Chloe Mongto from Fashion-era
I recently just started a job that is on-site five days a week. It is in a big corporate company. There are some dress codes I need to follow.
We have a business casual dress code, no crops, leggings, or shorts, which used to be my favorite outfits. However, there are still lots of options available for business casual after I start look into this category. I will showcase some of my new picks for my wardrobe as a white collar worker and how I managed to show up 5 days a week without wearing the same outfits.
Comforts Come First
While being stylish is definitely the goal, I also take the bus and will potentially walk 40 minutes to go home, therefore, I want to make sure that my outfit is not too tight or uncomfortable.
I do love wearing yoga pants but it is specifically mentioned in our dress code that we can not wear leggings. Legging was a big part of my wardrobe selection though, so I bought some new casual pants from Lululemon. This way the pants are still very comfortable. I also bought some new jeans to match up with some new T-shirts.
Oh, yes, I bought a lot of new T-shirts, too. I like T-shirts with small cute graphics. Paul Smith has some really cute ones.
Out of all my new purchase, this one is my favorite: the Dog'teryx T-shirt.
I believe Dog'teryx has more power than Arc'teryx!
Go Dog'teryx!
T-shirts with jeans are always the best choice that will never go wrong, as long as you do not wear some strange political slogan graphics ones, you can always add a little personality with the graphics.
Lululemon also has some good options for casual wear, like their high rise wide leg pants, or Tapered-Leg Mid-Rise Pants 7/8 Length
Luxtreme if you do not like wide legs.
They can both make the business casual look with a simple top like a T-shirt
The Minimalist Look
The minimalist look is one of your options, too. To me, it's just using less color but also more neutral colors that are not super bright. Although there is nothing wrong with wearing super bright color in the office, I usually prefer to stay more low key.
I like some neutral color dress from Grey State Apparel, and Aritzia. They are often very simple but well designed. Other brands I like includes JCrew, I still have their navy blue skinny pants from years ago. They are one of my favorite pants to go with any tops.
Lately I also got some pink knitted tops from Theory. Again, it is a brand that will never go wrong. I was shopping in Costco after work with my Theory blazer on, a couple actually asked me where I got them because it looks really "crips". Even though it is on a the more expensive side. I would say they totally worth the price!
How to Mix and Match
There is no way you have 365 pieces of clothes for every single day. So the solution would be mix and match them so you can do the math to maximize the number of different looks. I'm kidding!
It's inevitable to have to mix and match sometimes. So, here are some rules I came up with for mix and matching your clothes:
Match the style: business casual tops doe not go well with leggings; number jacket does go well with business pencil skirts, you get the idea. Though denim jeans tend to go well with many things, you do not want a baggie jeans to match with your formal tops.
Match the fabrics: A knitted top does not go well with a silk skirt, it just doesn't. Math the thread counts of fabrics generally work well.
Match up with the colors: The color Im mentioning here is not only how 2 pieces of clothes should match the color, Im also talking about the the color of your skin, you should find some colors of clothing that actually can brighten up your skin, and make you look brighter.
Accessorize Right
You can always elevate your office outfit with the right accessories. A simple necklace, some unique earrings, or even just a bracelet will make the whole outfit looks better. However, just like mix and matching your outfits, you always want to pick the right ones.
You do not want 5 colorful bracelets to match up with your black and white formal interview look. Or match a very vintage piece with casual T-shirt and jeans (it might work sometimes depends on your piece fo vintage jewelry.)
I always have some standard pieces of jewelry in my jewelry box to prepare for all kinds of occasions.
The most standard one I like is the hoop earring I got from Tiffany, it is very simple and elegant. This pair is not too big nor too small and really goes well with all sorts of outfits whether it's business formal or date night casual.
Sometimes though I find gold and silver pieces do not really match together. So keep an eye on that.
Madewell has many awesome accessories, especially earrings and necklaces. I think they are very unique and well-made. The only problem is that I might be allergic to them, my ear hurts after wearing them.
Claires too, though their target audiences are teenagers, they do have many cute and fun earrings for good price!
Your Office Outfit in Building
While we always want to look stylish, we want to make sure to always dress to comfort and to reflect our personalities. We are all unique and have our own preferences for colors, fabrics, and accessories, and there is not "correct" ways to dress up as long as you follow your company's dress code.
You are unique and you do not need to care about what others think about your outfits, and never let anyone to judge you, either.
