Staying Comfortable & Sexy WFH in Harper Wilde
“This post is in partnership with Harper Wilde because I love em & know you’ll love em too!”
Since the top of the year I've been working from home full time. I'm not talking about what I do for Albie Knows or The Meridian Experience Weekend as an entrepreneur. I'm talking about a a full time employee role. Reintroducing that dynamic into my days has made me more hyper aware of my home wardrobe. To know me is to know that I take my house clothing, loungewear, and pajamas very seriously. P.S. there's a whole post on that... that's not what we're here for today.
In thinking about how I wanted to feel while working, two words immediately came to mind - "comfortable" & "sexy". And I guess, a third word was technically "productive" since by getting dressed at all, I'd be tricking my mind out of chill mode & into work mode. While I take a great deal of pride in my at home wardrobe, I realized feeling sexy was a trade off for feeling comfortable.
Now you're probably scratching your head wondering, "Albie, why do you want/need to feel sexy while working?" Great question... glad you asked. The past 2 years have been physically challenging for me, specifically not feeling comfortable, confident, or sexy in my own skin. While I attributed a lot of this to my weight, I realized it was more a state of mind. Once I began to identify & name what was happening, I realized that part of that was because even though I was updated my clothing, I wasn't put much stock into my undergarments, unless I was going outside. For me, sexiness translates to confidence... which is where we loop back around to what this has to do with work. I'm a a remote employee in a corporate role at a company that has a "camera on" culture. Nothing makes me feel more insecure around other people than having the fuss about with bra straps digging into my shoulders & underwear bottoms giving me a wedgy. Not sexy. And definite not giving confidence.
To be fair, this is not a new struggle for me... specifically the struggle to find at home undergarments that were as comfortable as my at home clothing. This has been ongoing for the past 4 years, culminating in my wanting to do a complete bra overhaul about a year and a half ago, summer of 2021. In the past 4 years I dabbled with quite a few bra brands, however, none quite fit the bill for me across the board and I'd soon find myself right back to just not wanting to wear a bra at home at all. They'd be great for outside and/or for working out, just never found anything quite right for my lifestyle as someone who spends 94% of their time at home.
You can tell by the title that I finally found my groove, and specifically, with Harper Wilde.
About a year ago, I became an ambassador for Harper Wilde and it really changed my relationship with my undergarments. Now if you remember, Harper Wilde was one of four different brands I decided to try and compare. In the end, Harper Wilde ended up checking all the boxes for - undergarments for staying home & for going out, plus some leisure pieces that are absolutely #comfortinfluencer approved. Being able to have a rotation of undergarments that I can rotate through day in & day out that are all equally comfortable has been such a game changer for me.
MY HARPER WILDE FAVS
My first Harper Wilde purchase was one of their bundles - the Essentials Bundle - which included The Base (t-shirt bra), The Flex (strapless bra), The Move (sports bra), and The Bliss (bralette). The bundle was an opportunity for me to try multiple bras at once & determine my needs while saving a lil something. Three of the four have become my most worn bras, having amassed The Base, The Move, and The Bliss in multiple colors. The Flex isn't on the list simple because I almost never need to wear strapless bra. Respectively, The Base, The Move, and The Bliss have become my go to bras for going out, working out, and staying home. Last year I added The Lounge collection to the rotation & you guys... it's like it was specifically made for me, especially the triangle & sleep short. They've become my go to uniform throughout the week, with The Luxe mesh pieces coming in at a close second, which is especially heavy on the sexy. I'd maintained that all I was missing was an unlined wired bra - The Bliss is a bralette, so it's both unlined & wireless. The Luxe plunge was the perfect solution... and then they introduced the The Base unlined - same soft microfiber material & convertible racerback straps, now with unlined cups. I officially had a different bra for every activity, every mood, and in a multitude of colors.
Being able to select a bra with the same excitement as I'd select my fit of the day is a new feeling for me, wether it's getting dressed for a day of video calls, throwing on lounge wear for after pick up & Target runs, or simply wrapping up in my robe for a lazy day in. Finding the right undergarments translated to my feeling more attractive, more confident, and overall more comfortable in my skin... beyond just wearing comfortable clothing. Again... no fussing, fidgeting, pinching, or pulling... for my braziers & underwear alike. The same soft materials & intentional cuts allowed me to find bottoms that were perfect for while I'm menstruating, for after waxing, and for any kind of workout. And that was likely the biggest realization of them all throughout growing my Harper Wilde collection - my needs weren't one size fits all... it was about finding the right pieces for each activity that would in turn contribute to my overall comfort & sexiness induced confidence.
Comfort Pieces I Love
At present, when I do my laundry, my pieces are predominantly bra tops, underwear bottoms, and an assortment of pajamas & loungewear. That's the uniform. Regardless of my weight, my priority is comfort and coming to the realization that it wasn't how I looked that I was fighting these past few years, as much as it was how I felt. I put on my Harper Wildepieces and I simply feel good... and that feels great. So...
How do you feel comfortable & sexy while working from home?
Identify that things - ie. articles of clothing - that make you feel uncomfortable and/or less like yourself. Then get rid of em. Only keep what makes you feel most like yourself.
Designate clothes for home that aren’t also for sleeping, even if they aren’t necessarily for going out. We’ve all heard that getting dressed can mentally trigger productivity. Apply this same premise to your daily comfort wear. Matching sets. Cozy fabrics.
Prioritize your underthings, even if they're not seen. Regardless of what other people see, you still have to wear these items which means you should look & feel good wearing them... especially for yourself. This is about yourcomfort... nobody else's.
Working from home full time comes with its own set of challenges, and it's easy to assume that when you're working remote, your wardrobe isn't on that list of challenges. Personally, that wasn't always the case. In hindsight, I felt more comfortable, physically, going out into the world because so much of it involved selecting pieces that would be acceptable to the outside world. I didn't neglect my comfort, however, I also didn't prioritize it. Working from home now forced me to be more intentional about how I look, which in turns impacts how I feel. Positive feelings = increased productivity.
Whether you're leaving the house or not, I encourage your to find small yet impactful ways to work on your sexiness, comfort, and confidence... and Harper Wilde is a great place to start.
