A reader contacted me recently with a bit of a dilemma. She was saying how she admired my outfit posts and wished that she worked in a relaxed office like mine where she could get away with dressing like herself. She claims that ‘dressing like an usher’ is expected in her workplace and asked me to do a post on how to dress jazzy in a stuffy office. I do admit that my office is more relaxed than most but it doesn’t mean that I don’t have to watch what I wear. Here are a few pointers to remember –
- Be mindful of showing skin– Breasts are not an appropriate accessory for the workplace. Neither are your thighs. This doesn’t mean dressing like a nana it just means to use your best judgement and leave the underwear skimming mini’s and the plunging necklines for the weekend. Or your lounge room. I am the biggest prude in the world and I think that some things should be left to the imagination.
- Wear your jewellery courteously– big clanging bangles are not okay if you share an office. (My office buddy Browny will totally dob me in for wearing bangles all the time but she loves me so it’s fine). With jewellery I always say the bigger the better as long as it’s silent.
- Be neat and well groomed – This has NOTHING to do with your personal style. Whatever you wear make sure it is clean, ironed and covers what it is supposed to cover. This is simplest rule ever and so many women forget it.
- Ask for a dress code – A few months ago I was chastised at work for wearing ¾ length black pants (I am still trying to figure this one out) so I very politely asked for a dress code so I could avoid such situations again. The dress code was never given to me and I was never chastised again despite wearing many outfits that I would deem much more inappropriate than standard black pants. Just remember you can’t get into trouble for wearing something you didn’t know you weren’t supposed to wear (within reason of course). And if your office is too lazy to find or create a dress code then they don’t have a leg to stand on in terms of your office attire. Also if your boss is having a bad day and complains about something really strange don’t take it too personally and just move on.
- Take advantage of ‘Casual Friday’. When everyone else is wearing jeans on a Friday wear something fabulous. A massive necklace you’ve been too shy to wear or hairpiece made of feathers. Casual doesn’t have to mean jeans. I interpret ‘casual’ as what I wear on the weekends which could be a maxi dress and cork wedges or straight leg jeans with a trapeze top.
- Think about where you work. Obviously if you are lawyer and you like to wear neon body paint and plastic decapitated dolls around your neck, work place attire will prove problematic for you. The secret is to down play it and to do it subtly. Wear a bright eye shadow or some funky earrings. Wear an acid green shirt with your suit. Subtlety is the key to getting away with dressing like yourself without being inappropriate about it.
- Think logically. If you wear a skirt that is a respectable length and a top that covers your breasts but you accessories with a big bow in your hair do you really think that your boss will say anything to you? Seriously? If he/she thinks it’s inappropriate I can almost guarantee that nothing will be said because there is no basis to the complaint. It’s not vulgar or offensive so there is really nothing that they can say. However if they ask you not to wear it and you still do then you may just lose your job. I will accept no responsibility if that happens but I might send you a condolence lolly-pop.
- Be wary of summer. Summer is the killer season for dressing well and comfortably at work. What’s the go with sleeveless tops? How low can you go? How high can you go? Are t-shirts appropriate? Personally I think if you are going for a sleeveless top (which can be a necessity in 32 degree heat like today!) make the straps thick. Spaghetti straps just won’t cut it and they look far too casual. With low tops and high skirts use your own judgement. Just remember that a revealing boob tube won’t make you any less sweaty and gross than a modest summer tank. As for t-shirts I say go for it! Just make sure they are clean, relatively new and fit well.
Here I have created a few office outfits to help you work in some tricky items in an appropriate manner
Summer Outfit
The trick to getting away with a sleeveless top at work is make sure that the straps are thick and that the top is a relaxed fit. Wearing neutral colours like cream and beige look professional but make sure you funk it up a bit with heels in a vivid colour and some Kenneth Jay Lane bangles. Always Kenneth. Always.
Winter Outfit
Keep mini skirts for winter and wear them with the thickest of opaque tights and sensible boots. Also make sure that you cover up on top to make up for showing a little led. Again starting with a neutral base is the key for office attire and then you can add colour as you go. With a scarf, hat, cardigan and winter layers keep accessories at a minimum – try a chunky cocktail ring instead of your usual earrings.
Casual Outfit
Take advantage of casual Friday! If jeans are acceptable wear them but try to avoid loose styles and washed out denim as these can look to casual even for casual Friday. Stick to tailored dark jeans with a classic cut. Wear a bright and trendy top and be cheeky with your accessories. Wear those plastic anchor earrings that you bought at Dangerfield or the distressed leather cuff that you love. Or you could spend a stupid amount of money on these Disney Couture Tinkerbell earrings – if only I had money to burn. Oh and always match your belt either to your shoes or your bag. Some people would disagree with me but I adore uniformity in an outfit.
And one more thing to tell you before I let you loose in the world of office style – Is it always better to be over dressed than under dressed for work.