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Dressing

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When you're just around the house...

Hil

(website)

Veteran

I'm curious... how stylish are you all when you're just at home... no one to see you except maybe the hubby and/or kids? What do you wear? Does it still look stylish?

And to bed? How important is nightwear to you? Do you wear pretty pj's or is nightclothing purely functional?

Dressing

28 replies

Latest reply was from Thistle

Atlantia

Veteran

I love loungewear! Whenever I'm at home and not going to be going out again for the night, or if my entire day is to be spent at home, I wear loungewear. I have a nice supply of leggings, capris, tanks, tunics, and dressing gowns that look cute and make me feel fab. Well fitting, pretty colors, comfy but alluring. Which, it would seem, is how my boyfriend likes me best.
I pack pj's when I will be staying in a hotel...other than that I'm not a fan of nightclothing.

jenanded

Veteran

I think this is a good question. I USED to totally any old thing, no hair styling.makeup etc and be swished up for work etc. As I got bit older and anyone old thing was no longer on a 25 year old bod(30, 35, possibily even 40!), and everything required so much more work, I realised the only time my hubster and kids saw me was looking a wreck and people at work saw me done up. I have paid more attention to having a small pj capsule etc up to date. Like Angie's posts on lounge wear. I also now WAH more and find I can't work in pjs so have some more fashion forward outfits but clean and fresh etc.light makeup

Atlantia

Veteran

Good point, jenanded! I don't do a full face of makeup, but I'll do a bit of BB cream if my skin looks tired, and gloss is my favorite beauty item. Makeup is for me, so it doesn't matter where I'll be that day. I enjoy putting on makeup, and like looking in the mirror and seeing a bit of shine on my lips.

Raisin

Veteran

I am as far from stylish as possible!!! Haha....old sweats, old T, and a huge grandmama housecoat. I LOVE my housecoat! Lol, always cold here!

Hil

(website)

Veteran

Raisin - that kinda me too - I'm generally in sweats, old T's and for PJ's old flannel PJ pants and tank tops.

What Jenanded said is what I have been thinking... I only get up as my hubby is leaving and I've generally been home a long while with the kids once he gets home. And since I don't feel like staying in my work wear all afternoon and evening, he normally finds me in the sweats and t-shirts. I think I need to find some 'lounge wear".

I must go look for Angie's post about the subject!

Caro in Oz

Veteran

I have a small capsule of round the house clothes - but they are always things I could wear out - nice tees, stretchy skirts or pants I keep one "grotty" outfit for cleaning in.

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

Moisturizer and comfy jammies all the way

stitchywitch

(website)

I'll admit that nice lounge clothes aren't on my list! I work strange hours, so when I'm home it's often only me. I wear yoga pants, a tee, and hoodie most of the time. Hmm... maybe I should think about updating that? I notice I feel better about myself when I make a little effort at home.

carolbee

Veteran

Ditto what Jenanded said. I used to wear either sweats or old clothes that may have pilling or stains and no makeup. Now I still wear clothes that have been "demoted" to the house but I wouldn't be embarrassed to be seen in them and a bit of makeup, just BB cream and a bit of eye shadow/liner. Not really for my husband, I don't think he even notices I have a bit of makeup on, but for me - I feel I look a bit more polished and therefore feel better about myself.

Deborah

Veteran

I also have a small capsule of lounge wear for home. I do like to try to maintain a a level of style at home:). At home I wear lounges/yoga pants, leggings, hi low voluminous tops etc. These are all things I can leave the house in if I have to pop to the supermarket or run an errand. I have a pair of satin ballet flats that I wear as "house slippers". Don't laugh, but I do wear jewellery (minimal) and make up (minimal) at home because it makes me feel good and because DH and DS are worth the same effort I make for work days and social occasions:) My sleep wear capsule needs some work but I am probably more function based on this one. I am working on it:). I really need sleep wear that has some built in bra support!

