects your work.
It is always important to weigh things up: if you are working on a task on your own, for example, it is perfectly legitimate to wear comfortable clothing from time to time. If you are relaxed, you can work well creatively.
But make sure that you feel well-groomed and that your clothes are neat and fresh. Also, have days when you consciously wear a special piece of clothing, such as a freshly ironed shirt or trousers. This is how you upgrade yourself, your body awareness and your performance – and you ensure more productivity in your home office with your clothes alone.
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Clothing as an expression of personality
The effect of an outfit on others – even if only in a video call – should not be underestimated. Your outward appearance says a lot about your personality. A circumstance that you can control in a targeted manner in order to convey a certain image of you to the person you are talking to.
If, during a spontaneous call with customers, you step in front of the camera in your pajamas with unwashed, uncombed hair, your counterpart may automatically take you for a listless or careless person. Those who are well-groomed and neatly dressed, on the other hand, give the impression of having their life under control.
With the color of your clothes you also express that you have certain qualities. Dark colors look particularly serious and competent. A dark blue also signals a willingness to help, as this color is usually worn by police or technical relief workers.
Video conference example: What is appropriate?
Especially if you regularly take part in video conferences or make phone calls, you should pay attention to a certain degree of seriousness when choosing your clothes. Because even if you can’t be seen at all or only a little, your voice sounds different and your expression looks different depending on the style of clothing. If you’re dressed casually, you sound more relaxed. If you wear business attire, you appear much more serious.
Which clothes you should choose in the home office for video calls or telephone calls depends not only on the group of participants, but also on the topic of the conversation. The more important you consider the meeting to be, the more your attire should express business rather than casual. You will now find out exactly what is behind it.
Dresscode Business: This is allowed
This dress code will probably only be necessary in the home office in the rarest of cases: for example, if you work at a bank or insurance company or possibly when you speak to management.
Then a suit and tie, a classic trouser suit or a suit are the first choice – of course in subtle colors, preferably black and white. You wear clean, closed-toe shoes and a simple belt with the suit.
Business casual dress code: relaxed but not too casual
Clothing that follows the business casual dress code is also suitable for most situations and companies in the home office. Their main feature: the clothing looks formal and business-like, but leaves more room for variation. Here pants, dresses and skirts can be combined with different tops and the choice of colors can be more varied. Shrill colors are not recommended.
Skirts and dresses should fully cover the thighs, as should shorts—if shorts are allowed in your company. Because that is still not a matter of course.
Variety and lightness: You can go as far as this
Polo shirts, long-sleeved blouses, knitted, cotton or cashmere sweaters, twin sets, a jacket over a tie-free shirt – there are many possible combinations with the Business Casual dress code. But don’t equate business casual with a casual or purely casual look. That means tank tops, deep necklines, oversized shirts and the like are taboo.
For particularly high temperatures in summer, light fabrics such as cotton (especially chino twill) or linen are recommended (caution: risk of creasing!).
Shoe or no shoe?
In the home office, shoes should first and foremost be comfortable so that you can work in a relaxed manner. You can also leave them out or (in winter) wear thick, cozy socks if your feet are not visible in the video meeting.
Dress code for the job interview
An interview is one of the most important appointments in professional life. Therefore, you should think about what you want to wear in advance. Of course, this also applies if the job interview takes place online or by telephone.
Because first impressions count, remember this rule of thumb: If you’re applying in an industry with strict dress codes, don’t experiment. Stick to the tight framework of the business dress code from head to toe. In industries with a tendency to have a relaxed dress code, use the business casual dress code as a guide so as not to appear overdressed.
