I'll take a bath and put on essential oils just to go to bed. My at-home attire is not picante, it's crazy, but I smell good and I am clean. My main concern is cleanliness and comfort.

So interesting. I actually look ridiculous when I am at home. I don't live alone, I have a 18 month old and a husband. I am usually half dressed, in a tank top and underwear.

I live alone, and probably look practically homeless when I'm staying in. Why bother getting all dolled up if no one is going to see you? Being a girl is a lot of work.... makeup, hair straightening, I need a break every once in a while! Plus, I like to save my "good clothes" for when I'm going out. =)

If I'm home on a weekend day with no plans, I still force myself to dress normal and put on some minimal makeup to force myself into 'the day is beginning, no more lazing around!' mindset. Evenings during the week though, all bets are off! And my slippers are hideous. Thanks for reminding me. ;)

I'm a big fan of yoga pants and a loose top at home. My husband runs around in a t-shirt and pajama bottoms. I always want to look at least presentable enough to answer the door or run after the dog if it gets out of the yard--hubs cares less about such things.

I don't live alone, and still look like garbage at home. No bra, sticking-straight-up bangs, old glasses. Ha ha. It never EVER fails that if I run outside to my car or to turn sprinklers on that there's a neighbor outside. Always. There's no doubt it would benefit me to look more picante so my heart doesn't stop when the doorbell rings, but hey, if I can't not care that much at home, then what's the point?

I'm a BIG fan of maxi dresses for that - they look cute on me, and they're basically the most comfortable thing EVER. I'm generally ok with unexpected guests when wearing that.

That said, winter nights get long flannel nightgowns (because Quebec gets COLD), and I'm not super ok with being surprised in a granny-nightgown, no matter how warm it is!

must be another slow day at apartment therapy... seriously what do the editors do? i am rallying for more content and less fluff on this site!

but yes, i always look absolutely fabulous in my designer duds and heels. always ready for a party in my living room. and tess, good, solid relationships, let alone serious ones that lead to moving in with someone, are built on much, much more than how "picante" you and your other half look, or how glitzy your wardrobes are. valuing oneself comes in myriad form.

I work out of the house but walk my dog couple times a day.
I wear casual clothes, pants/t shirt.

sweatpants, t-shirt, and hair in a messy ponytail. In short, I look a mess. So does my husband. Why not?

If I had to look all put together when I'm at the comfort of my own home, it wouldn't really be comfy at all. =) I like to wear my PJ pants, tank top/sweats whenever I am home. There is a sense of relax when I put those on. If you want to throw me a surprise party at my own home, what you see is what you get. =D

I always get up, do my hair and put on an outfit; I don't change into relaxing clothes until I am about ready for bed. This is partly because I work at home and I find that doing this helps me focus on doing more with my day than just hanging out! Also, I make a point of buying clothes I think are attractive AND comfortable, so it's not like I have to sacrifice one for the other.

T-shirt and sweats. My hair is usually up if I haven't just showered. My mail lady is the only one that gets to see me without make up! When I have to sign for packages for my record hoarding husband, which is a lot. I do put on real pants and make up if there's work being done on the house or a repairman coming...make up makes a difference even to the mail lady. She did a double take once when I was full on done up! :P

There are few things as wonderful as coming home from work, pulling on sweatpants, ditching your bra, and sinking your toes into the carpet. Bliss.

My husband wears basketball shorts and an undershirt around the house. In the winter he upgrades to black sweats left over from a Cobra Kai Halloween costume. Strike first. Strike hard. No mercy.

As soon as I get home from the gym (after work), I shower and put on my pajamas. Even if I plan on changing again to go out later. I just need the wardrobe change to get in that "I'm relaxing" mood. Yes, sometimes that means I change my clothes 4 times a day. But each outfit serves a specific purpose-- work clothes, gym clothes, pajamas, casual/going-out clothes. There's little overlap.

I too am a fan of the maxi dress and flip flops in the summertime/hot weather but in the evening or in cooler weather my at home cozy "uniform" is black leggings and a long flowy tunic of some sort or tunic tank top/long cardigan combo. Either way, I feel fine if someone pops by unexpectedly or if I quickly need to run to the grocery store or post office, etc. I can just throw on knee high boots or cute flats (and an overcoat and scarf in cold weather) and look surprisingly put together for a last minute going-to-town trip. I know some people feel like leggings are a cop out and just a sneaky way to wear pajamas 24/7 but I must admit, I love the look of leggings with cute flats or boots...I just think it looks effortlessly chic and makes me feel like Audrey Hepburn...even around the house doing chores. My husband also likes the look and always tells me I look cute and appreciates that I like to look put together which always makes me feel good especially after being married for 17 years...

i have a strict no-pants policy at home. it's either just underwear, leggings, or yoga pants (and yes, i actually do yoga in them... i just don't take em off after). on top, it's all tshirts and cardigans all the time, but that's no different from how i dress at work or going out. i never do my hair anyway (i do a lot of hair care but no hair styling) and it only takes me 5 minutes to throw on some "natural" make-up, so my surprise party guests wouldn't be waiting in the hallway that long...

