10 Ethical Outfits For Working At Home

Working from home? Often feeling a bit…sloppy? These ethical outfits for working at home will have you feeling cozily stylish in no time!

By Chiara Spagnoli Gabardi

Working at home is great. Kind of. The truth is that you can pretty much take breaks when you want to, pet your cat while you do research, and wake up much later than most people. But there are some downsides, too.

For example? It can either be hard to focus (if you have kids or dogs running around, for example). Or you can get a bit too focused. In fact, research shows that people who work from home might actually work more hours overall than their counterparts in offices. The issue is that without a starting/ending work routine, it’s hard to know when you should just turn off the damn laptop and call it a day already.

That being said, there are some elements to working for home that are positive for people and the planet, believe it or not.

The plus side of working from home

Obviously, there’s no commuting, which saves CO2 emissions (and, I’d argue, your sanity, too). And then there’s saving on plastic pollution. That’s because home workers don’t hit Starbucks for a (very wasteful) daily coffee-to-go. (No, those cups are not recyclable!).

Nor do home workers buy takeaway lunches packaged in tons of plastic, paper and tinfoil. Instead, we get to make our own (usually, way healthier) lunches.

But finally, home workers help the planet by saving on clothing. Or at least, that’s my theory. After all, office workers are usually forced to have two wardrobes, at least: one for work, and the other one for ‘living’.

Home workers, on the other hand, have very little need for suits, starched white shirts, high heels, blazers… You get the picture. One wardrobe is all we need – and maybe a few accessories to transform our stay-at-home items into something more ‘presentable’ for meetings and such.

A new life on loungewear

There was a time when loungewear was merely associated with weekends, and wasn’t really acceptable for wearing outside of the household, or even indoors when receiving guests. Today, that’s all changed, thanks to first, the introduction of ‘casual Fridays’. The trend increased when more of us started to work from home. You know that when Kim Kardashian smells money and launches her own line of loungewear that casual Fridays are now applicable any day of the week!

The thing is, there’s a difference between loungewear and actual pyjamas. And, fellow home workers, I can attest to the fact (and I’m sure you’ll agree) that waking up and actually getting changed into garments you associate with work makes all the difference between being a productive worker, versus spending the day scrolling through your Instagram feed.

We home workers want clothing that’s comfy, but not quite something you’d sleep in. Something that’s casual, but presentable enough to be seen on a Skype or Zoom call. And of course, we want our clothes to be sustainable, too!

Here, I’ve found ten ethical outfits for working at home that are a good starting point for dressing for success – if your office is in your house!

10 Ethical Outfits For Working At Home

1. The Ninety Percent Midi Dress

Ninety Percent makes loads of ethical outfits for working at home! The casual wear brand launched in 2018 with the goal of bringing organic, sustainable fabrics to everyday basics.

For us, their trendy organic cotton-jersey midi dress is an excellent choice for working from home. It’s got pockets to keep your tissues, phone and snacks, and if you get chilly, throw a sweater over it and it still looks awesome!

Price: $100

2. Everlane’s Cashmere Sweats

When is a sweatpant more than a sweatpant? When it’s made from ethically sourced cashmere, of course! Ethical brand Everlane partners with conscious suppliers and factories around the world to bring its collections to life, which are ‘radically transparent’ and will last through time.

The label’s Grade-A cashmere sweatpants are incredibly elegant, yet supremely comfortable, thanks to their slim-yet-relaxed fit, ribbed cuffs, and a comfortable drawstring waist, making them a timeless classic that will last through time. Just make sure you take care of your cashmere well! Click here for eco-friendly tips on how to do so.

Price: From $98

ethical outfits for working at home

3. Frank and Oak Sweater Dress

Since its foundation, Frank and Oak has focused on minimising the impact on the environment by increasing the usage of recycled materials and reducing waste to landfill, as well as promoting socially responsible economic development.

This popular Canadian label makes tons of ethical outfits for working at home. Our pick? Their machine washable sweater dress, below. This is the loungewear version of the little black dress! It’s super easy to throw on, and you if you need to rush to a meeting, just add some tights, nice shoes and some jewellery, and you’re good to go!

Price: $99.50

4. Thought Clothing SeaCell Top

The name says it all: Thought Clothing genuinely thinks about the environment, and also encourages their customers to reflect upon what they are wearing. The brand sets high standards in terms of working ethically and reducing their environmental footprint, and they put just as much ‘thought’ into their designs as they do their ethics.

