For working from home, the best look is one that "appears put-together but is actually quite relaxed." It's also a chance to try out some fashion challenges only possible at home.

Many of you likely found yourselves unexpectedly working from home starting this spring. Even after the state of emergency was lifted, remote work has continued to be recommended over commuting to the office, so many people are probably still working from home now, or splitting their week between home and office.

We haven't talked much before about how ZUTTO staff work, but in fact, many of our staff have long experience working from home several days a week, and depending on their role, some continue to do so even now. This time, we'd like to introduce what kind of clothing works well for remote work. Especially if you used to commute in a suit, you might be wondering, "Is it really okay to wear such casual weekend clothes for an online meeting?" or searching for "clothes that look put-together but still feel comfortable to wear."

What kind of clothing suits working from home?

When working from home, you're basically sitting most of the time. With that in mind, here are a few key points:

・Loose-fitting clothes that prevent swelling

・Fabric that resists wrinkling

・For skirts, a long length is recommended

Sitting for long periods particularly worsens circulation in the legs. If you wear skinny denim in that state, your legs may end up swollen and achy by evening. That's why, for the lower body, flared skirts, or wide-leg pants, or anything that doesn't constrict the calves, are the basics.

As for why a long skirt is recommended, it comes down to how you sit. At home, you naturally sit in all sorts of ways you wouldn't in the office—crossing your legs freely, or curling up on the sofa with your legs tucked up while thinking things through. A long skirt lets you stay relaxed without worrying about how you're sitting, which is my personal reason for recommending it.

Work-from-home fashion: specific outfit ideas

Let's take a look at some outfits suited to working from home, chosen from the clothing featured at ZUTTO.

A crisp top paired with a relaxed bottom

On days with an online meeting, you want at least the top half—the part that shows on screen—to look presentable. But since your legs deserve to be comfortable, a "crisp top with a relaxed bottom" is the ideal combination.

Choose a collared polo shirt

A polo shirt, rather than a T-shirt. Because it has a collar, it gives an air of polish, yet the stretchy fabric means you can wear it without feeling stiff or formal. FilMelange's "OLIVIA Knit Polo Shirt" is made from organic cotton grown in Tanzania, with two strands twisted together and slowly, carefully knitted on a machine into a textured, bumpy fabric known as kanoko—a classic polo shirt material.

With minimal contact against the skin, it's highly breathable, and since the body and sleeves are knitted seamlessly as one piece, the lack of seams makes it even more comfortable to wear.

For the bottom, it's paired with ZUTTO's original "Cotton Jacquard Pants." The pants themselves have a semi-wide design with no sense of constriction, making them well-suited for working from home—but beyond that, a nice touch is that the waist is elastic and can also be adjusted with a drawstring. With their cropped length, they don't get in the way around the house, even while doing chores.

One feature is that, despite looking like a plain solid color, the fabric is actually a jacquard weave with a textured knit pattern. Precisely because these wide pants use so much fabric, having such a subtle pattern woven in adds a stylish touch. It's an easy piece to try for anyone who wants to experiment with patterns but hasn't had the courage, or who finds it hard to coordinate patterned items with other pieces.

Choose a collarless shirt in shirting fabric

Woven shirting fabric conveys a sense of polish as a material. But a shirt with a collar can feel too much like "work clothes," and such items just don't suit the mood at home. In that case, choosing a collarless design feels refreshingly different.

The "FARMS SHIRT" from the Japanese brand SETTO has a clean, tidy feel and is perfectly fine for work settings too. With its collarless design, the neckline stays neat, while the shirt itself billows softly into an A-line silhouette when worn—it works for both on and off days, in any color. Another nice point is the box shape, where the length and body width are nearly the same, meaning it doesn't cling to your particular body shape.

Being lightweight, it comes in handy during the unpredictable temperatures of the rainy season, and even in summer, having just this one piece with you means you'll feel comfortable indoors too.

For the bottom, it's paired with ZUTTO's "Tapered Fatigue Pants."

Since they're not wide-leg pants, fatigue pants might seem like something to avoid for working from home, but this particular pair stands out for its exceptional fabric. Made from a drapey linen-rayon blend, once you slip your legs in, you'll feel the cool touch of the linen combined with the silky texture of the rayon—a truly pleasant pair of pants.

It offers the kind of comfort you'd want in long pants made for the hot summer, arranged into easy pants you can wear without stress even on days when the heat leaves you feeling worn out.

Of course, the waist is adjustable with elastic and a drawstring. When you're sitting all day, that feeling of openness around your waist really matters.

Add movement to your upper body on camera with a transformable top

On hot days when you're wearing a tank top or a casual T-shirt underneath, having a transformable cardigan you can simply throw on for online meetings comes in handy—it completely changes your impression. This "2way Cotton Cardigan" can be turned into a short-sleeve cardigan by slipping your arms through the openings below the armholes. And when worn as a short-sleeve style, tying the sleeves in front gives it a layered look, with just the right sleeve length to cover your upper arms.

Even in online meetings where only your upper body shows, this movement in the upper body means you avoid the monotonous look of a standard cardigan, letting you appear stylish instead.

