Ever since I got the green light to work from home full time as a telecommuter, the first thought I had was I could wear PJs all day, every day. That was fun for a bit, but I knew I couldn’t always be in PJs when video cams on for meetings became the norm. I’m all about comfort in front of a computer, traveling on business, or just on a regular day. I remember when wearing leggings to work was a big no-no. But, to be honest, if you can pull it off, go for it! Nowadays, a lot of options are out there for athleisure wear. Companies like Lululemon, Athleta, Evereve and so many more have lines that offer the comfort of pajamas but look presentable for doing errands or even work. Athleisure is the new black!
There are days when just getting ready for the day makes me tired. Those are now far in few in between, but there are still days when I need to present to a client or leadership virtually and not look like I just rolled out of bed. Luckily, they are only seeing my top half. Don’t worry, I’m not wearing shorts or underwear. I still like to get a whole look together most of the time, so I feel presentable. Here are some of my fave go to’s to look presentable even if I’m not wearing the traditional sense of business casual:
Throw on a little makeup
Even if it’s a bit of color on my lips, I like to put a little something on to make it pop on camera. Either a tinted chapstick or lip gloss will do. It’s also my go-to when just going out to do errands or meet someone for coffee. Doesn’t have to be too much, but it makes me look more awake and put together than going makeup-less. My favorite right now is Beautycounter’s beyond gloss or Chapstick’s tinted lip balm.
I look less tired if I do a little neutral shadow and mascara to finish it off. For women out there like me with no bottom lashes, I like to do a neutral shadow liner on the bottom to open up my eyes a bit more. My go-to palette is Anastasia Beverly Hill’s Soft Glam eyeshadow palette. It has every color I need to make a natural day look and turn it into an evening look. To even out my skin tone when I need to, my favorite item is Beautycounter’s tinted moisturizer. Use it in place of your regular moisturizer. On dry winter days, use it on top of your regular moisturizer.
Dry Shampoo is my friend
One thing I’ve been able to do during the past two years and this pandemic is train my hair to not need to wash it every single day. Ever since I was 12 years old, I would have to wash my hair every day because it got too greasy. It took some time, but since we weren’t going anywhere, I was able to train my hair to still look presentable in between washes. However, it needs a little help to get some volume, so I like to do a little dry shampoo to lift up the roots and give my hair a fresh look. I was not a fan of dry shampoo with my dark hair because it always seemed to leave that white powder behind. However, I’ve been able to find one that fits my hair color with Moroccan oil dry shampoo for dark tones.
Small hints of color coordination
Don’t go overboard with this one. I don’t like to be too matchy matchy when it comes to colors, but at the same time, I don’t want to throw things together that don’t look right. My fave thing to do is match accessories or shoes to my outfit to make it feel and look more put together. It could be wearing a pink beanie that matches the pink in your shoes or putting on a pair of earrings that match a detail in your leggings or joggers. Since it is winter, I’m all about my winter beanies. My fave outfit right now is a pair of black camo joggers by Zsupply, a cream athleisure top by Varley, Sorel boot sneakers, and my Carhartt pink beanie. To pull the whole outfit together, I matched my pink beanie with the pink in my shoes. Just gives it a hint of an I knew what I was doing putting this outfit together vibe.
Can we call athleisure the new black? There’s more uses for it than just lounging at home or running errands. You can put a whole athleisure look together for work now with the options out there and…
I.am.here.for.it!
Show me your fave looks?