I'm a big fan of showering, putting on a decent outfit and makeup even on a weekend that I'm not doing much. However, when this happens might be a bit delayed! I might do some cleaning in sweats and a t-shirt, hair a mess, before taking a shower and getting ready. So it wouldn't be unusual to catch me at 1:00 on Sunday looking pretty awful. Come by at 4 and I'll look great!

You don't want to know.

I do wear lipstick no matter what. There could be a tornado coming through with a wilfire ahead of it and I would still put on my lipstick.

I have a few tank maxi dresses, that are great & comfortable (but cheap and a lil to thin to wear in public). If Im chilling I'll wear leggings and a top, which is usually cute, but for a reason or another it never made it to "outfit-out-the-house" level. I recently had this discussion with my guy and he said I always look great and femine around the house. Who knew! He even said sometimes when I change into something more comfortable he's confused...like, "are we going out? thought we were chillin"...this is usually a summer dress that got a lil too pilty or a satin shift that I never quite adored. Maybe guys dont see the details. I actually went through the effort of buying cozy pants to wear around-they all shrunk. I want a onesies.

I work from home and one of my rules is that I dress every day in clothes I would feel okay wearing to run errands or open the door to an unexpected knock. 99% of the time, that means a loose cotton skirt and a top appropriate to the weather. The skirt material made up into pants would look like sweats or yoga pants, but there's something about a skirt that makes it dressier than pants no matter what material it's made of.

Changing out of my work clothes signals the relaxation part of the day for me, so you'll never see me "dressed" at home - pj pants or yoga gear with a t-shirt, with my cozy hoodie. If people want to come see me, they're welcome any time - if they want me to be seen, make an appointment.

I get up and get showered and dressed everyday and stay dressed in clothes I could go out of the house in until bedtime. During the week this means work clothes, come home from work and change into home clothes (jeans, easy shirt, sweater if it is winter); on weekends it is home clothes. Although I have always done this (I can't stand being in sleeping clothes once I am out of bed), working from my home for 9 years reinforced that, fro me, it is important to shower and dress as part of getting ready to work, whether at home or at a workplace.

"Picante"? Who talks like that?

I may not wear makeup or style my hair when I'm spending a day at home, but I make a point to wear decent clothes. I don't like feeling gross, even if I'm just relaxing at home. If I'm in sweatpants and a sweatshirt, they are clean, in good shape, and fit. I only have gross clothes for cleaning the bathroom--everything else should at least be ok to wear to the grocery store!

I once was comparing notes with a friend who also is self employed and she was jealous that I lived in a 5th floor apartment (at the time) because that was plenty of time for FedEx to buzz and for me to get dressed before they could reach my door. She lived on the ground floor - the doorbell meant someone was standing right outside. I now live in a standalone house and try to stay fully clothed, just in case, but not necessarily in clean clothes or showered. Sadly, my outrageous bedhead refuses to go along with this charade and often gives me away.

When I'm dressed, I always dress nice, which is about 50% of the time at home. Enough said.

As soon as I get home, I have to get out of my work clothes and get totally comfortable. BUT, I like my loungewear to look and feel good. I can't really answer the door in my nice loungewear, however, because wearing a bra at home is totally contrary to my notion of comfort. So I have to have a layer handy, like a hoody, should the doorbell ring. My husband is generally in Hanes undershirt and boxers. Our little one likes to strip completely and festoon herself with all the jewelry she's not allowed to wear to school. So she is simultaneously the most stylish and least presentable of all.

I too work from home . I make a point of getting dressed as though I were going to work in a casual offce. I dress mostly in knit layers that can easily be accessorized in an instant or double duty at a yoga class if necessary.

I agree with Coconutzinger. I would be dressed presentably and have on simple makeup and combed hair if I was going to my execution. My house is always clean too. I didn't realize that wasn't considered normal.

Ha,I was just looking at myself in the mirror this morning, thinnking I was not looking so hot. Thank god I live alone. But i do favor very short shorts and a beat up t-shirt and white satin house slippers while lounging - which I suppose might not be such a a bad thing. No makeup, and no effort on the hair though. That would be crazy.

Way oversized tshirt and underwear. Home is for being comfortable! If someone knocks on the door, it takes 2 seconds to throw on shorts. However, my girlfriend was raised to always stay dressed until bedtime, so she does!

I look a little messy when I am home, mostly because my cats shed EVERYWHERE, and I like cuddling with them without worrying about hair getting all over my good clothes! That said, I usually wear comfy stuff that looks a little too worn or old-fashioned, but is still clean and more or less presentable!

