Working From Home in Kigurumi for a Week
(Featured image credit by mmhomm via X)
Ah yes, WFH. A term that came into the online zeitgeist since five years ago. Thanks to this term, online freelancers no longer have to awkwardly explain to people the nature of their work, and boomers no longer have to insist that they need "real work" in order to be truly an adult.
But you know what work from home people also adopted early? Being comfy while being productive. And yes, that is precisely what we are heading into. Work-from-home kigurumi onesies!
This should be easy experiment to gain an answer with. But, as you already expected, the WFH space comes in many shapes and size, and in many formats and appearances. So the results, may not actually as intuitive as you think it should be.
Day 1: Nope, It Really is Intuitve
Okay, I take that back. It does kind of feel very intuitive. The change of pace and style made me initially think that this was going to be some kind of revelation. It feels nice. It feels great and comfy. But honestly… It's normal.
(Image credit via Instagram)
Depending on the setup of your remote work environment, plus your actual work, individual experiences will somewhat vary, of course. I had one video call with a client and kept the camera on my face. When asked about the “cozy hoodie,” I just chalked it up to being cold in my home office. Not technically lying, right? Granted, I never had to interact more deeply than that, and so that matter was never pursued further.
But what if it was a general Zoom meeting? Your usual attire of business upper half and pajama lower half wouldn’t really work the same way with a kigurumi, because it is a freaking onesie! Then again, unless you are in a corporate Japanese meeting, the rules might not really be as strict as seems, and fellow meeting members would probably just end things with a side glance.
The sleeve thing is real though. Had to push them up about fifty times during the day, or adjust them at various lengths depending on the type of activity. And here I thought baking while wearing kigurumi onesies was the bigger challenge…
Day 2: Water, Water Everywhere
Feeling quite warm during the summer work day? Just turn on the AC in your office. ‘Nuff said. But seriously, even if I were a positive advocate of finding excuses to wear kigurumi onesies during warmer months, this is something that you really have to think about before diving into the idea. Especially if you have back-to-back calls and can’t exactly strip down and change.
Another somewhat related issue is that bathroom breaks require way more planning when WFH schedules and kigurumi onesies are combined. To be fair, I have been told countless times by other WFH folks that it wasn’t exactly an issue for them at all. But, perhaps adjusting for the first time, I had a bit of a trickier time trying to juggle the suit and the “breaks” for the first few days. Yeah, skill issue, I guess. Sue me.
Day 3: Was I... Even Wearing My Kigurumi Onesie?
Wednesday came, and I barely noticed I was wearing it. Before I realized, I had already done all my morning rituals, worked for the entire day, and just kept chilling through the evening with it.
(Image credit via Instagram)
In fact, I had quite a few interactions with people outside. Had neighbors ask for some things, delivery people were handing me my online orders. Even a friend dropping by briefly to give me some of the modeling tools that I wanted to borrow the other day. Everyone had that initial eyebrow raise, or a chuckle, or even a snicker. But it never really dawned on me after that fact. Have I not been wearing this in front of them prior?
Anyway, I think I was expecting some kind of psychological shift, like wearing a cartoon costume would make me feel more playful or creative or something. But I just felt like myself in a kigurumi, doing the same work I always do.
Day 4: Actually, This Might Be Too Comfortable
Thursday was weird because I realized I hadn't changed clothes for work in three days. No, no, no. I did not mean wearing them for three days straight. What I specifically meant was I shower and put on the same kigurumi and sit at the same desk. Ironically, there's something about this routine that's starting to feel a little, stagnant.
I don't know if this is a kigurumi thing or just a remote work thing in general, but when your "work clothes" are identical to your "ultimate comfort clothes," where's the mental boundary? Usually there's at least some small ritual of getting dressed, even if it's just putting on jeans instead of pajama pants. Perhaps this is the same thing as the negative effect of fusing your “sleep area” with your “main activitiy” area that is so often discussed in productivity psychology.
In fact, I had an online chat with a potential new client and found myself being more casual in my tone than usual. Not unprofessional, just... looser. Could be the kigurumi effect, could be that I'm just getting comfortable with this client. Hard to tell.
Day 5: Would I Keep Doing This?
Friday, and honestly I'm kind of over it. Not because it's terrible, but because it's just... fine. It's comfortable clothing that requires slightly more planning around bathroom breaks and temperature control.
(Image credit via Instagram)
I thought this experiment would teach me something profound about work-life boundaries or productivity optimization, or maybe even professional identity. But mostly it taught me that comfortable clothes are comfortable, and work is still work. Yep, news flash, water is wet, (Earth’s) sky is blue.
The one thing I wasn't expecting was how little it mattered. I kept waiting for some big revelation about how clothing affects mindset or productivity. But for the most part, it just doesn't. At least not for me, doing the type of work I've been doing for the last few years.
If you're someone who's constantly on video calls with clients or colleagues, this probably wouldn't work long-term, just from a professional appearance standpoint. If you are like a manga artist or a writer who barely even contacts the outside world, it may perhaps be totally doable. Just don’t expect anything phenomenal, and expect the “new normal” to shift as fast as like… maybe 32 hours or so.
Wait… What About Streamers in Kigurumi Onesies?!
Actually, hold up. Writing this out made me realize I was testing this for the wrong type of WFH work.
This experiment felt anticlimactic for traditional remote tasks: emails, calls, and document work. This is because kigurumi don't really improve that kind of productivity. But I kept thinking about that team call where people were jealous of how comfortable I looked, and it hit me: content creators have probably figured out the perfect application.
If you're streaming or making videos for 6-8 hours, comfort is actually crucial for performance. Your audience expects visual interest and personality. The kigurumi becomes part of your content instead of something to manage around professional appearance. Different designs could become signature looks or special event outfits.
Well... not exactly the expected flesh and blood streamer. But Shiina counts!
The "novelty" factor that wore off for me after three days? That's literally valuable content for creators. You can even spice it up and rotate a regular (and perhaps expanding) roster of different kigurumi onesies. Heck, if you are streaming a gaming session, you can even match the kigurumi onesie with the title you are playing!
So maybe kigurumi aren't optimized for desk work, but they're perfect for performance-based WFH. Content creators need to be comfortable, memorable, and entertaining for long sessions while building personal brands where visual elements actually matter.
Man, I was testing kigurumi onesies as comfort clothing for the wrong type of job this whole time.