What are you wearing? Sounds like something you’d hear on a cheesy erotic movie, right? Well, when you work from home, as most writers do, you need to think about that.

Are you the sort of writer who likes to get comfortable before you sit down to work? Maybe you don’t even change out of your PJ’s in the morning. Or maybe you change into them before you work in bed. Pajamas are the ultimate in comfort-wear: loose-fitting and soft, just begging you to relax and focus on your manuscript. My PJ’s are an old “Answers.com” t-shirt and a pair of baggy shorts. I usually don’t wear them to write in, though. When I try to write in bed, I get too comfy and end up dozing off…

Or maybe you’re the sort of writer who enjoys dressing up to get to work. Perhaps you need the reminder that this is a job and you should dress the part, as if you’re headed for the office. A no-nonsense business suit will make sure you don’t dilly-dally around and forget the ultimate goal: to finish that novel.

There are even writers who really get into the spirit of things and dress as their characters. I could easily do that. I have a lovely cowboy hat after all, and a period shirt and vest (although I have yet to find a pair of trousers that I really like). Maybe you enjoy a Victorian era ball gown or a morning suit. Or maybe you write science fiction and your outfit is a bit more out of the ordinary…

But you wanted to know what I wear to write. I’m afraid I fall somewhere in the middle. I generally do get out of bed and get dressed, although I don’t dress up. My preferred writing outfit is a comfy t-shirt and a pair of jeans. I usually do put on shoes, too, because I have a bad ankle that needs the support even if I’m just walking to the kitchen for a snack. My t-shirt usually has some sort of logo or sarcastic saying on it, usually fitting my mood for the day. 

What about you? What are you wearing?

HERE’S a nifty little guide to some of the clothing your male characters would have worn in the 19th Century.