I never thought about it till I thought about it just now. I'm usually cleaning or organising or vegging at home so I wear stuff I won't feel bad about getting a little messy. I've also got a cat. He sheds. He sits everywhere. He sheds. As hard as I try to remove every bit off fur, there's always more. So unless I want to be using the lint remover between my comings-and-goings or explain my hairy wardrobe later, I usually change into an old pair of yoga-pants and a tee when I'm at home and change into 'outside' clothes if I have to leave. I used to do the PJ-thing but I would just feel lazier, plus if people drop by, I really look like a mess. Yoga-pants is a step up and in the event I have to leave (e.g. laundry, fire alarm), its less embarrassing than looking like you've just woken up... and its 3pm.

Mmm, I usually wear around pj's too (t shirt and stretchy pants!) but I can be ready to go out of the house in under 10 minutes (5 if I throw my hair in a bun or if its already styled from the day before). So I never worry about looking picante at home.

My dear friend is French and all her comfy at-home clothes are FABULOUS. I'm trying to make the switch because it's true that when you put a little effort into looking good you automatically feel better. I've tried to buy more fashionable comfy clothes to wear around the house and get rid of the hideous, sometimes-used-for-painting-or-dying-my-hair clothes...

When I finally got off carbs and lost that extra 20+ pounds that wouldn't budge, then I started realizing how good it feels to dress in clothes that make me look good, even at home. That doesn't mean no sweats, nothing comfortable. It means colors that work well, clothes that aren't five sizes too big, and save the paint-splattered stuff for when I'm painting.

This is a good post. I was amazed at the difference it makes in my mood, and ever since the 60's I'd been one of the crowd who feels "who gives a damn what I wear, I'm not trying to impress anyone."

If you want to take a sample of what people wear while they're at home, look at what people are wearing to walk their dogs at 6am or 10pm. I have seen people go out in less clothing than would be appropriate at the beach, all the way to smoking jackets and things to be found on street style blogs. In our house, she is in pjs immediately after coming home from the office, but I prefer to wear more stylish but comfortable clothes when I get home and start lounging. I don't know anyone who wants to come home and feel worse than they did during the day. Part of me feeling good is looking good.

I wear these cute natural fabric dresses at home, not too baggy or too tight. I always have hair & make up lightly done to look presentable. If I throw on a few accessories & some wedges I'm good to go out and about. You want to look good for yourself too! And since I'm always in and out of the house, I'm never home too long alone.

Haha :) I've just drew something about that :D At home I like to wear everything stupid :D Long socks with panties and man shirt, totally different coloured stuffs and my hair is always a mess :) Actually I like it. My first thing to do, when I get home is to take off my bra and put out my contacts :D

I'm in the no pants at home club. Real pants that is (anything with a zipper). The instant I get home from work it's whatever assortment of comfy I can find, generally not super presentable. My favorite is when, what my sisters and I call "accidental hippo uniform" happens, and I end up wearing grey (tee shirt, sweat pants, slippers, tank top, you name it) head to toe.

It's important to me to *feel* good, so I do wear clothes that make me feel good, but I don't wear makeup -- gives my skin a break! I feel good in clothes that are a little better fitting than t-shirts, but still casual enough that I can move and breathe and enjoy myself!

I rarely see my neighbors sitting on their adjacent back deck, but they always seem to materialize when I go out there to water my flowers with bedhead and in lumpy PJs.

I recently got Chinese food delivered and it wasn't until the delivery guy had driven off and I was dishing up my chow fun that I realized I had answered the door in old ripped sweats and a biore strip on my nose.

Poor guy I should have tipped WAY more.

I'd like to look my best all the time, but every time I put something on that I really like, I feel disappointed that I am subjecting it to more wear and another wash, when I could save whatever it is for something more meaningful and put on something i wont wear out of the house. If i had unlimited funds to keep my "good wardrobe" fully stocked, then it might be different, but for now my middle class self is going to make use of her crappy clothes wherever it's appropriate.

I live with my boyfriend, so at the VERY least if i am in the mood to look cute, I will pick a day at home that he is around.

@Noelle153- Hilarious! I was rocking that look last night, though it was more like The Accidental Elephant Uniform because everything was saggy-baggy: worn-out grey leggings, worn-out grey slippers, huge grey sweater. Hot.
@CMCINNYC- Rad. Your daughter is my new role model.
@ERICAUERBACH- Being silly is fun!
@Rural and Rueful- Love it.
@Leitho & @Gigi5555- That's so romantic!

I agree with cmcinnyc. Changing into "loungewear" at the end of the workday is a psychological ritual that helps transition to downtime. But it's not necessary to totally sacrifice style for comfort. AND good fit & style in any outfit will make you feel better, and you should always dress for yourself everyone else just gets the fringe benefit.

HOWEVER, I'm also very low maintenance. So yoga pants and a fitted T with a slouchy cardi are the usual at home wear in winter, in summer I totally dig the maxi dress and flip flop look. Usually all I need are shoes and a dusting of face powder to feel ok to go out and run errands.

