In this series, we discuss office wear and try to give ideas for ideal and great office wear.
'What to wear to work' does not need to be a tough question any longer.
Follow certain rules, get your basics right, and enjoy dressing up for work and you will feel more confident to take on the long day ahead.
Dressing smartly at work is important -- one, because you want to make a good impression and two, your clothes reflect a lot.Work wear doesn't need to be boring and drab, and it certainly does not mean you cannot have fun with clothes.Whether your work place has a strict dress code or a relaxed policy, all you need to do is identify what you like and buy clothing items accordingly to get a work wardrobe that you will love.
Some questions that may help you with this are listed below.
Is your style classic or trendy?
If you like the former, your work wardrobe will include mulitple whites, greys, blacks, navys, classic button downs, oxford shirts, skirts, trousers. You wouldn't have much difficulty putting together an outfit.
If you are more of a trend follower, you will have printed tops, patterned dresses, the latest must-have pieces of every season. Mix and match to get a work appropriate look.
Are you a skirt or a trouser girl?
What do you think flatters you more .. skirts or pants?
If you thinks skirts suit you more, you can choose from pencil skirts,pleated skirts,classic A-line skirts,shift dresses,sheath dresses.. the options are endless.
If you think you look better in trousers, don't think the options are limited .. you have classic slim ankle length pants,wide-leg trousers, cropped trousers, printed / patterned trousers and what not. And, there is a way you can include these in a proper work outfit; just a little creativity is required.
Are kurtas your thing?
Chuck the skirts and dresses, are you more comfortable in traditional Indian wear? Don't worry, there is a huge variety of traditional kurtas available that you can wear to work. The key here is the fabric. It has to be something that gives the garment more structure, like cotton, or silk, or linen .. flowy fabrics like crepe or jersey are not good options for
work wear kurtas. The other important thing is cuts .. clean cuts (A-line, straight-cut) strong necklines (raised collar, chinese collar,button-down, V-neck) give a more corporate look. No one wants to see you channel your inner Bollywood diva with weird necklines or cuts(think anarkalis) and doris at front or back. Also, no embellishments or bling. The Manish Malhotra'ish clothes are for parties .. not office!
If you love saris and do not mind them wearing to work, chose them wisely. Cottons and printed silks are your best bet.
Are you a heels or a flat person?
The good news is, you can be either.
If you like flats, choose from a variety of sandals and ballet flats.
If you love heels, go for it .. pumps, peep-toes, T-strap..whatever works for you. Avoid flashy stilletos though!
The general rules when it comes to office wear shoes are:
- Don't wear heels higher than what you can comfortably walk in. Your new 5-inch pumps might be gorgeous, but don't wear them to work if you fear you will fall over in them. Ideal heels are 2 -3.5 inches.
- Closed toe shoes are most ideal, be it flats or heels. Some work places have a strict no-open-toe-shoe policy. If your work place has a flexible policy, you can go for peep-toes or open-toe sandals. However, do not wear anything that shoes too much of your toes, thong sandals for example.
- No shimmery, shiny, heavily embellished shoes.. you have no reason to wear that to office, except for some costume day at work.
- NO FLIP FLOPS - EVER , OR SNEAKERS! Yes, it is in ALL CAPS .. because that's how big of a no-no it is.
I cringe every time I walk into a corporate office (especially in India) and see people wearing flip-flops, slip-on sandals and sneakers to work.
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