This is a fun thread! It is very interesting to hear everyone's routines. I have a deep and abiding love for my comfy clothes/lounge wear. It is all I will wear at home. Putting on my work clothes, or going out of the house clothes, is the last thing I do before leaving the house, and taking them off is the first thing that I do when I get home. Even if I am wearing casual, comfortable clothing out of the house, as soon as I get home, I feel like I am coming out of my skin if I don't get them off. I must wear leggings or soft pants and loose, comfortable tops and sweaters around the house. To sleep, I just take a few layers off and when I get out of bed, put a few layers on. I am basically allergic to structure, so even my morning routine varies. My productivity levels also vary day to day. But I do know for certain that if I wore "real" clothing at home I would be far less productive! I wouldn't be able to concentrate for the discomfort of waist bands and bras! For some reason I manage to tune them out at work or out and and about, but not at home. Home is my peaceful, comfy, happy place and my body needs leggings and soft fabric! I do always take care to pick items that are flattering and that make me feel wonderful.

I don't wake up early to walk the dog or feed her, my darling husband does all that. My mornings are slow and relaxed. I wake up, drink tea for about half hour and enjoy my quiet time. Then I brush my teeth and wash my face, and head to the kitchen to make bfast. Since I sleep in cotton shorts and a tshirt, I don't need any extra coverage. Post bfast, my husband goes off to work and I enjoy another cup of tea while checking my mail etc. This is also the time I speak to my parents on the phone everyday.

I head to the shower after that and get dressed in whatever I'm going to wear that day. This is usually around 8:30-9:30am, because thrice a week I start laundry with breakfast and get a bit delayed. Once I'm dressed, the workday begins.

It depends. If I don't have something early, then I get up and put on a robe and go out to the kitchen and have breakfast with my husband. I read the papers as he gets ready for work. After he leaves I shower, dress and walk the dogs. If I have something early or someone is coming over early such as a workman, I'll shower and dress before breakfast. Around New Year's we started some remodeling and the contractor showed up at 8 everyday (including New Year's Day) for seven weeks. I definitely didn't want to be in my PJs when he showed up. In any case, I can't walk the dogs much later than 8 or they get very antsy.

I prefer to shower and dress straight away for the day ahead, but that's just what I've always done - no breakfast until I'm properly dressed! Also, my first job is to take my dog for a morning walk, so pyjamas or lounge-wear wouldn't be an option.
Each to her own, though. If you've worked hard pre-retirement, you've every right to enjoy your leisure, dressed just as you please.

Such an interesting thread. I get up and head straight to the shower. I don't feel awake or presentable in any way until I have showered. I have very few days where I can pop on lounge wear after my shower but on the occasions I do, I don't mind, but I really prefer to be 'dressed'.

Truly amazing to read all about your morning routines and the why behind what you do. I wonder if "we" need a post by Angie on pj's, loungewear, robes, at-home sweats? comfortable clothing that serves a brief function but isn't tacky like something the dog dragged in.

I put on my thick robe first thing every morning. I'm up between 530 and 6 religiously. I change into workout clothes around 730 and get ready to do the school run (or in the summer then get ready to workout). After drop off I work out, unless it's a volunteer day. After that I shower and change into my outfit for the day. ...unless it's a crazy day and I end up in gear all day....that happens at least once a week

I am a night showerer and prefer to hit the ground running in the morning. Maybe it's from all the years I worked professionally and didn't have time to change clothes in the morning, but I never appear below stairs less than fully dressed. A perfect day for me is never having to change clothes during the day. I associate mornings in my bathrobe with illness and lack of focus - I know this is just me, but it would be very hard for me to change habits.

