How to Build a Work Wardrobe?
26 Aug 2024
There may seem to be no problems with the office closet: it is enough to buy two suits and change them. Many people are sure that at work you should think about work and not about fashion. This is certainly true, but do not forget that people make an impression on us not only by the number of reports turned in, but also by our appearance. Is it necessary to look ultra-fashionable and implement all the new trends in the image? Of course not. But it is very important to dress up-to-date.
Often, strict rules about how an employee should look in the office are found in departments that have constant contact with clients. But even if you sit in an office and only leave the room for coffee and lunch, you still shouldn't dress in the wrong way. First of all, because your appearance affects both your mood and your colleagues' attitude towards you.
Each company has its dress code: sometimes it implies white shirts, ties, and tights even in 30+ degrees, sometimes - a non-strict style within the framework of office clothes, and sometimes just limited to the limits of decency. But even in the latter case, deep necklines, low-cut ultramini, and T-shirts with provocative inscriptions are not suitable for a work wardrobe.
In any case, it's important to research the dress code - you can check with your supervisor or human resources staff. Now that you're aware of your company's rules (although we certainly hope you knew them before our advice), take a look at what you already have. It's important to make sure the clothes look modern and the silhouettes are current. Today, fitted short jackets, tight shirts, tight pencil skirts or chinos no longer look modern. You don't need to buy oversize right away, but it's important to change outdated clothes for suitable ones. After all, the ability to catch changes and feel them can still say something about your working style: learning something new and being able to adapt it to you is a very useful skill.
After that, you can make a work wardrobe: you know what you have and what you lack. Make a list and go to the stores. And not always things in the style of Officor are actually suitable for the office: they can be only inspired by it, but do not fit into the dress code at all. Take at least the popular for a couple of seasons minis in the form of cropped men's pants with protruding pocket lining. In order not to panic, it is worth looking for things on your list in advance. This can be done on the sites of stores - there you can often specify in which branch there is the size you need. Pay attention to the composition of the clothes - you need blended natural materials that will provide comfort for the whole working day.
If you have doubts about the purchase, but rather like the item, buy it, but do not cut the price tag: at home, you will be able to try on the model with other things and understand whether it fits into your closet or not. If you decide that the purchase still does not suit you, just turn it in the store - you have several days to do this (but it is very important not to wear and wash the thing, as well as leave all the internal labels).
Stylists recommend assembling a capsule according to this simple rule: there should be more tops than bottoms. By the way, it reflects a bit of psychology: we often feel that the images are different when we leave the same bottom, but change the top (but the opposite rarely works). So it is quite possible to limit yourself to one skirt and two pants (or vice versa), but choosing two shirts and one jacket will not be the best solution.
If the company does not force you to wear a uniform and only it, be sure to add something of your own to the image. In no case ignore your desires, at least within the limits of what is allowed. You can express yourself in the colors of suits and cuts of shirts, shapes of bags and shoes. For example, you can wear a skirt with strict loafers, and you can - with tube boots, and the images will turn out completely different. Also, you can try to add jewelry: they help to complete the bow and express yourself.
Often, strict rules about how an employee should look in the office are found in departments that have constant contact with clients. But even if you sit in an office and only leave the room for coffee and lunch, you still shouldn't dress in the wrong way. First of all, because your appearance affects both your mood and your colleagues' attitude towards you.
Each company has its dress code: sometimes it implies white shirts, ties, and tights even in 30+ degrees, sometimes - a non-strict style within the framework of office clothes, and sometimes just limited to the limits of decency. But even in the latter case, deep necklines, low-cut ultramini, and T-shirts with provocative inscriptions are not suitable for a work wardrobe.
In any case, it's important to research the dress code - you can check with your supervisor or human resources staff. Now that you're aware of your company's rules (although we certainly hope you knew them before our advice), take a look at what you already have. It's important to make sure the clothes look modern and the silhouettes are current. Today, fitted short jackets, tight shirts, tight pencil skirts or chinos no longer look modern. You don't need to buy oversize right away, but it's important to change outdated clothes for suitable ones. After all, the ability to catch changes and feel them can still say something about your working style: learning something new and being able to adapt it to you is a very useful skill.