I'm with Art_Brutale as this post makes me queasy. Beauty & Fashion are not why I turn to AT; maybe the editors could do a little review of Susie Orbach and Jean Kilbourne before continuing this nonsense. How hot one looks at home accompanyied by a photo of a skinny smiling blond who 'always looks picante'? Why not have a representative photo of your readers, who, according to the above letters, dress more often in BVDs and PJs. What's next, articles on weight loss? I only registered with AT within the last month and am already regretting it.

I tend to keep my work clothes on until I get ready for bed. I dress comfortably, but mostly in skirts and dresses. Sometimes I transition to a different outfit, but don't have 'loungeabout' clothes.

I have worked at home for the last decade. While it is sooo tempting to never get dressed and wear pjs all day, I would do it anyway to transition from night to day. Now I'm a mom and I'm just happy to have booger/peanut butter-free clothes to wear each day.

I stay as simple as possible when at home. Summer dresses and kafkans in the summer, which are all like nightgowns, and then simple leggings or sweatpants with a tank or tunic. Im never in shoes and i never wear makeup or have my haoir done but thats just me all the time, even outside the house.

I'm 5 months pregnant -- I look absolutely absurd at home.

@DEBTHEREB, "Why not have a representative photo of your readers, who, according to the above letters, dress more often in BVDs and PJs. What's next, articles on weight loss? I only registered with AT within the last month and am already regretting it."

I agree. I commented in a post about the site's slide to beautiful people in their beautiful homes only to have the comment deleted. Hopefully you can read this before it is deleted.

I love alone, so: After work, I immediately put on these thick fleece sweats that I have. The brand that makes them in Predator, and they are seriously the most comfortable, cozy pants you can imagine.

Also, my slippers look like mukluks. And my hair is in a bun. It's not pretty, but I love it. (Yes, I am embarrassed if the mailman comes by, though.)

I've slowly come to realize that if I want to by comfy AND cute, I can upgrade to my workout wear (yoga pants and crops). Throw on some sneakers, put your hair into high ponytail, and you will STILL get checked out at the grocery store.

I live with my boyfriend, so I try to not look terrible at home :) But I like wearing nice clothes anyway. When I lived with my parents my grandma often asked me if I was going somewhere when she saw me. I do wear my slippers at home a lot though.

Honestly, it's articles like this that make me think this site is not the best fit for me... Methinks I am not your key demographic.

I work at home, and always shower and get dressed before I sit down at my desk. No makeup if I'm not seeing a client, but I usually dress decently-jeans and a cashmere sweater in the winter, summer dresses when it's warmer.

Growing up in the 70's, when I wanted to go play outside in ratty jeans and uncombed hair, mom always scolded, "You are someone else's environment.'

I'm all for looking presentable at any given moment now that the kids are in school....however, being pregnant, and/or having toddler/pre-school kiddos running around the house - and looking good? If you're able to do this either you have a live-in or I wanna know your secret.

Generally I want to be able to step outside and grab the mail or answer the door without being embarrassed. That means non-embarrassing pajama pants and a bra are the minimum. When I lived by myself in an apartment (where clothing was always within reach) I regularly hung out in my underwear, and that was awesome.

How hot do I look at home? Not. At all. But I'm OK with that. Most days I can be found in a nursing tank and shorts or baggy jeans since I'm a homemaker and mother of two. And I love it.

@ericaurbach-- Bahahaha! Seriously!

"Picante?" God, you must be young!

I shop thrift for nearly all my clothes, but our in-house fashionista at work says I have "style"! I wear at home after work whatever I wore to work -- since I buy thrift, if I spill something on it (not wine, I don't drink it) I clean it or trash it. My concession to non-work days is that I wear blue jeans instead of nicer slacks, but the same tops I wear to work. I get rid of things that are baggy or whatever, keeping only one outfit for painting that is beyond repair. I put on my makeup every morning, work day or not, but I never touch it up unless something unusual is going on. So, essentially, I'm always in approximately the same condition, which hasn't been "hot" for many years! ;^)

More importantly, except for only vacuuming once a week, a potential issue with furry pets, my HOUSE is also always ready for visitors. (If someone's coming with little notice, we do a quick vac and double check the toilets. Period.)

To the three or four people who oppose this post: Obviously 55 people feel that this post is a fun little interlude. You are not required to read every post. Really.

I think it's odd that some get so bent out of shape if AT runs any article that is remotely frivilous. Honestly, I absolutely LOVE to see the owners of the homes in the pictures and how they live. In fact, I find that I am disappointed if there is not a picture of the homeowner. I love to see what they look like and what they are wearing. Whether you think that is shallow or not, it helps me to get a more rounded picture of the mind behind the design and adds personality to the post. What's so wrong with a little bit of "fluff" in life?

