Lemondrop

Like most of you, I've held many different jobs over the years, from office assistant to intern to barista to that one night in D.C. I got paid a hundred bucks to keep drunk men at least 10 feet away from Whoopi Goldberg (that's another story for another time).

But for the past year-and-a-half or so, I worked from home as a freelance writer. While there were many things I loved about it, the constant solitude tested the limits of my sanity, and the complete lack of dress code posed an unexpected challenge. Here are five tips for dressing for the home office:

Do not wear your pajamas
Yes, I know, "working in your pajamas" is one of the main work-from-home draws, but I swear it gets old after about a week. Personally, I tend to be pretty excited about working in my jammies until around 2 o'clock in the afternoon, when my lack of a bra and any measurable productivity triggers a wave of work-from-home depression. The simple act of getting up (even at noon) and getting dressed can make a huge difference in your motivation levels, so put on deodorant and clean underwear and get to work, soldier!

Rock some stretchy black pants
A step up from your Winnie the Pooh pajama bottoms, a step down from constricting polyester work pants, a pair of bootcut black yoga pants are the perfect medium for working from home. They're surprisingly flattering -- and if you squint they look like respectable work pants -- but still allow you to comfortably write from your bed or head out the door for a stroll around the block to get your creative juices flowing.

Throw on a sweater
To save on heating bills, stay cozy and look chic, there is nothing better than a chunky knit sweater. (Stores are filled with tons of great options on sale right now.) A Snuggie will also do, but it sends a decidedly less professional message if you wear it for a video chat with prospective clients.

Don't forget accessories
Just because you don't have any co-workers to compliment that fabulous necklace doesn't mean you shouldn't wear it. Fun accessories like necklaces, earrings, headbands and scarves are easy to overlook in a work-from-home wardrobe, but these pieces help define our personal style. That baggy Notre Dame T-shirt alone? A little slobby. That baggy Notre Dame T-shirt with a pretty pendant necklace and rhinestone headband? Totally awesome.

Try something new
It's just as easy to fall into a style rut working from home as it is to slip on that same boring gray suit every day and head to the office. Change it up every once in a while, whether that means swapping out your chunky sweater for a vintage red poncho (hey, no dress code!), answering emails in a sleek pencil skirt, or wearing a fedora around the house. You never know what will click for you, and who knows -- maybe a pair of lacy knee-high socks will be just the sartorial inspiration you need to write the next great American novel. I hear that was Hemingway's secret.

Winona Dimeo-Ediger writes the blog Daddy Likey and is the author of the book "Closet Confidential: Style Secrets Learned the Hard Way."