After that, you can make a work wardrobe: you know what you have and what you lack. Make a list and go to the stores. And not always things in the style of Officor are actually suitable for the office: they can be only inspired by it, but do not fit into the dress code at all. Take at least the popular for a couple of seasons minis in the form of cropped men's pants with protruding pocket lining. In order not to panic, it is worth looking for things on your list in advance. This can be done on the sites of stores - there you can often specify in which branch there is the size you need. Pay attention to the composition of the clothes - you need blended natural materials that will provide comfort for the whole working day.
If you have doubts about the purchase, but rather like the item, buy it, but do not cut the price tag: at home, you will be able to try on the model with other things and understand whether it fits into your closet or not. If you decide that the purchase still does not suit you, just turn it in the store - you have several days to do this (but it is very important not to wear and wash the thing, as well as leave all the internal labels).
Stylists recommend assembling a capsule according to this simple rule: there should be more tops than bottoms. By the way, it reflects a bit of psychology: we often feel that the images are different when we leave the same bottom, but change the top (but the opposite rarely works). So it is quite possible to limit yourself to one skirt and two pants (or vice versa), but choosing two shirts and one jacket will not be the best solution.
If the company does not force you to wear a uniform and only it, be sure to add something of your own to the image. In no case ignore your desires, at least within the limits of what is allowed. You can express yourself in the colors of suits and cuts of shirts, shapes of bags and shoes. For example, you can wear a skirt with strict loafers, and you can - with tube boots, and the images will turn out completely different. Also, you can try to add jewelry: they help to complete the bow and express yourself.
How to Create a Work Capsule Wardrobe for All Seasons?
The fact that we all spend most of our time at work is no secret, and that's why clothes acceptable for office everyday life make up a large part of a working woman's closet. However, for all its prosaic nature, the topic of office closets remains an unsolved quest for a huge number of women, and in the list of questions that I receive, the question “how to dress for the office” is definitely in the top three.
How to dress for the office? The answer to this question is as endless as the number of different offices across the cities and towns of our country. If 30 years ago the office closet was very strictly limited by business etiquette, then today the development of technology and the general trend for relaxation made following this etiquette in most cases optional. Of course, there are some areas where a strict dress code is still appropriate, but in general, the requirements for a working closet are very diverse.
CLASSIC BUSINESS CLOSET
In the fashion industry, there is a term - LFAP - law, finance, administration, politics - these are the spheres in which a very strict dress code is still relevant.
The roots of this phenomenon lie in emancipation: originally all these spheres were male, and women slowly won the right to work in them on an equal footing with men. Actually, the classic business style in women's closets is in fact a direct borrowing from men's closets, and consists of a very limited number of items of structural cut:
· A two-piece suit (trousers or with a skirt );
· Shirt-cut blouses (with a man's collar, V-neck, or stand-up collar);
· Simple tops ;
· A plain dress with a simple cut;
· Classic shoes on a stable heel (no higher than 5 cm and no lower than 3 cm, for meetings and business events you can wear shoes with a heel of 7 cm, anything higher - for parties and other non-business occasions).
This set is complemented with a classic watch, delicate jewelry, flesh-colored stockings, neat styling, and low makeup - this is the basic image in the classic business sense.
Status in the classic women's business closet is emphasized in the same way as in the classic men's closet: the higher your level and income, the better suits and more precise their cut, the more expensive watches and jewelry, and synthetic tops and blouses are forever replaced by silk and Egyptian cotton. The framework remains the execution changes.
Ruches, lace, bows, bright and variegated prints, bright colors, complex asymmetrical cuts, transparent fabrics, flying skirts, any knitwear, large jewelry, mini and maxi length, and shoes on high stilettos in the classic business image are inadmissible.
How to dress for the office? The answer to this question is as endless as the number of different offices across the cities and towns of our country. If 30 years ago the office closet was very strictly limited by business etiquette, then today the development of technology and the general trend for relaxation made following this etiquette in most cases optional. Of course, there are some areas where a strict dress code is still appropriate, but in general, the requirements for a working closet are very diverse.
CLASSIC BUSINESS CLOSET
In the fashion industry, there is a term - LFAP - law, finance, administration, politics - these are the spheres in which a very strict dress code is still relevant.