So much uproar, geez. There are only so many refinished chests of drawers that one can argue over on one website, in my opinion. I always love AT's 'fluff' pieces that get a ton of comments, largely because you can see how different everyone is.

Anyway, I describe my look at home as 'hot mess.' I never stay in my PJs (it makes me feel gross and lazy), but I definitely wear shabby, lounge around the house clothes.

As always, I agree with Duane Hill. However, I do see the point to this article since posts of home interiors, or design magazines, always show the owners as well as the furnishings. And the owners always look "dressed" in the home enviornment, which does appear false or misleading. Thus the question, what do people wear at home?

Why people do not wear much, or pajamas is beyond me. I am tired of people going to the grocery store or flying on planes in pajamas. I do things at home, answer the door, live without curtains, go outside frequently, etc., so not wearing proper clothing seems ridiculous. Anyway, for what it's worth.

Who is this Rural and Rueful who wears lipstick, and from what I gather little else, at home? Oh my.

reminds me of the i love lucy epi where she and the apt are a mess and her friend visits. a mad dash to put all together-sounds like me. but then again i never look "picante" even on my best day. i guess i'm the porridge that's "just right" and i'm happy with that.

I personally went through this thought process about a year ago, and changed my way of doing things.

For the longest time, "half dressed running around in a t-shirt and underwear" would have fit my home style, make-up if I thought I would be going out in the hour, and a lint-balled wreck of a sweater if there was a bit of a chill in the air.

Then I made some new friends, the kind who ring your doorbell without calling first, the best kind! And I wanted to look cute, fresh and put together, so now I do (or hope I do). I do my hair after I shower, slap on a bit of eye shadow and mascara, and wear clothes that make me feel good about the way I look! Funny thing is, I think I have better home posture and am more productive NOW than I was THEN.

I can't get over the feeling that I'm "wasting" good clothes if I wear them when I'm just bumming around. I usually wear an old pair of shorts, comfy old sports bra, and t-shirt at home. But I do like them to be somewhat flattering.

cpellett - I'm also 5 months pregnant, but I look the same at home as I do the rest of the day! I don't have "lounge" clothes that would fit me while pregnant (even my pj pants are beginning to get a little tight) and I definitely don't want to spend money on new stuff just for a few months.

I don't have "at home" clothes, I just wear what I wear during the day until it's time to take a bedtime shower and put on my pj's. It helps that where I work is very casual (I wear jeans and a casual knit t-shirt/shirt most days), but I just keep it on after work. Even on the occasions when I have to dress business casual for something, I don't change after work. Occasionally I'll change into fleece/yoga pants if what I'm wearing is bothering me (I've had a pair of jeans that hurt the backsides of my knees when I curled up on the couch for example) but that only probably happens 1-2 times a month max. On the weekends I sometimes stay in my pj's until lunch or so, but after that I always get dressed in normal clothes (though sometimes I'm wearing a top I don't like as much, but it's still perfectly presentable.

No pants, Tuxedo Shirt.

However, I never do my hair (more than brushing it) or wear makeup except for special events/parties, so I never do at home either.

I work from home, so dressing up with full make up and hair done is a must, otherwise I would wear "comfortable" clothes all the time. If I am cleaning the house that is a different story- I go duds all the way!

I work from home, and there's a 50-50 chance as to whether I'm wearing pants at any given moment. How dressed I am depends on whether or not I'm leaving the house that day, but as a general rule I'm pretty casual. I typically have a jersey dress out so I can throw it on and walk my dog when he needs to go. I think if anyone where to drop by unexpectedly I could look cute pretty quickly. I might not have a full face of makeup on, but if you are dropping by unexpectedly you probably know me well enough to have seen me without make-up before.

Boxer Shorts and a T-shirt for me...maybe Jammy Pants in the winter. ERICAUERBACH...I know right?

I'm for 100% comfort at home. I usually wear a longish skirt, comfy t-shirt, sports bra and my eyeglasses. If I could, I'd go without the bra, but my daughter usually has friends ringing the doorbell.

If I am alone, comfy shorts/jammie pants/cute undies and an undershirt/tank/tee, depending on the temperature. I keep more presentable pants and a cardigan on the bed in case the doorbell rings.

If my S.O. is with me, (one weekend every other month due to work constraints right now) no clothes unless I have to go outside. We both like a lot of skin-to-skin contact and cuddling.

I've found that if I wear lounging clothes all day at home, I get a lot less done and as a result feel bummed out about wasting my day. I get shower and get dressed into "normal" clothes not because I want to look good for other people, but because it gets me in the mood to have a "normal" day as opposed to a "shut-in" day.

I think the problem here is that the word is simply not "picante." It's "piquant." I learned that from Grace Kelly. :D

And no, I never look piquant when at home. I understand the people who said it makes them feel better, but hey, if I'm home and am able to get good and grungy (as in, I don't have anywhere to be, so I can look like a scrub), nothing feels better than being lazy and free.

