On a particularly lazy Wednesday morning, I thought of a compromise that let me adult at work in the most relaxed manner. A completely feasible, yet on-point compromise, if I do say so myself. I gave in to the world of ‘Bathleisure’. Coined by sartorial enthusiasts like myself, the rather witty nomenclature comprises of two of my favourite pastimes: bath + leisure. Whereby, you imbibe signature garments you’d normally lounge around in at home.
I’m talking bathrobes, lounge robes, pyjamas, towels, fuzzy slippers et al. I don’t know about you, but I sure am glad we live in a world where Bathleisure is acceptable, not just for a quick trip down to the grocery store but also the trendy weekend bar and yes, work. Dead, serious!
So, I set myself up for a fashion challenge to test and prove the ‘bathleisure at work’ theory. Since towel turbans are a bit OTT and fuzzy slippers have been around for a while, I picked the satin bathrobe. I know what you must be thinking – ‘She’s got it easy, she works for POPxo, they probably have like no dress code’. But friends, my look is about as practical as a bathrobe gets. And there are plenty of bathrobes (Zara is everything) with subtler prints, that you can easily pull off anywhere they don’t have a skirt-suit dress code.
Getting the background out of the way, this is where I reveal to you the bathrobe I bought. *Ta Daaaa* :
This bathrobe purchase was one that I hardly thought twice about before making. TBH, I’m a sucker for oriental-style floral print. Let’s put it this way, if the fire alarm went off right now, I’d gather all my kimonos and sundresses before I run down the stairs. Secondly, I couldn’t resist the colour – bronze in a smooth, satin finish fabric is a dream. I mean, if I’m going to ace a challenge, I’m going to do it on my terms. P.S. On how I knew it was more of a bathrobe and not another kimono: a thick collar that extends into lapels and huge pockets.
Breaking My Outfit Down
A pink button down + basic blue jeans + suede finish sandals. Since the bathrobe is evidently extra, I balanced it out with stylish neutrals. Usually, when I’m coordinating colours to layer a bold print with, I look for shades that are repeated in the foreground (but not obvious). The print on the bathrobe uses baby pink as part of the flowers, I picked that to go with my skinny jeans. The shoes: the tan colour coz they go with everything; the suede to add texture and the block heels to make it look office-worthy.
How I Wore It
Right off the bat, you’d assume to wear it like a jacket. While that’s doable, it almost covers your shirt-jeans combo, doing away with the visual break you need from all that print. For work, that would be a bit too much, so after a lot of ‘Should I? Could I?’ I decided to do it the blogger way – half on, half off. I also rolled up my shirt cuffs over the robe’s sleeves to make the pink more visible. That way, I was able to show off the bold print without distracting my office audience (my fashion conscious colleagues and bosses) with ALL of it, all day. It seemed to have worked because I was complimented several times *wink*.
Accessorising
I kept it minimal, mostly because the print on my bathrobe with bright chunky earrings would sum up to a literal nightmare. What made the cut? Giant rose gold hoops and an everyday ring. Oh, and I added my favourite frilly eye mask to up the mood. JK, I did it for the ‘gram, took it off before my boss caught me snoozing. Remember, girls, you are what you wear. In this case, I’m the opposite of an insomniac.
Get Robed
Get the look with your favourite fashion basics and a kick ass bathrobe of your own.
POPxo recommends: Calico Print Contrast Piping Self Tie Longline Kimono (Rs. 1,950) by Shein
So, I did it, and I did not get laughed at for doing it. It’s a win, you guys! BRB now, I’ve drawn myself a leisurely bath, after which, I’m going to take a quick snooze. What? Writing is hard work, okay?