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Since I work at home, I could potentially wear nothing but workout gear and loungewear or PJs. But I don't feel right doing that.

So I aim to build a wardrobe of clothes that look stylish but feel like loungewear!

For purely "at home" days I tend to wear BF jeans, jeggings with some stretch, or jersey skirts and dresses, typically with a sweater or a knit top and possibly a scarf. In the summer I wear bermuda shorts and woven tops. In summer I'm barefoot, and in winter I wear socks and slippers.

On days when I will be out and about I might switch it up to trousers, a skirt or dress, a jacket or a button down. I will then add footwear, maybe jewelry (though I wear almost none) and other finishing touches.

annagybe

(website)

Veteran

RIght now I'm wearing a cashmere hoodie and jeggings. I slipped on some moto boots to walk to the store to buy a newspaper.

dizzys

I am not a lounge wear gal unless it's time for bed but I am a SAHM and need to find some more casual wear that will not break the bank and shows my style but is not over dressed for home wear. Ultra simple but still appropriate for a walk to school or grocery store.

Susie

Veteran

I have a good collection of lounge wear in a variety of styles- leggings, yoga pants, etc. my current favorite top is a roomy, lightweight sweatshirt from Fresh Produce. I liked the first one that I bought so well that I got it in 2 more colors. I can wear it out of the house too. Like today, I changed out of Capri sweatpants and into BF jeans for a quick trip to Target.

For sleeping, I prefer sleep shorts and v-neck tees in cotton year round. I have a couple of knee length soft knit nightshirts too that are comfy.

Krista

Veteran

If it's the weekend and I am at home, I'm usually dressed in jeans, a graphic tee and a sweater. During the week, I might change into jeans and t-shirt or into yoga pants, hoodie and t-shirt. What I wear at home in the evenings usually depends on how uncomfortable my outfit was during the day!

I am like Deb, I also make sure my hair is done in some way and I am usually wearing makeup of some kind. I like looking nice for myself and for DH, although I'm not sure he notices. But I notice myself (!), so I make an effort in that way.

I could probably work on sleepwear, but I'm not as motivated to work on that!

amiable

Veteran

I'm not sure if I'm just the minority, or if it's because I'm learning (or because staying at home all day with only immediate family is almost every day for me), but I get dressed and do my best on those days. I don't necessarily do my hair and generally don't do the make-up. But I do get dressed, and try out new combinations especially.

But to bed, loungewear all the way. I'm lazy there.

Karie

(website)

Veteran

Evenings after work I wear nice sweatpants and tees, as I'm usually either jogging or going to the gym. DH usually buys me pretty loungewear for Christmas and I wear that. I have a cute dog paw print fleece bathrobe that I made and I wear that all winter because it's snuggly and warm.
On the weekends, it's some type of jeans, a nice top and a pair of boots. Weekends are when I like to experiment with different funky looks.

ManidipaM

Veteran

My nightclothes are functional, yes, but I don't like them to be too shabby or drab --- they need to travel with me sometimes, and I don't want to wear anything that would be too embarrassing if caught in a fire drill or something! There is the odd camisole for unbearably humid and hot nights, but mostly it's cotton shorts or pajamas with a V-neck T-shirt, long cotton kaftan or knee-length nightshirt most of the year; for winters, flannel pajamas and a fluffy, fleece-y robe.

The at-home clothes are what I'm still working hard on. The aim is what Suz said: comfy as loungewear but presentable for stepping out to the corner store, at least (any further and I change at least partially and add lipstick). The norm used to be for clothes from the normal 'working' wardrobe (for school and office and generally around town) to be demoted to 'at-home' when they started showing wear. Unfortunately, it took some years of working at home to realise this meant I was never wearing the nice stuff any more and the shabby just kept getting disgraceful meanwhile. I've started to buy keeping 'at-home' comfort and presentability in mind now, and demoted 'at-homes' shift to the 'messy chores' capsule (for painting, gardening, repairs etc). But for me, these still have to be distinct from office/about town to allow for greater freedom of movement as well as standing up to tropical heat and humidity (less of a problem in an air-conditioned office).

