The last day I worked in my office was March 5th. That was 148 days ago. 105 of those were working days. So far, I’ve done 403 video conferencing calls with the camera on. The end of my kitchen table is now lovingly referred too as “mission control” by my family, due to the multi-screen, gadget laden desk I have made it into.
What you don’t often realise when I’m on a calls is the presence of the other hard working item in my makeshift office… My ‘zoom’ shirt. (Although, instead of zoom it’s predominately Microsoft Teams, with a smattering of Miro boards thrown in) but I digress.
Loungewear is the new business casual. And no-one is even aware!
I can run design meetings in leggings and fluffy socks (or sometimes even barefoot, with my feet up). Accompanying my stretch lycra freedom, and dry shampoo days is my zoom shirt.
The ‘zoom shirt’ is 2020’s version of the 1980’s mullet. Its business on top and pyjama party on the bottom. Tweet
For complete transparency, I have 2 (because laundry is respecting your hygiene).
This is them…
One of these is not like the others.
You see, I put these items on when going into important meetings. They give others the professional visual required to maintain order, while underneath I know I can still do my best work in my loved studio Ghibli T-shirt. As a true marketeer once said “the optics are important”.
So, to the hard working zoom shirt I give thanks for your role in adjusting my work to home. Always ready for me on the back of a chair. Potentially one day you will no longer be required. As we transition back to the office we could hold onto the best parts of ‘home working’ and wasn’t that always the comfort? We could go back to the office not as our professional alter egos but as the humans our closest family and friends love. Complete in leggings, trainers and a loved Studio Ghibli T.
©Image by cookie_studio on Freepik