Learn my favorite tips for feeling beautiful and confident with an intentional homemaker outfit: increase productivity while keeping things practical.
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Let’s cut to the chase here: frumpy sweats and a messy bun (when they’re thrown together on a disheartened whim) won’t make anyone feel good.
Research shows that what you wear matters, in a BIG way. The clothes you wear not only affect other people’s perception of you, but also your own mental and physical performance.
Even so, it seems like laid-back outfits have become the ‘norm’ for homemakers these days. Anyone have a “Namaste in Bed” shirt? Anyone seen one at least?
I have so many thoughts on this, but I’ve been hesitant to share! I never want to come across as preachy, and I DO completely understand that everyone is in different stages of their lives.
Sometimes the best we can do on a given day is throw our hair up and try to get the house cleaned. I’ve stayed in my PJ’s until noon, and thrown on my hubby’s sweats for the whole day. I’ve had those days!
But, for the most part, I’ve realized that giving attention to my appearance has such a huge effect on my homemaking.
And I think this is true for most homemakers!
RELATED: How to be Happy as a Stay-At-Home Mom & Homemaker
“Getting dressed” every day will look different on every person. Its not so much what you wear or how you look, but the effort and act of being intentional.
SOO, you’re ready to revamp your wardrobe and find that perfect, homemaker outfit, but first……..
Why Should Homemaker’s Get Dressed Every Day?
As a homemaker, its easy to feel a little unimportant. The daily tasks get mundane and we get caught up in the repetitiveness of it all.
Its also easy, when you set your own schedule, to get lazy. You’re in charge of keeping yourself disciplined and diligent in your work.
Homemakers don’t necessarily have a boss hanging over them telling them what to do all day and when.
I think laziness is a natural tendency for most of us.
When you can be intentional about getting ready, it will make your day feel important and your work necessary. And it will make you less lazy with the rest of your day.
Also, it gives off the vibe to your family, AND yourself, that you care. That you care about your day, your home, your work, and your family.
What Should Homemaker’s Wear?
I think what you wear doesn’t matter so much as just being intentional with getting yourself ready.
If getting ready and feeling good for you looks like a dress, then do it! Or maybe its jeans and a t-shirt? That will work too.
In my own opinion, the yoga pant trend has been used and abused, and this is something I’d steer away from. Jeans or pants are more put together without being out of your comfort zone.
One of the most important things to keep in mind is what you’re doing that day. If its a day out in the garden, jeans can be more appropriate. If you’re having a friend over for lunch, get a little more fancy!
There is nothing wrong with getting fancy! Or wearing a dress at home!
The notion that its silly for a homemaker to get dressed up fancy for a day at home should be ditched out the window.
Its not silly, friend.
PSA: Did you know I have a FREE eBook on my 5 Secrets to SIMPLE, SEASONAL, OLD-FASHIONED, Homemaking?! Its an actionable guide that will help you to embrace this vintage lifestyle in your own home. I think you’d love it! Sign up for my email list HERE to get access to yours today!
Homemaker Outfits: Vintage House Dress?
I’d love to give an argument for the vintage house dress as the perfect homemaker outfit…. but first, I don’t want that or the photos in this post to be deceiving. I DO wear dresses at home but not every day.
I am aware that this isn’t the 1950’s, OR the 1800’s where prairie dresses are the norm (a girl can dream though LOL). So I don’t expect or think homemakers should throw out all their jeans for flowy dresses.
I think everyone should wear what works for them and their lifestyle, and whatever they feel beautiful in.
That being said, IT IS one of my personal goals to wear dresses more often!
Dresses are comfortable and flexible. I could drop my housework and head out for errands or lunch and feel good.
They’re a great start to the day, they feel old-fashioned and classy and they make me feel beautiful. Even if just for a day at home.
I understand they’re not for everyone and I didn’t want to make this post just about house dresses, but rather the intentional act of getting ready.
Anyone else want to join me in wearing dresses at home more often? Let me know in the comments!
Aprons for Homemakers
A big argument against getting dressed as a homemaker is that your ‘nicer’ clothes might get ruined if you wear them. So that’s why its best to wear grungy clothes……
I agree, homemaking can get pretty messy! Cooking meals, washing dishes, and scrubbing bathrooms aren’t the cleanest of activities.
Even so, those things shouldn’t keep you from getting dressed nice.
This is where the handy apron comes in! An apron can be a homemaker’s best friend. It will protect your clothing, you can keep things in the pockets, and it can double as a hand towel, potholder, ALL the things.
Don’t have an apron?! Make yourself one! Check out my tutorial HERE for making your own apron. Its super simple and beginner friendly.
How to Make it Work
If I’ve convinced you of the benefits of getting dressed every day, lets talk about how you can make it work.