So I typically wear tunic-length tops, shirt-dresses or Indian tunics with either leggings or loose salwars or harem pants, or else T-shirts or woven tops with A-line skirts or stretchy capris or loose drawstring pants. I'm still working on getting them a little smarter than that. I'd like to add a few dresses too.

I don't wear any make-up at home. Lip-balm is the limit. I used to wear a tinted one, but I've gotten tired of the glossy sheen --- I prefer a matte lip. I also used to wear eyeliner but I've gotten lazy about removing it too and am veering towards fewer and fewer 'products'. Nailpolish has also fallen by the wayside, and I'll be throwing my stash out soon --- don't want them around an infant. The less I do to it, the happier my skin feels and the fewer chemicals I'm washing down the sink/shower

Isabel

Veteran

I am a stay at home mom, so I spend a lot of time at home. And yes, I try to look decent and somewhat stylish. Unless I am cleaning.

I wear jeans, cords and ponte pants a lot. Ponte pants to me are like sweats, but better.
I wear vests and all types of shirts. I have some heavy coat-type sweaters and last year , I bought some nice looking and colorful fleece. There is some great stuff out there today. I will clean in my fleece tops. I do go to the school bus everyday and sometimes I need to run out or even the mail person or oil delivery guy drops by.

In the Summer, I wear cotton or linen dresses, skirts and walking shorts at home.

In the end, I just don't like knit pants like sweats.

Aziraphale

Veteran

At home? I guess it depends on the day. If I have no plans to leave the house, which happens the odd Sunday, I will happily wear flannel pajamas all day long. Or baggy sweat pants and a stretchy tank top. It's kind of a treat! So no, not stylish at all. On ordinary days, when I have left the house, then I'll be wearing something more stylish, and I'll leave it on when I get back home. But often, by seven p.m., I will have swapped out my jeans or skirt for a pair of baggy sweats.

As for bed, I normally wear underpants and a stretchy soft tee shirt. I pull on sweat pants or flannel pajama bottoms when I get out of bed. I feel like a nincompoop in a lacy or satiny night-dress or negligee. It's just not "me". I do have quite a few pairs of pretty underpants though.

saramir

Towards the end of last year (my "Year of Me"), I found a blog post by a woman who had been divorced and was remarried, all about the subject of having nice lounge wear for at-home days, and it really resonated with me. She said she now makes a point of having "nice" lounging clothes, in part out of respect for her husband, who may not consciously notice her outfits, but because by making the effort to look presentable, she was putting effort into her marriage.

This struck me because, like someone mentioned above, I also wake up as my husband is leaving for the day, and I beat him home by 15 minutes, so he was only seeing me in my ratty PJs and lounge stuff. We have 2 small (read: DIRTY!) kids right now so I change as soon as I walk in the door. But, I realized I don't have to change into gross stuff that I've had forever and has holes and stains all over. So I gave myself permission to buy 2 nice pairs of yoga-ish pants and a couple of decent cotton (read: WASHABLE!) cardigans and t-shirts. Nothing expensive or elaborate, but these clothes fit well, are clean and hole-free, and make me feel like I'm not a total slob.

For days that I am working from home and potentially run to pre-school or the grocery store, I wear trouser jeans and a cashmere turtleneck or a t-shirt. The cashmere turtleneck is ancient and not really nice enough for work, but it is warm and it's definitely nice enough for running errands.

Mander

(website)

Veteran

Until recently I had a couple of ratty cardigans, holey slippers, threadbare pajama bottoms, and a pilled-up fleece jacket that I wore all the time -- and since I have been working on my degree (and now job hunting) at home for the past several years, that was all my DH ever saw me in! I finally gave myself permission to get rid of the ratty, faded stuff and buy a few new cotton sweaters, long-sleeved tees, a nicer fleece, and new slippers. Most of the time I wear these around the house with jeans although I do occasionally wear leggings or yoga pants.