That’s why we weren’t surprised to see they’re using SeaCell™. This ultra soft, breathable fabric is made from seaweed! We love how they designed this long sleeve top with it. It’s a casual and cool top that can be paired with skirts, jeans or leggings. In fact, there are tons of ethical outfits for working at home you could create with this staple. And if you end up sleeping in it – no judgement!

Price: Around $65

ethical outfits for working at home

5. People Tree Tees

Who says tees aren’t perfect for work? This brand has been a renowned pioneer in sustainable Fair Trade fashion since 1991. Their core mission is to create beautiful collections through the use of forward thinking, responsible fabrics, made using traditional artisanal skills.

We love their 100% certified organic cotton tee shirts. Not only because they’re made from all-natural materials and are cute, but because they carry classic prints, like this striped tee below, or empowering slogans like Be A Warrior, Not A Worrier. Just the kind of motivation we need sometimes when we’re feeling lazy working at home!

Price: Around $60

ethical outfits for working at home

6. Ebonne Wrap Top

Amour Vert, the brand that signifies ‘Green Love’ in French, has always been committed to creating a healthier planet for future generations through ethical fashion. Every item is made in limited quantities to ensure the highest production standard and eliminate excess waste. And of course, they have a wide selection of ethical outfits for working at home.

We particularly love their Ebonne wrap top. It comes in flattering hues of aubergine and berry red, and offers the perfect contemporary drape. It’s roomy, it’s comfy, and it pairs so well with your favourite pair of jeans.

Price: $35

ethical outfits for working at home

7. Reformation Sky Top

A silk blouse is a must-have in any professional wardrobe. It looks elegant no matter how you wear it! Pair it with a sweater, blazer, or for warmer weather, wear it on its own. The black version of the Sky top matches any bottom you wear it with, be it a skirt, trousers or jeans, and flatters most skin tones. But if you’re not a fan of this colour, why not try the snakeskin printed version (image 3, above?)

This blouse is comfy yet professional – and when you’re on a video call, no one needs to know you’re wearing it with jeans. Or PJ bottoms!

Price: $100

ethical outfits for working at home

8. Moraga Zero Waste Skirt

Is there anything easier to wear than a wrap skirt? It’s pretty much like throwing a towel around your waist after a shower, and it’s just as comfy, too! No wonder wrap skirts comprise part of our favourite ethical outfits for working at home.

This one falls below the knees, and like all wraps, it fits any waist size. Made from a super-soft beechwood Modal, it’s also as sustainable as all get out. Especially since it was made using zero-waste cutting techniques. This will go with pretty much any tee, blouse or sweater in your wardrobe.

Price: $88

ethical outfits for working at home

9. Reformation Jeans

Jeans. For some of us, they’re a pain to wear. For others, they’re our working-from-home go-to. We couldn’t exclude jeans from a list of ethical outfits for working at home, but we’d suggest ensuring they’re comfy. For that, they need to have some stretch. And that’s exactly what these high rise, skinny legged jeans from Reformation have in spades!

The Liza model, below, is fitted throughout with just the right amount of elasticity. It comes in shades ranging from black and white, to baby blue denim and the darkest indigo. And of course, as you probably know, Reformation is an exceptional brand in terms of its ethicals and materials. For example? This Emma pair below was made from REFIBRA,™ which combines 20% of recycled cotton waste with wood pulp to produce new TENCEL™ Lyocell fibers.

This is a super stretch denim that moves with your body all day long!

Price: $115

reformation jeans

10. Maemo Fashion

For those days when you really wanna wear something comfy (and maybe, when you’re planning a yoga session in between phone calls), try Maemo!

Maemo’s range includes everyday hoodies and smart sweatpants, classic crewnecks fitted with fluid balloon-like arms, cotton shirts reimagined in reverse tie-dye and tweed, smart pockets and overflowing stitching details. Their garments are soothing on the skin and deliver the ultimate snug wearing experience.

Each capsule range is the perfect balance of comfort and sleek design, with a mix of soft to the touch organic cotton, recycled polyester, and easily removable, 100% cotton yarn care labels.

You’ll never get tired of these clothes! Plus, we love that Maemo gives back socially. The brand states they provide their factory workers with education grants for their children, free lunches, sickness benefits, equal opportunities, maternity leave and healthcare for the whole family.

Price: Around $85 for Sweatpants; $65 for a shirt

What’s your favourite of these ethical outfits for working at home? Let us know in the comments, below!

Chiara Spagnoli Gabardi
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