For the skirt, we've paired it with Rockmount's "Check Tiered Skirt." With its three tiers giving just the right amount of volume while maintaining a clean, mature silhouette, this is a long skirt worth having. Since it comes pre-wrinkled, you won't need to worry about wrinkles from sitting for long periods, and there's no need for ironing—very convenient. The same shape comes in a series of materials, including linen and cotton, so having several pieces with different looks is genuinely useful.

Relax fully in a one-piece dress, then add flavor with hair accessories and a necklace

On days with no online meetings, when you'll be focused on your work alone all day, try a one-piece dress that doesn't constrain you anywhere. While the simplicity of just slipping it on is wonderful, a plain design can sometimes feel a bit lacking, don't you think? A simple dress is exactly the kind of piece that, with the right accessories, can be transformed into a much more polished style.

The base dress here is this "Dolman One-Piece."

The neckline is a narrow V-neck, designed so it doesn't open up too much—giving a sense of security. The sleeves are relaxed dolman sleeves that don't feel tight around the shoulders, while the body has a cocoon silhouette that balances the overall look nicely.

+ Hair accessory

Hair accessories might feel like a bit of a challenge once you're an adult, but they harmonize beautifully with simple dresses like this one, allowing you to incorporate them without standing out in a strange way. Since you're at home anyway, why not start by simply getting used to seeing yourself wearing a hairband?

The hairband used here is INOUITOOSH's "Silk Tie LAVALLIERES M." It's originally a tie meant for women, but it also works wonderfully as a hairband like this. Since the front and back have different patterns, try winding it with a twist so both sides show. It's also great for stylishly hiding regrowth, even when your roots are a different color from the rest of your hair.

Since you're at home, you can be a little more adventurous than usual—outfits that let you discover a new way of dressing

If there are fashion items or outfits you've admired and wondered whether you could pull off yourself, now is your chance to try them at home.

Bold screen glasses & wide pants

Trying something different from your usual style always comes with a bit of hesitation, but especially during times like these, we want to enjoy the process.

The fabric above the elastic waistband gathers into a ruffle-like shape, creating a focal point at the waist—these are the "Drawing Wide Culotte Pants." Since the pants are meant to be the star, we've paired them with a classic striped T-shirt to keep the balance.

Although they're long pants, the fabric is thin with a pleasantly crisp texture. They also don't cling to your legs, so you'll stay comfortable without the unpleasant feeling of sweaty fabric sticking to your skin.

And since you're at home, here's another chance to be a bit bold: glasses with a strong design element.

These are screen glasses, using lenses that block about 40% of blue light. (They are non-prescription.) The frame is made of lightweight, durable polycarbonate with a soft-touch finish, making them gentle against your skin and comfortable to wear—a nice bonus.

The tortoiseshell pattern, mixed with blue, orange, and brown tones, is definitely worth trying as a second (or third) pair of glasses. Since they sit right on your face, they can completely change your impression—and you might just discover a new side of yourself.

Working from home is an opportunity not only to explore new ways of working, but also to discover a new version of yourself at home. For the fashion introduced here, three key points guide the search for the right work-from-home style: "getting into work mode," "staying comfortable while wearing it," and, in addition, "trying new items, colors, and patterns."

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How should you approach sudden work-from-home life?

Now, moving away from fashion, here are some "personal rules for staying in work mode even at home" that we gathered from our staff. For those of you who suddenly found yourselves working from home, you may be gradually finding your rhythm, but let us share a few tips.

・Change your clothes properly

This may sound obvious, but it's important. Staying in your pajamas all day after waking up is a no-go, and clothes that are too relaxed for lounging around the house are also a no-go. Change into something you could go outside in. Of course, this doesn't mean wearing a shirt and suit, but something that doesn't feel restrictive even when sitting in a chair at home. It helps to think of it as the kind of outfit you'd wear to go out on a day off.

・Wear slightly lighter makeup and dress up a bit less than you would for commuting to work

This applies to women in particular. Since you're at home, you might think it's fine to skip makeup and just wash your face and do your skincare before getting to work, but in my experience, it's better to wear makeup. Natural makeup is fine, but unless you incorporate the things you normally do before work, it's surprisingly hard to get into work mode.

Another tip is to put on accessories. Since you don't want anything getting in the way of computer work, I recommend pierced or clip-on earrings. It's not as though anyone else will see you, but that's fine—it's for boosting your own motivation.

・Clearly separate work time from home time

Doesn't it happen that, just like before a test back in your student days, you suddenly feel the urge to clean your room the moment you sit down to get started, and other household matters start nagging at you? That tendency doesn't seem to go away even as an adult, and without a strong will to discipline yourself, work simply won't move forward. That's why I think it's especially important, when working from home, to set a schedule for the day's work. Figuring out what needs to be finished today, and roughly how long each task will take, is, I think, the key to avoiding the trap of working in a sluggish, unfocused way for long hours at home.

When commuting to an office, you naturally shift into work mode somewhere between leaving home and arriving at the office, but at home you don't have that transition, so you need something to take its place. That's where "changing into proper clothes," "putting on makeup," and "wearing accessories" come in. All of these are things you'd do naturally every day if you were commuting to an office—all you need to do is do the same at home. Don't dismiss it just because you're at home; please give it a try.