The roots of this phenomenon lie in emancipation: originally all these spheres were male, and women slowly won the right to work in them on an equal footing with men. Actually, the classic business style in women's closets is in fact a direct borrowing from men's closets, and consists of a very limited number of items of structural cut:
· A two-piece suit (trousers or with a skirt );
· Shirt-cut blouses (with a man's collar, V-neck, or stand-up collar);
· Simple tops ;
· A plain dress with a simple cut;
· Classic shoes on a stable heel (no higher than 5 cm and no lower than 3 cm, for meetings and business events you can wear shoes with a heel of 7 cm, anything higher - for parties and other non-business occasions).
This set is complemented with a classic watch, delicate jewelry, flesh-colored stockings, neat styling, and low makeup - this is the basic image in the classic business sense.
Status in the classic women's business closet is emphasized in the same way as in the classic men's closet: the higher your level and income, the better suits and more precise their cut, the more expensive watches and jewelry, and synthetic tops and blouses are forever replaced by silk and Egyptian cotton. The framework remains the execution changes.
Ruches, lace, bows, bright and variegated prints, bright colors, complex asymmetrical cuts, transparent fabrics, flying skirts, any knitwear, large jewelry, mini and maxi length, and shoes on high stilettos in the classic business image are inadmissible.
DRESS CODE AND INDIVIDUALITY
I often hear the question - “how can I show my individuality while staying within the dress code?”.
Frankly speaking, the honest answer to this question is that you can't. The dress code is designed to hide your individuality behind a professional image. Companies develop dress codes to ensure that their employees broadcast the company's values with their appearance, not their own.
A dress code is like a costume for the role you wear when you reincarnate as an employee and professional, and not all employers are accepting of unsexy performance. Imagine being in a hospital and a nurse walks into your room wearing a leopard-printed robe with a colorful applique and says “Don't worry, everything is sterile, I just wanted to show my personality!” She may be a super professional, but you will be suspicious of the syringe in her hands.
Even if you work where there are no uniforms, your clothes are your working tools and should be perceived accordingly. You can show your individuality either in your free time or with the items you take off when you come to work: for example, brightly colored overcoats that go well with a neutral base of suits and work dresses, or accent shoes.
CASUAL BUSINESS
The more formal the office environment, the fewer liberties are allowed and the more of your work closet will consist of structured pieces (jackets, blouses, flats, straight skirts, and pants). The more relaxed and democratic the environment, the greater the variety is acceptable - it is lace tops, bright colors, prints, and so on.
However, it is still important to realize that the framework of the profession imposes its limitations. For example, a psychologist can afford soft, flowing fabrics, and knitted cardigans - this creates a soft, trustworthy image (a psychologist in a strict suit and shirt, buttoned under the collar on all buttons will be perceived as aggressive and too formal). A customer service manager, for example, in the same combination may be perceived as too relaxed, which will raise doubts about his professionalism.
I often hear the question - “how can I show my individuality while staying within the dress code?”.
Frankly speaking, the honest answer to this question is that you can't. The dress code is designed to hide your individuality behind a professional image. Companies develop dress codes to ensure that their employees broadcast the company's values with their appearance, not their own.
A dress code is like a costume for the role you wear when you reincarnate as an employee and professional, and not all employers are accepting of unsexy performance. Imagine being in a hospital and a nurse walks into your room wearing a leopard-printed robe with a colorful applique and says “Don't worry, everything is sterile, I just wanted to show my personality!” She may be a super professional, but you will be suspicious of the syringe in her hands.
Even if you work where there are no uniforms, your clothes are your working tools and should be perceived accordingly. You can show your individuality either in your free time or with the items you take off when you come to work: for example, brightly colored overcoats that go well with a neutral base of suits and work dresses, or accent shoes.
CASUAL BUSINESS
The more formal the office environment, the fewer liberties are allowed and the more of your work closet will consist of structured pieces (jackets, blouses, flats, straight skirts, and pants). The more relaxed and democratic the environment, the greater the variety is acceptable - it is lace tops, bright colors, prints, and so on.
However, it is still important to realize that the framework of the profession imposes its limitations. For example, a psychologist can afford soft, flowing fabrics, and knitted cardigans - this creates a soft, trustworthy image (a psychologist in a strict suit and shirt, buttoned under the collar on all buttons will be perceived as aggressive and too formal). A customer service manager, for example, in the same combination may be perceived as too relaxed, which will raise doubts about his professionalism.
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