This is sooooo interesting and I'm probably going the that person who has the most unhealthy habits!
But well I'll be honest... so here goes...
I'm a late night sleeper and so I wake up late. My DH wakes up early coz he has to leave for work and he wakes me up only when he's heading out the door....so the first thing I put on or do when I wake up is see his smiling face and give/get 10 kisses!
Once we've had our share of hugs we say bye and he leaves. I then have a cup of tea and bfst in bed and go through mails,check my blog and the forum and youtube for a good hour before I get out of bed and go about doing my business... brushing my teeth,washing my face...the usual.
Tidying up the bed comes next after which I shower and sit to work (since I work from home) mostly in a fresh set of pj's or if I'm feeling fancy ill put on something nice.
The only GOOD thing I do in the entire day is head to my yoga mat at 4pm everyday for an hour and to be honest it's probably the best part of my day...

Isn't it interesting the difference between those of who prefer to hit the ground running, fully dressed, as soon as we get out of bed and those who prefer to ease into the day wearing something cosy and comfortable and having a warm drink in hand before facing the rest of the day.

i can't help wonder how much environment and family practices influence our choices. I do know my husband's preferences for immediately putting on clothes comes from a childhood spent in a drafty house in a cold, damp climate where standing around in PJs and a robe would have meant slowly freezing to death. My own mother was always impeccably dressed in the morning because she was an unusual 50s wife and mother who also had a full-time career. Breakfast, too, was always eaten sitting at a table, usually together, even if it was just toast and coffee for the adults. Sitting down together with bed-head hair, unwashed faces, and PJs would have been unthinkable.

Our sons, obviously, were brought up to follow our patterns, but it's interesting to see how they have had to adapt to different patterns that their spouses have brought into their lives. They seem much more comfortable with sweats and PJs--but it's interesting that both still try to have breakfast as a family, and at a table, as often as possible. I guess some habits are hard to break.

Gaylene, my experience is much the same as yours. I was brought up in a very orderly household where everyone would be expected to be washed, dressed and seated at the table for breakfast in the morning. I brought up my own children in the same way, but my grandchildren are much more laid back - wandering around in PJs with a piece of toast in hand. Not on my patch, though!

I definitely grew up in a pajamas household, where we all had breakfast in our pajamas or loungewear. For the record, I HATE breakfast in bed though. All those crumbs. Shudder. Actually I have a no food in the bedroom rule.

I don't see the point in dirtying up my nice clothes by cooking and eating in them when I don't have to. (If I'm cooking something serious for breakfast, I'll change out of my PJs into loungewear, but if my husband is cooking or if I'm just making coffee and toast, I'll stay in the PJs.)

If I worked at home regularly, I'd definitely change into "real" clothes for the day, but AFTER breakfast. As it is, I change into street clothes right before I leave the house. And I change out of them the minute I walk in the door in the evening. (Most especially, the bra and shoes have got to go immediately.) For me, it's a nice indication of the separation between the outside world (stressful, busy, have to deal with other people) and home (peaceful, quiet, relaxing).

So interesting to read these responses. Our sons and their friends were not allowed to take food or drink from the kitchen or eat anywhere but the table. The TV was off. We also did not eat in the car. ever. It keeps messes down and gathers the family together around the table with everyone dressed. It also meant that everyone was ready to leave on time for school or church. My work clothes and underwear have always been comfortable enough to wear when relaxing, which eliminates lounge clothes. For me sweats mean sickness and spending time in bed, never out with other family members. You get to set the tone for your home.

*waving at Summer and Joy--all of us dressed in our going-outside clothes, eating breakfast, seated at a table*

And the funny part is that we think we are normal???

I am still loving all of these responses! A part of me yearns to be more structured and formal, but the other part of me knows that I just can't maintain one thing for that long. Just this morning, my husband asked if I wanted a cup of coffee. The one thing that is an ALWAYS in my morning routine is coffee, I laughed and asked him when he ever knew me to not have coffee in the morning. He looked at med with this perplexed look on his face and said, "well... never, but I am not ever sure what you're doing and when you'll want it." Ha. Point proven!