I like the "home sociology" posts, ie, all of this "do you have guests take off shoes"-esque posts. It's all about figuring out what real daily life actually contains...rather than (as some house tours feel) just an image that we copied from some other image we already found on AT.

I'm really shocked at all the PJs, although I wonder if it's a self-selecting bias in that people who really love comfort clothes are the ones who overwhelmingly decide to answer.

Recently, I've tried a campaign in which I *don't* change into comfier clothes when I come home to work. I'm thinking that wearing clothes I don't like is making me have certain "second string" feelings about my home life, which is not cool. Looking nice in my home makes me feel like a boss.

In fact, I hereby propose that AT have a weekly "Home Sociology" post, named as such, which would let the Serious About Design people know to click on by while others have some fun.

Picante!? LOL, I'm going to start using that to annoy my friends.

Now that its getting cooler I'm back to maxi dresses. When its warm, I wear bikinis or lounge in my underwear. One of the benefits of living alone.

Oversized sweats and holey t shirts. Greasy hair. No makeup. I think this would surprise anyone I knew because I love to get dressed up for work, school, going out, etc. I guess I'm kind of a 'secret slob' like Holden Caulfield's roommate...lol.

I think this is a fun post! Getting to know other readers. Though I'm wondering where some of the usual commenters are...I see some of you but wonder where the others are?

Duane Hill...I want to know what you lounge around in. No fair!

Michelle looks spicy? Was there a different word you were looking for or is that an accepted term now?
Piquant wouldn't really be it since it means pretty much the same thing.

Grandma snap-front house coat in the summer (yes, you can still buy them) and a cashmere lounging outfit in the winter (ivory pants and tunic-a b'day gift to myself). Barefoot summer and velvet slippers in winter. I don't wear makeup if I'm lounging around.

I also wear my coke bottle lens glasses at home so I am totally unhot.

My solution is pretty easy: I don't own stuff I don't like. Admittedly, this is a lot easier if you shop at thrift stores, since buying new stuff and getting rid of stuff you're done with is cheap and easy. If I have a sweater I don't think is all that? Eh, it isn't like I dropped a mint on it, I can easily let it go. Drop it off at the Goodwill, and grab a way cuter one for five bucks while I'm there (this is literally what I did on Monday night, now instead of a weird-fitting, plasticy-feeling cardigan, I have a super cute 100% wool grey stripe sweater!). Every time I buy anything, I make sure I am buying up from something I've decided to replace. Keeps down my tendency to overstuff my closet, and keeps the bottom shelf of my closet looking as good as the top.

Refuse to own a pair of sweats, not familiar with "jammie pants" and don't wear pajamas, so I'm either presentable enough to answer the door or naked. What's so hard about cute jeans/shorts and a tank top? And somewhat akin to Rural and Rueful, I don't leave the house without lipstick. Best lesson Mom ever taught me.

As the editor of DC Refinery29, Holly's daily duties involve seeking out great vintage shops, or thinking up ways to recreate or repackage fashion and found objects

No wonder she can look great all the time. I'll survive without using the word 'picante'. (rolleyes).

I'm a stay-at-home mom with an 8-month-old, and my husband is currently between jobs. We spend about 80% of our time at home and most of my activities involve busywork or chasing after my little, army-crawling bundle of energy. Consequently, I spend most of my time workout clothes (i.e. gym shorts, yoga pants, loose t-shirts, tanktops, sports bras, etc.) sans makeup with my hair thrown into a messy bun. I'm sure my hubby would appreciate it if I put on makeup or straightening my hair more often, but I just don't see the point. Why dress up if I'm just going to get grungy anyway?

I often tell myself that I am going to dress nice when I get off of work only to find myself in yoga pants, a sports bra, and an over-sized shirt within seconds of coming home... It's a ritual I seem to go through without consciously noticing it.. kind of like locking the door behind me or randomly checking my phone. The most important parts of my attire are my Chinese silk house slippers.

I live close enough to work that I can go home on my lunch break and cook a light meal before heading back. On days when I'm dressed particularly nice for a conference or meeting I'll change into my after work attire to protect it from unexpected lunch messes.

Relaxation time = pj time. I'm so glad that after four years I've managed to convince my guy how great it feels to wear pj's rather than wearing work/day clothes around the house!

My only rules are no wearing of (too) worn out things or things that got downgraded to house-wear because I don't feel good in them (anymore). If I need to unexpectedly open the door, I'll throw on a sweater over it.

the "clothes" i wear at home are a disgrace and should be thrown in the garbage immediately

Currently, 2 year old striped hollister 3/4 length low cut top, no bra, black leggings, stewie griffin socks, hair done but no make-up, on apartment therapy on the hp touchpad and star trek on netflix, while he plays borderlands 2 in boxers and a free t-shirt from work. Livin the dream of geeks everywhere.

