What to wear to work at home

There are a lot of great perks to working from home; this morning, I am counting among them easy access to the leftover Boston Cream Pie my mother-in-law made this weekend. But unlike an office, which often has specific rules about what is and is not appropriate work attire, the home office has no rules. That sounds so great, doesn't it, until you're putting on your yoga pants for the umpteenth day in a row and feeling less like a contributing member of society and more like a housekeeper with a laptop.

Working at home is a truly remarkable opportunity, one that most of our mothers didn't have. Being a WAHM gives you the best of both worlds, and while I would never go so far as to say that working at home is EASIER than going to an office, it certainly has its advantages, like the flexibility to manage sick kids and household chores, and the option to NEVER EVER WEAR PANTY HOSE AGAIN. Thank god.

But once you strip away the panty hose and suits, and add in the housework and kids, what exactly DO you wear to work at home? And how do you keep from falling into the I-don't-really-need-nice-things trap that seems to come with the virtual office?

Let's start with a few things you should NOT be wearing during your work-at-home day:

Sweatpants with elastic at the ankles. Get some yoga pants instead.

Spirit tees. You know the ones, with the school's name and mascot on them. Buy one for your kid, but not for you. If your child is involved in some kind of extracurricular activity that REQUIRES you to wear the spirit tee, save it for those specific events. And even then, think twice about it.

Battered tennis shoes. Honestly, put some real shoes on. It won't kill you.

So what is the alternative? Let's start with pants, shall we? Jeans are the simplest and most flexible WAHM wardrobe piece; they can be machine washed, which is HUGE when you are balancing career and home and kids. Opt for -- say it with me now -- a mid-rise, dark wash jean; the most universally flattering leg is the boot cut, but I am partial to my skinny jeans for days when I'm feeling a little bit more hipster and less momster. Be sure your jeans are the right length for the shoes you will pair them with; nothing says MOM like too-short jeans. Or tapered jeans. Or jeans with a waistband that hits you at the armpits. Or all three, which I see more frequently than I like to admit.

Sadly.

In lieu of jeans, think about a nice pair of chinos. Chinos, like jeans, are machine washable, which is good; they can also be a little crisper and more dressed up than jeans. Stick with a flat-front, mid-rise shape, with a nice straight leg that falls from the widest part of your hips. If possible, skip the pockets; slash pockets will make your hips look bigger, and rear flap pockets will make your rear look bigger. (Exception: if you have VERY small hips or a VERY flat tush, then pockets will help create curves.) A basic pair of khaki chinos is the most versatile, but feel free to think outside the box as well; red or green chinos can be a fun way to add color to your basic black and white wardrobe. Again, make sure that the hem hits at the right place. Don't be afraid to take your chinos to the tailor; even if you are only going to wear them to work at home, they still need to be the proper length. If you want to turn up the fashion quotient a little, think about white jeans or white (or cream colored) corduroys. I know what you are thinking: White pants will make me look fat! And they will get so dirty! No way! Pants make you look big when you don't buy the proper size and shape; no matter what YOUR size and shape, you can find some great white jeans. Pair them with a black sweater for winter, or with a bright colored blouse for spring. Top with a long trench coat in a basic khaki or a bright red or green or whatever color floats your boat. And yes, white does pick up dirt, but you're a grown up -- wear them on days when you will NOT be painting with your kids. Pop a Tide To Go pen in your handbag and you're all set. White jeans are classic and cool and can give the normal mom-at-home wardrobe a fun Jackie O look.

Susan Wagner blogs about putting together a great work wardrobe that fits your life at The Working Closet and dishes out fashion advice for the yoga pants generation at Friday Style.