It seems more and more of us are working from home now. In fact, according to the US Census, 5.2% of the workers in the US work from home or 8 million people and that number has increased every year since 2004. If you are among the 5% of the workforce that is included in these statistics then you can surely tell stories of interesting moments when you might have found yourself in a compressible position when you needed to move around or jump on a “face time” call. Although working from home has many perks more and more we’re finding that more often than you might think a more suitable attire is necessary.  Well for those of us that do sometimes punch the clock in our PJs, we have some ideas that will still keep you in your comfort zone but won’t embarrass you if you have to stand up on a live call or quickly meet up with someone around the corner for a cup of coffee.

Sometimes when working from home we’re required to network both in person and online via one of the many media outlets so a flexible strategy is often necessary and a good one to have. Katharine Zaleski, president, and co-founder of a Manhattan-based company that provides other companies with services to meet diversity hiring objectives, says that the primary criterion her clothing has to meet is the flexibility of going from a school drop off, perhaps a virtual conference, and possibly a lunch appointment all without any or minimal change. These options will be enough to get you though a day just like that.

Coffee House Sweaters

A solid look that if taken from the waist up resembles a blazer and blouse but comfortable enough that you won’t think about taking if off or more importantly, remembering to put it back on if an impromptu call comes in. Moreover, it looks good enough to wear to both making an appearance at the kid’s school, stopping for a quick groceries run, or taking the laptop out at the coffee shop. The torn jeans are your call but part of the “anything goes below the waist” work from home rule of law.

Ok, so in most instances you will not be seen and even when you do it will probably be only from the waste up so you might still be able to take the first call of the morning in you PJs and with a cup o’ joe. On those days when you know it’s just you or you have a ton of arrans to run and you want to be comfortable then you are in desperate need of  Luluemon. Honestly this is one of the best things about working from home, being in comfort clothes that can even take some of the stress of the workday away, things that probably wouldn’t be acceptable for even a casual Friday but more than acceptable for the living room sofa. There was a time when Luluemon had the market cornered in Athleisure but now even designers like Kate Spade have jumped in with both feet and that means that your daytime attire doesn’t have to be so tired. We love some of the things Kim Rogers is doing particularly the Denim Legging pant ($48), gives you’re the holy grail of both comfort and functionality. Pair it with a crew neck blouse and sweater and you’re covered for an array of different settings, all the while being very comfortable.