I can't feel comfortable at home with my bra and pants on, so those are usually the first things to go the moment I come through the front door. I currently live in a house with my husband and a guest (family friend), so I usually wear a cotton or viscose dress under an open cardigan.

However, on days when I'm at home alone, I like to romp around the residence in just a t-shirt and underwear.

I'm always showered with hair washed and done - I have long hair and just feel better when my hair looks good. During the day I usually have a touch of makeup on even at home... Loose pants (yoga, draw string pajama style, etc.) and a black t-shirt... Not mad sexy but OK if I have to answer the door :) If I get remarried or into a serious relationship I too, will have to up my game!

If I've been out, I change into my pyjamas/nightie/loungewear as soon as I get home, and I remove all jewellery. It makes me feel clean and comfortable.

I know my husband appreciates it when he comes home from work and I look nice. (at least he notices, anyway!) I wish I made it part of my regular routine to look pulled together everyday - tough with 4 kiddies though.

What I wear at home is decided by the foster cats. The older sleepy cats mean I get to wear summer dresses or tank top with pj bottoms. The needy cats with emotional issues mean I need wear sweat shirts and comfy jeans to protect myself from their "making biscuit" claws.

I'm a Stay-At-Home-Mum and no I don't wear my pyjamas. Well, not since our toddler passed 'The Terribles' stage.

Currently I make it a rule to get up, washed + dressed before our kids. Outfit must be clean, comfortable and pockets are compulsory - you never know when you need to grab your keys and purse OR when outside your toddler decides to hand you random objects as keepsakes. My bag is packed and ready with spare keys + toddler essentials. If I have an appointment out, I make sure to arrange another outfit within reach - for myself and our toddler. Especially since toddler gets messy very quickly and often.

You know, not too long ago my boyfriend and I had a talk about this... we live together, and when I come home I usually throw off the slacks and work attire and get into my jammies. And by the time he comes home, I look like an unmade bed... one day, he took a picture of what I was wearing and showed me what I looked like. I realized I looked like a sad clown who came home after a long day at the circus. Mismatched jammie tops and bottoms, hair was a mess, and two different colored socks. It was ridiculous (we even made a name for the sad clown). If someone came and surprised me, while I was looking like that, I'd be so embarrassed! So I decided that when I come home, instead of heading for the pj drawer, I opt for my cute yoga clothes or some cute jeans and a cute but comfy top. If my hair isn't washed, I put it in a side pony tail vs a messy bun. I can still be comfy, and be ready for company with little warning :)

when Im at home (like at home, at home) I don't worry about getting out of pj's all day -- but I also work from home and I find it tremendously helpful to my 'get-something-done-professionally' mindset if I get up, workout, take a shower, and get dressed in a way that I wouldn't mind seeing other people - even if I don't see other people.

At home I'm in underwear and a sweatshirt/tshirt/tank top. Pants just hinder eating. They are, however, close at hand in the case of a random drop-by.

I wear inside what I wouldn't mind wearing outside. Or perhaps more accurately, I like to make sure that I can go from home to the outer world without any need for outfit changes. That usually means athletic wear - yoga pants and a tank with a shelf bra so there will be no need for extra clothing without me looking sloppy.

The truth is however, that house life (eating, drinking, cooking, taking care of little ones), does ruin my athletic outfits really fast; much faster that if I would just save them for the outside world. But I just use the least expensive ones (from TJ Maxx or whatever) and I can replace them every few months.

We spend so much time in our homes, and usually with the people we care the most about. I want to show them I care - both about them and about myself. But I am vain.

i second the sociology of home idea!

I'm also a "secret slob." When I get home after work, nothing feels better than taking off confining clothes and getting into PJs or a robe. If I'm not going out, say on a lazy or housecleaning Sunday, I never wear makeup (much better to give my skin a break). On the other hand, I don't skip showers or tooth-brushing. Clean and comfortable are my goals, but beyond that, anything goes.

Of course, I would never run an errand in pajama pants, nor would I host any friends while wearing my normal chill-out gear. If I'm ordering delivery, though, I'm fine with opening the door in a robe and PJs. The guy's only seeing me for 10 seconds and I'm paying him -- he'll get over the trauma.

I have some pretty horrendous get ups that I wear around the house (and out to get the mail, walk the dog, embarass my husband). It doesn't make me feel frumpy because I'm a "clean" lounger. I have a shower, legs shaved, teeth brushed, hair clean & loosely styled and can be ready to go in 5 minutes just by throwing on mascara and lipstick (and a change of clothes).

I'm with the person who said "Picante? Who talks like that?" Since I've never ever heard that term used, at least in relation to a person-- I'm guessing I'm not.

Nevertheless, I'm also with the person above who said she wears lipstick, no matter what. In fact, lipstick would be the one item-- right up there with drinking water-- I'd have on a desert island. And a great haircut means that your hair, at least, always always looks good-- no work there-- so . . . lipstick, good hair, and you can get away with most anything. And, yes-- yoga pants are always a crowd pleaser.

