The secret to work-life balance? Find a bathrobe that you love.
Happy National Bathrobe Day! Did you know that our beloved founder, Jenefer Palmer started OSEA in her bathrobe, 28 years ago? To honor her (and her many robes) we decided to make a holiday out of it! The hustle and bustle of the daily grind can lead to burnout, but as Jenefer has shown us, working in your robe is a simple way to recenter and find a deeper level of grounding and zen. We sat down with her, wrapped in our coziest robe, to learn all about the life-changing magic of the robe.
OSEA:
Tell us about how you came to wear your bathrobe to work.
Jenefer:
It was 1996. I had just launched OSEA. We were running the company out of my garage. I was a single mom who would work late at night while my kids were sleeping. It started with me not having time to get dressed in the morning. I would throw on my fluffy white bathrobe over PJs to do school drop offs. My kids were mortified! Life at the time was a bit chaotic. My house was covered floor-to-ceiling in boxes of products. I was taking calls at all hours of the day. But it’s funny, whenever I wore my bathrobe I felt calm and cozy. It reminded me of being on vacation at a nice hotel. And I thought to myself if I have to be at home working, why wear anything else? So I started collecting robes and wearing them all day. My bathrobe makes me relaxed. And when I'm relaxed, I have a greater ability to focus. The secret to work-life balance? Find a bathrobe that you love.
OSEA:
How many bathrobes do you own?
Jenefer:
Seven
OSEA:
Do you have a favorite?
Jenefer:
What I have to say about bathrobes, is that they're ALL good. But some are better. I do have a selection of bathrobes for different seasons. Right now, I’m living and working in my Classic Turkish Cotton Robe from Parachute. It might be the coziest one I’ve ever tried! It’s really plush and perfect for winter. I’ve birthed some of my best and most creative ideas in this robe. Like the idea for our new firming Undaria Algae™ Body Butter. My Cotton Cloud Robe by Parachute is my favorite for summer. It’s super soft and luxurious but also lightweight and cozy. Feels like a hug. And who doesn’t need that?
OSEA:
How do you NOT fall asleep in your bathrobe?
Jenefer:
Easy. I don't sleep in it. It’s my daytime uniform. If you go back and look at the history of the bathrobe, you’ll find that the idea of it as a post-shower or pre-sleeping accessory is actually relatively new. Robes were normalized attire amongst the ancient Greeks, Romans, Chinese and Japanese. They’re comfortable, elegant, warm and forgiving. And just think of all of the very productive people who wear robes to work. Judges do it. Boxers wear them before entering the ring. College grads wear robes to signify their mastery of a body of knowledge. Robes! They’re for movers and shakers. Although I highly recommend doing absolutely nothing in your bathrobe too.
OSEA:
Now that many of us are working from home, leisurewear has become the norm. But pre-pandemic, did you ever feel stigmatized for wearing your bathrobe to work?
Jenefer:
No, I think everybody secretly likes a good bathrobe. I'm not aware of any anti-bathrobe organizations.
OSEA:
You’ve been working and living in your bathrobe for over 28 years now. Any highlights that you’d like to share?
Jenefer:
So I used to have this bright red chenille bathrobe. I drove all around Malibu in that thing. In my neighborhood, I became a local “celebrity” of sorts. I once got into a minor fender bender in front of the school wearing my red robe. The person whose car I bumped was like, “Hey, I know you! I recognize your bathrobe!” We laughed a lot about it and I think it made the whole experience less stressful for everyone.
OSEA:
What about when you’re not working? Do you wear your bathrobe then?
Jenefer:
I love to put on a silky bathrobe before dinner. It’s my equivalent of an evening cocktail. So relaxing. Just kind of nesting in.
OSEA:
What are your favorite self-care rituals to do in your robe?
Jenefer:
After a shower, I love to apply our Undaria Algae™ Body Oil to damp skin from my neck to my toes. And then, just as it’s absorbing into my skin, I put on one of my favorite terry cloth robes. And curl up into bed with a good book. So cozy.
OSEA:
What are you currently reading?
Jenefer:
I’ve just started “The Three Body Problem,” by Liu Cixin. It’s a science fiction novel inspired by Newton’s laws of motion.
OSEA:
Any advice to aspiring bathrobe wearers?
Jenefer:
Find one that you love. Do one thing a day in your robe, whether that’s taking a work call or just wearing it while you brush your teeth. Feel the weight of it on your skin. The whole thing with National Bathrobe Day is that it’s really just an opportunity to find a moment of balance in the everyday. Whether you wear it to work or in the locker room at the gym. The nice thing about bathrobes is that there are no rules! National Bathrobe Day is a love letter to bathrobes and the important work they do.
