Monday, October 17, 2016

what to wear to work

Image via Memorandum

When I moved to NJ, I noticed that my work wardrobe changed almost immediately. Part of it, I'm sure, is because I'm a lot happier living here. And I think the other half is that I actually wanted to look nice when I walked into my office. I'm not saying that I looked like a slob previously, but I definitely wasn't putting in the same amount of effort.

And ever since that started, I'm constantly looking for work-appropriate clothing when I'm shopping. I work in a pretty casual office so there are some things that I can definitely get away with that definitely would not be OK in a corporate office. I have a few rules and tips that I wanted to share with you that I think apply to any office or work place.

1. If your shoe makes a sound when you walk, don't wear it. Aka, it's never acceptable to wear any style or height of flip flops to work.

2. A top that shows cleavage should be worn for weekends and nights out. Really low-cut tops or v-necks are really inappropriate for desk life. If you really want to wear it, I highly suggest wearing it with a cami underneath.

3. If the top is so sheer that you can see your bra, rule #2 applies here. Again, wearing a cami underneath makes it much more acceptable to wear. Or save it for happy hour.

4. Don't wear a skirt or dress that you're worried is too short. I've learned that if I'm worried that it's too short, it most likely is. Remember that rule in Catholic school about whether or not your skirt reached the end of your fingertips? Yeah, that applies for the work place, too.

5. Your shirt or blouse needs to cover your behind if you're wearing leggings. I'm a firm believer that you can make leggings work as pants. But that's only if your top covers your bum. If not, leave those leggings for the gym.

6. Cover up those bra straps! Please, please, please don't let your bra straps show. If you don't have a strapless bra to wear or can't tuck them in, wear a cardigan or a button-up. Or don't wear that outfit at all and save it for another day.

7. If worse comes to worse, it's always better to be overdressed than underdressed. And you know what? Being overdressed and looking polished often means that more people will take you seriously.

There aren't really any hard set rules since those who work in a conservative setting or creative space will have standards that differ. These just happen to be my top 7 rules that I always keep in mind when shopping and getting dressed in the morning. And since we're talking about shopping, I also wanted to share my top five favorite places to buy work clothing!

Ann Taylor & Loft


ASOS


Banana Republic


J. Crew


Nordstrom

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