Working from home is a privilege of its own kind. And when you work from home you cut down on chores, like heavy laundry. Most times, we end up wearing the same thing over and over again for a virtual call, until every fiber in the shirt needs to go for a wash.

Thanks to The New York Times article, we now have a name for this phenomenon, it’s called the ‘Zoom Shirt’ – one designated shirt that is pulled out from the heap as the ultimate professional look. Don’t worry you can have as many Zoom shirts as you like, which would still be a maximum of four.

Virtual Dress-Up

First off, let’s talk about ‘dressing up’ for a virtual call. Some find it inspirational as the act of dressing up for a Zoom call in itself requires quite some dedication. Whereas some find it overboard, unnecessary, and pretentious.

So the Zoom shirt is here to find that thin line between being pretentious and having a lazy look. The whole concept of a Zoom shirt may seem trivial and not much of a deal, but truth is, its quite tricky to settle in for a Zoom look, or rather a Zoom shirt.

The Legend of the Zoom Shirt

The story behind the Zoom shirt goes way back to the beginning of the pandemic (which was just a couple of months ago). One person who was otherwise seen owning at least 210 varieties of clothes for his day job, wore the same shirt (black, white and red plaid) once he started working from home for approximately 70 Zoom meetings.

Now, this paparazzi wasn’t the result of his colleagues spotting this unnatural behavior, it was because the man himself spoke to his colleagues and slipped in his little secret about the Zoom shirt.

Does Anyone Really Care?

The Zoom shirt is the perfect example of ‘nobody cares what you’re wearing’. But this too comes with a silver lining (because there’s no deficiency for attention in the world).

It depends on what you’re wearing too. If you’re wearing plain and common colors like black, white, grey, and stuff like that, chances are that those clothes might not even stand out, let alone being remembered afterward.

However, if you’re planning on making a unique pick from your wardrobe as your Zoom shirt, it might not be a wise choice. Choosing a Zoom shirt needs to come from a place of comfort and unapologetic repetition at the same time.

The Zoom Look

The ‘Zoom look’ is a waist-up look that would be clad just a few minutes before a Zoom meeting. During non-meeting times, this Zoom look might be either lying next to your work station or hanging on your chair.

Waist-down is a safe zone. You can wear anything you like beneath the waist as long as it’s below your webcam’s radar.

What Men Usually Wear on a Zoom Call

Working from home has redefined formal fashion. Most men usually wear a buttoned-down shirt for Zoom meetings. The safest option for a Zoom shirt might be a simple white buttoned shirt. The buttons are customized too. They end at the point of lost Zoom focus, basically, the shirt is buttoned only till the part that is visible on a video call.

In fact, the CEO and founder of Suitsupply has designed the perfect Polo shirt with long sleeves and only half the buttons, making it easier to wear the Zoom shirt and sit through a Zoom meeting.

Trying Formal at Home

If you still want to have a professional look while WFH and you’re used to having a blazer on while working, cardigans work as a great alternative! You can also wear your favourite cardigan (non-stained, please), with a plain black or white tee as your Zoom look.

The formal buttoned-down shirt has a sibling; the comfy dress shirt that has only about 3 to 5 buttons on top and a collar too. This informally professional work-look could also be a great choice for a Zoom shirt.

Conclusion

If at all you want to own a Zoom shirt, choose it wisely. It doesn’t end there. It’s also very important as to how you present yourself with the Zoom shirt on! It wouldn’t really help if you’ve got your Zoom shirt on and your pyjamas are seen. So, handle yourself in your Zoom shirt with care, and stay home, stay safe!