Start by waking up 5-10 minutes earlier than normal. Check out my post HERE on figuring out a good morning routine. This will really help!
With that 5-10 minutes, do what you can to get dressed and ready. Fix your hair, put on a little makeup, and put on an intentional, homemaker outfit for the day.
If you find you need more time, give yourself a little more time the next morning.
One thing that has helped me is to practice for a few days to find a quick makeup and hair routine. Its something that I can do EVERY day and it only takes a few minutes to get ‘made up’.
Don’t forget about your hair and makeup!
At first it might not feel natural to get dressed up and ready like this, but if you do it long enough it’ll become a normal part of your routine.
Invest in a good apron, or make a few for yourself.
Throw on some house shoes if that suits you.
And set yourself up for success.
One More Thought
I just want to leave you with one more thought… have you ever heard the saying, “the prettiest thing a woman can wear is a smile”.
Something I’ve been working on for a long time as a homemaker is to be joyful.
You can have the cleanest house on the block, homemade food, and look like a million bucks… but it won’t do you any good if you’re not happy.
Your home and your family will benefit so much more from you wearing a happy countenance and being a joyful homemaker.
We should value this and work on it just as much as we do our physical appearance.
I’d love to know in the comments if getting dressed and ready every day is something you already do? Do you feel like it helps your productivity and attitude as a homemaker? Let me know!
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My mama always wore a dress around the house. They weren’t expensive dresses as mama and daddy didn’t have a lot when we were little. But, she always had dinner on the table, a spotless house and was dressed very neat and tidy. I think we have gotten a little lazy (talking about myself) about our dress. You don’t have to be going out on the town to dress up a little and look nice for our husbands and children. I try to think about how I want my children to think of me when I am gone, I want them to know I took love and great care in looking after them and their father. Great article.
What sweet memories you have of your mom! It sounds like she was a great example <3 I agree, and I get lazy too sometimes, but its something I'd always like to work on. YES, to love and great care taking care of our husbands and children. Thank you!
Hi Jayden,
I wear dresses pretty much every day during the spring and summer months. Fall and winter I usually wear jeans. I absolutely love the dress you are wearing in the photo where you are hold the bread… I love your blog btw 😊
Hi Cori:) I love wearing dresses more in the spring and summer too! Thank you so much, its one of my favorites too. Oh my, thank you thank you, I’m so happy to hear that and happy to have you as a reader <3
I love dresses and wore one the other day to walk the dog. It was basically a tee shirt dress with a little bling at the neckline but definitely a day dress. One of my neighbors told me I looked a little formal for dog walking!
Hi Wendy!:) how funny about your neighbor, I think its just very ‘out of the norm’ to get dressed up nowadays. I hope you keep wearing dresses!
Dear Jayden,
I’m so glad you decided to go ahead and write this article! I’ve followed Flylady for years and her mantra has been ‘get dressed to shoes every day.’ She pretty much insists on lace up shoes, which was a bit of a problem for me because I love wearing skirts and long skirts and sneakers made me feel frumpy. Why not come up with a homemaker “uniform” that I would feel good about wearing, which is what I did! I purchased three knee-length denim skirts from an online consignment store and pair them up with cute tee shirts, and once I put on an apron, I’m good to go! We take time to dress up nicely for others, why not extend the same courtesy to our family?
Hi Vicky!:) I’ve heard a little about the Flylady method, but haven’t looked into it too much. I like wearing shoes too, but I agree I want them to look good with my outfit LOL! I LOVE your homemaker “uniform”! Jean skirts are one of my favorite things to wear, there’s so many different ways to style them. I agree, I think dressing up is a great way to show love and respect for our families. Thank you for reading!
Jayden, I admit that I’m much older than you, our kids are grown and have their own kids. I taught for many years, so of course always dressed for work. But, I grew up in a home where it was stressed, not in a bad way at all, that you always wanted to look your best even on a ho hum day, because it is a reflection of who you are in God. I’m retired now, but I have always gotten up, worked out, fixed my hair, and “put on my face” as my Mama used to say. The days that I know I won’t see anybody, I still do it. It makes me feel better about myself, and my day seems to go well. Even when I went through chemo, years ago, I got up, put on my face (and my wig). Now being retired, I wear jeans most days, but, always with a fun shirt or sweater, or capris in the summer. I admire you for your stand on looking your best as a homemaker.
Hi Roxanne:) I grew up in a similar way, my parents have always talked about caring (a good amount) about appearance. I’m thankful for them! That’s so amazing that you kept with it even through difficult times!! I hope I can always have that diligence in the future. Thank you so much for reading.
