Why I’m still dressing up even thought I’m working from home

(Image credit: Will Goldstone)

There's do denying these are strange and worrying times, with most of us working from home to try and stop COVID-19 from spreading. A change in routine is always unsettling, so sticking to the habits you can control is going to help reduce anxieties.

For me, it's about dressing up. Fashion may seem frivolous in the current climate, but there is no denying the positive impact it has on morale. Psychologically, your outfit matters. If you look at yourself in the mirror and feel confident, it boosts your productivity for the rest of the day.

Imagine the feeling of wearing a killer new dress to a work presentation, great right? Would you not still feel that if you dressed up for your video conference?

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I am also a control freak at the best of times, and these uncertain times are causing extraordinary levels of stress - as I'm sure is the case for everyone. But one aspect I can still control is my wardrobe.

I spoke to a few fashion influencers who are a bit more used to working from home, and they all agreed that dressing up like they normally would, even if they weren't leaving the house at all, made them feel a bit more 'normal'.

There is also much talk about spreading joy at the moment. Dressing up doesn't mean that we aren't acknowledging that the situation is awful, or that we're not doing our bit to help out (find out more here).

It is about having a positive aspect on our mental health, and perhaps bring a smile to someone's face along the way, for those posting their outfits on Instagram.

So I'll carry on wearing impractically small bags and pretty dresses for the time being, and feel free to join me, or wear your fanciest PJs and sweatpants, because that's cool too.

Penny Goldstone

Penny Goldstone is the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire, covering everything from catwalk trends to royal fashion and the latest high street and Instagram must-haves.

Penny grew up in France and studied languages and law at the Sorbonne Nouvelle University in Paris before moving to the UK for her MA in multimedia journalism at Bournemouth University. She moved to the UK permanently and has never looked back (though she does go back regularly to stock up on cheese and wine).

Although she's always loved fashion - she used to create scrapbooks of her favourite trends and looks, including Sienna Miller and Kate Moss' boho phase - her first job was at MoneySavingExpert.com, sourcing the best deals for everything from restaurants to designer sales.

However she quit after two years to follow her true passion, fashion journalism, and after many years of internships and freelance stints at magazines including Red, Cosmopolitan, Stylist and Good Housekeeping, landed her dream job as the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire UK.

Her favourite part of the job is discovering new brands and meeting designers, and travelling the world to attend events and fashion shows. Seeing her first Chanel runway IRL at Paris Fashion Week was a true pinch-me moment.