For all those who are freaking out over the topic, I read very, very few of the kiddie posts, but consider myself part of the target audience overall.

To address the question of the post, sort of. I am transitioning to wearing nicer appearing clothes. So instead of a baggy hippie skirt and a ratty T shirt, I might still use the hippie skirt, but the shirt will be nicer, or even a tidy sweater.

My goal is to be able to head on an errand or have surprise guests and not look like a "mom who gave up."

Mostly that happens because I don't keep my schmutzy clothes any longer.

I live alone, and how I look depends on the age of my around-the-house clothes. When non-logo t-shirts and pants (including yoga) that I have worn out of the house start to fade and/or look worn, they become my around-the-house clothes. At first they do not look too bad. After all I've just stopped wearing them in public (but they are not good enough to donate to anyone). Over time, after more washes and exercising and cleaning and sleeping in them some (and also they start to go into the clothes dryer, which they hadn't before), they start to look pretty drab. Eventually they go on a trip with me, are worn as sleeping clothes, and then are tossed before I return home. (This is also how I get rid of old undies and socks.) Right now my stash of clothes for around the house are starting to look pretty drab and some will be tossed on upcoming trips this fall. I love how Michelle looks in the photo, but the frugal side and the environmental side of me says to wear clothes out as much as possible before tossing them. This seems to be the best way. Oh well.

I also wanted to add to my above post that the second something gets a hole in it, it is tossed.

I think Angelalee probably nailed it - I also expect the author mean piquant, not picante. Hehehehe.

I change my clothes several times a day. I get dressed for work, change in to something nice after work, and then late in the evening when I'm tired out it's leggings and oversized t-shirt time. I live with my boyfriend so I don't want to look too sloppy but after 9 he is too immersed in computer games to glance my way anyways.

Yes I meant to say picante, yes picante means 'spicy', yes Michelle always looks spicy, and no, I don't know if anyone else uses that word that way. But I do know that using words in fun ways is fun.

I find this topic fascinating as I'm a mother of 2 boys and I observe all the other mothers out there...what they wear day to day. And I'm so so sick of workout wear...half of the moms don't even work out, but I guess running on errands and chores are a work out. I think when we as a society dress in such a dressed down way, we end up style less...like we don't care at all. My son is 8 months old and I try to put makeup on every day, get dressed in casual chic ensembles and fix my hair. It's so important to me, but of course the days I don't have a second to put mascara on or wash my face are the days I run into everyone. In fact my friend hosted a surprise baby shower for me knowing I'll come picante...okay maybe not picante, but nice. And they all said..."we knew you'd come looking put together." I'll wear nice clothes knowing they'll be destroyed by the end of the day...I'm usually covered in baby food, but that's okay because I made an effort and felt good about myself. I don't want to sound judgmental...it's not about weight or looking hot, it's deeper than that.

And just to clarify...90% of my clothes are second hand, so I too believe in being frugal and environmentally conscious. I don't think being stylish all the time means you aren't green...we can be green and glamourous too. Use those nice clothes, because otherwise what the point. Take your tattered and torn clothes and make rugs, use them as cleaning cloths or stuff them into pillow cases.

On a side note, I didn't realize so many people worked at home? What exactly do you all do? I get all twitterpated at the thought of working from home. But I guess maybe a separate post on what everyone does working from home wouldn't be AT friendly, seeing how much flack this post is garnering.

I would love to look like a laid-back French person while at home, however it's usually a cross between sweats and some sort of athletic wear. I don't like doing tons of laundry so I try to pick outfits that will go from walking the dog 3 miles to the grocery store to watching tv. I should try harder, haha.

Oh wonderful, wonderful 'yoga' pants..leggings..sox with flipflops...old long sleeved cotton j-crew tees that have seen better days long ago and zip hoodie....my house winterwear...............(preparing my mind..arghghggh for coldness.)

When home, my boyfriend and I forgo pants. I'm usually in an off-the-shoulder tee and undies, he's usually in boxer briefs and an old t-shirt. No one in our household - save for the dog who always manages to look dapper - would be ready to be seen, let alone attend a party in our honor.

I put no effort at all into looking good at home. I WISH I had friends who felt comfortable dropping by; if that were the case, I would put on makeup and nice jeans, at least. But as it is, I wear my pajamas until it's time to go outdoors, without even washing my face!

I like posts like this. It is interesting to see how other people live in their homes. Some more relaxed than others, it appears.

But how we use our homes is one of the points of this blog. And I like getting to see a slice of someone else's life.

Mostly in my PJ and tank top. If somebody rings the bell, i just wear a shawl or wrap!

When I come home I take off all of my makeup & jewelry & put on comfortable clothing but I make sure it's presentable ie no holes, stains & I always wear lip balm.