Very well said, for years I always got dressed for the day, now no so much. This came at the perfect time because last night I told myself to get back to that habit and I did get dressed and pulled myself together,
Hi! I have had times where I get off track with it too. I’m happy it helped you, we can all work on keeping up with it together:)
This was so good! Thank you for writing on this. I slip in and out of doing this well and I completely agree that being intentional about getting ready builds my confidence as a wife and Mom. I loved your comments on joy. It’s so easy to think joy comes “naturally” but it also takes intentionality. Thank you for such a great topic! It inspired me.
Hi Mel!:) we miss you!! I slip in and out of it too and I’m always having to work on it. I think it can really make us feel good though. And YES, I think joy and happiness is totally something to ‘work’ on. Thank you for reading, LOVE YOU!
Love this blog post Jayden. I have been staying home with my daughter for the past 4 years and got in the habit of getting ready first thing in the morning (before she gets up), and it really works great for me. I feel that homemaking is what my job is now and I would always get ready for my job each day when I worked outside of the home. Even if it’s a really simple hair and makeup kind of day, it still is the intentionality behind it that makes me feel good about myself for sure. I am definitely more of a jeans and cute top kind of girl, but love the idea of a cute sundress in the summer! I do feel like I have been getting lazier the longer we go through these current shelter in place times and feel much less joyful in my homemaking right now. Thank you so much for the reminder and the inspiration!
Hi Kim:) that is so great! That’s what I try to do too, is wake up a little while before the kids so I can fit in some personal time and take the time to get ready. I think its so great to think of homemaking as a ‘job’. Yes, with everything that’s going on it hasn’t been easy, and I’ve struggled too. Thank you so much for reading:)
I have really strong feelings about this (for myself). My clothes, hair, and makeup affect my psychology in such a huge way that others might find it unbelievable. But if I am not dressed all the way to shoes, with makeup (just 5 minutes) and hair at least washed and pulled into a ponytail, my brain feels so uncomfortable that it is difficult to be productive at all. Oh, and my clothes have to fit properly. It’s like if none of those things are in place then my brain is at least subconsciously distracted and I can’t get anything done. Regarding clothes and shoes, I heard one ‘shrink’ describe the psychology as if the clothes are giving you a hug. You can get through the day much better with a clothes hug. Since I wear well-fitting clothes this seems to apply to me. My feet are getting a shoes-hug and the rest of me is getting a clothes-hug or a makeup-hug. Yes I can actually feel if I am wearing makeup and if I’m not, I feel uncomfortable. No one sees me, but my brain knows the difference.
Hi Becky! SO SO interesting! I totally understand, I think how we look and feel has SUCH an impact on us, whether we are aware of it or not. You are aware of it it seems like and I think that’s so great. Aw I’ve never head of that before about it resembling a ‘hug’ but that’s a great way to look at it. I agree, I don’t feel right when I’m not ‘dressed up’ and ready, and it really does affect my mood and outlook. Thank you so much for reading!
Hi! I wholeheartedly agree with you. I wish I took better care if myself when my kids were younger. They are teenagers now, and they don’t take enough pride in their appearance. I always got decent (or better!) to leave the house, or because my husband was coming home from work. I didn’t feel important. And I should have – I am a military spouse and have 3 beautiful kids. What could be more important than taking care of them? Thanks for the blog post!
Hi Shelley. Yes, nothing more important! That is so wonderful. I forget it sometimes too! I catch myself getting dressed up and paying attention to my appearance more for public events, but its a good reminder that my husband and kids deserve that too. Thank you so much for reading!
I’m a homemaker, and I just started following your blog. This was a perfect first emailed post.
I very much believe we should dress up more because every day is a special day, so dress like it. Due to my life chapter (babies) I don’t have too many dresses in my current wardrobe options BUT I still dress nice (most of the time) when I don’t get to as I call it “Start My Day Out Right” I have noticed I get much less done! Starting my day right is so much more then just getting dressed. And it really does affect your whole day as well as those around you!
Hi friend!:) I agree, every day should be treated as special and important. I always feel much better when I ‘start my day out right’ too. Its a total mood booster! And yes, I think it really does affect our families and our homes. Thank you so much for reading!:) I hope you have a great day!
It is interesting to read your thoughts on this subject. I work outside the home (usually) and so on my days off I do take a casual approach. I work in the garden a lot and so jeans and a t-shirt are often my attire for that work as you mentioned. However, I have been wondering about wearing something nicer on the days it is rainy and I am doing other work. Honestly, one of the reasons is I have been watching episodes of The Walton’s and I admire the simplicity of the dresses worn by the women in that show, among other things in their lifestyle. I think I will consider this a little more and start to wear some of my ‘nice’ clothes at home a little more often.
Hi Leslie:) I’ve never heard of that show, I’ll have to look it up! Yes I think women in different eras of the past wore dresses (even just simple ones) and it was no big deal. It seems like its a big deal today! Just a shift in mindset I guess:) I’m so happy you are considering it, I am working on it all the time too. Thank you for reading:)