I rarely wear makeup even when I'm going out, although I almost always fix my hair and put on lip balm. And I feel strangely naked without earrings, my watch, and my wedding ring, so I usually have those things on as well.

K. Period.

Veteran

At home, I still wear stylish clothes but just because it makes me feel great. Like always wearing mascara. I don't feel like I'm awake and getting on with my day unless I get dressed. I also don't keep things that I don't like style wise just because they are comfortable. I can buy stylish and comfortable, so there is no reason to fill my closet with things that I don't love.

For sleepwear, I had a mishmash of things until last year. Then I did a complete overhaul of my sleepwear drawer. I kept some very nice nighties for occasional wear. I also kept a few pairs of boxer short styled bottoms for really hot weather. I bought five or so new sets of pjs from Old Navy. All are pretty cotton pajama bottoms that are comfortable and flattering and I bought an equal number of short sleeved henley tees from Old Navy that are extremely flattering. I bought them all in colors that are very good for me. I love them--best investment in a long time. I always feel like I'm wearing something cute and flattering. And they were extremely reasonable (like under $15 per set). I definitely am on team "get yourself a bunch of nice pjs"!

You know what I also did that I think is a fabulous idea? I took a few sweaters that I loved which were in luxury yarns (cashmere, silk and cotton or silk and cashmere) but which weren't being worn anymore and tucked them into my pj drawer to wear over the top on cooler nights. I love being able to break out a cashmere sweater for evening wear. Such a great everyday luxury!

rachylou

Veteran

I call my at-home style my *homeless look.* Haha. But I will say that it seems to have enough personality for my neighbors to think I have *a* style. So I'd say the word is most accurately *funky* (as opposed to *stylish*).

I pretty much only wear make-up for serious events.

As for nightwear... I wear nightgowns of thin cotton. I've been calling it voile, for lack of a word, but a better one might be batiste. They have to be long enough to cover the tubing for my insulin pump, so no dog chews through it during the night. Hehe. Heavy, hot fabrics will keep me awake - which for me is almost everything sold in stores. I positively cannot sleep in silk; it gives me the ickiest feeling. But really, I don't pay much attention. I think all my nightgowns (that would be two) could use some needle and thread. Have no robe and don't often remember to wear my slippers.

One caveat, should I go to visit the family in the West Indies ever again, I do have a quilted, mint green silk robe and matching slippers. I'd get a new ankle length nightgown, even though no one may see it. The dress code is strict. Or it used to be, and - haha - I've been traumatized into following it for life down there.

Lisa

Veteran

I have two sets of PJs and two sets of loungewear (sweat pants, sweatshirt and long sleeve t) that NEVER leave the house. I replace everything once a year, usually the Nordstorm Anniversary Sale for the PJs and then back to school sales for the sweats.

Anonymous

The only time I wear anything remotely nightwearish or loungewear during the day is if I'm ill; otherwise I always dress properly. I work from home and do have clients calling so I have to be smartish, but at weekends it's usually jeans and a sweater. Its only after my evening shower if I'm not going out that I will put on my nightwear which is a T shirt style nightie, fluffy dressing gown and fluffy slippers.

siniestra

heheh interesting question lol i love be comfty at home but for some reason my hub tells me that boyfriend pants or any other non tifht pants r really sloppy lol no figure at all that's what he says so i stick with tank tops and yoga pants lol (anyone addicted to yoga pants) that's the only pants he will aprove ...and cuffed shorts with v neck tshirts barefoot no make up at all im most of the times natural ...
and at night ummm always pj and nightgown can't stand being u know au naturale lol

Thistle

Veteran

I have a 14 month old daughter. Anything I wear at home MUST be machine washable, easy to wear, and allow me to get on the floor to play with her!