First thing in the morning I make coffee in my PJs, let doggie outside and check my email. I get up extremely early unless we went somewhere the night before. Even though I have been retired for 3 years I still can not sleep in. After drinking coffee I either shower and then get dressed for Yoga or I take doggie for a walk. We go to Yoga almost daily.
I eat breakfast in PJs or Yoga clothes or whatever. There are no rules in our house about this. Friends visiting can wear their PJs if they wish when they come in the kitchen for coffee and breakfast. We are pretty casual.

Well like Joy I go for family meals with everyone around the dinner table and the TV off - but I am not like that at breakfast! We still don't have the TV on but it they can eat when they are ready - and though I try to keep them at the table I have given up a bit on these cold mornings and let them eat sitting in front of the heater in the family room.

Likewise they tend (and sometimes even I do too) to get dressed in front of the heater in cold mornings, and I did this as a child too. Australian house are not typically heated in all rooms, so everyone gravitates to where it is warm!

Also, my practice of dressing after breakfast is precisely so we'll get out the door clean. I have had years of messy children and I prefer to get dressed and them dressed after the meal is over. Especially since ours wear school uniforms and might not have another shirt of the right colour for the right day if they get something on it.

As for mornings I am also a morning showerer except if I a) don't need to wash my hair and b)am going to the gym at lunch that day and will have a shower then. It wakes me up a good deal. Afterwards I put on my very warm ankle length dressing gown and spend some time praying, then go to get breakfast and tea, a bit of bible reading, and generally get the whole "get ready to school" routine going for the kids, who sadly, are not great self starters though they do most of it themselves.

Then I'll get dressed. I actually really enjoy not dressing straight after showering and prefer having a little break. I think it is to get dried off.

On the weekends I usually wake without an alarm so am more rested and in less need of a wake up shower, and linger over breakfast more.

When I was a SAHM Mum I'd either get up and wear workout clothes if I was up early working out or lounge clothes that I'd worn to bed/PJ's/Dressing gown until after the kids were off to school (DH took them) Then I'd shower and dress.

CJ, in your situation why not go back to your former practices and dress straight away. I guess as a retired person you need to work out how to make a structure for your days and weeks and that would help you do that.

Usually I slip into something fleece in the morning because my house is too cold to even walk around in without warm layers in the morning. From there, I usually either shower and re-dress in fleece or have a cup of coffee and something to keep my stomach from eating itself and then go for a run. I grew up in a house where no one was on the same schedule (no meals together except dinner, eaten early) and the SO and I aren't in sync either because of his 3:30 wake-up time. Half the time he works nights, and then we really don't sync. Luckily, this gets me off the hook for dog duties in the a.m.

I'm a big fan of having a morning swim or yoga session or walk and then doing a heavier workout in the afternoon-- something to wake me up in the morning and get rid of the days worth of nervous energy at night--- plus I'm big on two showers a day (I'm water conscious, don't worry). Currently I don't have gym access, so I try to fit in a little time at home. When I was doing this regularly I would put on gear with warm fleece over it, and wear the same fleece home from the gym at the end of the day.

Because of a medical condition I tend to feel really poorly during "transitional" times of the day and struggle with the first few hours and the last few hours of the day, as well as mealtimes and the mid-afternoon slump/end of the workday. I'm a morning person, though. I'd like to blame staying in my fleece on feeling terrible, rather than feeling terrible for staying in my fleece a few too many mornings a week until I have to rush to get ready for work.

My problem is that I like clothes that are out of style or offbeat.

I went through a phase of living in nighties and bathrobes and knowing that I needed to buy something to "fade into the woodwork" at the grocery store but wanting to cry at the mere thought of it.

I'm starting to dress to please myself if I don't have to go out and change into what sucks least right before I walk out the door.

Robe over jammies, coffee, feed the dogs, read the paper, then gotta get dressed to get the dogs out. Head to the gym three days a week, play bridge at least once a week in the morning so have to shower and put on something "nice". Agility trial weekends have to hit the road about 6:00 AM so shower at night, pop on clothes that I have laid out before going to bed, pack backpack, dog treats thermos of coffee and a muffin or cereal bar to eat on the way. Non trial weekends it is nice to hang around in jammies a bit longer-