Dressing For The Office

This past weekend, my mom, aunt and myself went shopping to help start me off on the right professional attire foot. As I have one semester left of college, and have internships and interviews – I needed to begin investing in career pieces for my closet. One thing I’ve noticed is that there are a lot of people who really don’t dress for success in the office- so to help all of us ladies out, I’ve put together a few tips for keeping it classy, and appropriate, at the office.

1. If we can see your undergarments (bra straps, underwear lines, bra color etc.) you’re not doing it right. We have absolutely NO interest in any of those items and they should not be seen in the office! No one cares if you have a lace thong on, or a pink pair of cheeky underwear on. No one cares if your bra is hot pink or black lace, so stop trying to show them off. Got it? Good.

2. If you wear it when you go out at night, you probably shouldn’t be wearing it to the office. Clothes that are too tight, too low cut, or anything of that nature, have no place in the office. None. Not even a little. Also, pick shoes you can actually walk and stand in.

3. Skirt and dress hems should be at least below your fingertips. Really, closer to the knee is more appropriate. Save your mini skirts for your own time. Also, putting on a pair of tights doesn’t make it appropriate to wear a short skirt- whomever told you this was wrong and should be punished.

4. Dress for the job you want, not the job you have. So you want to be a CEO one day? Why are you dressing like you’re still in college where leggings were your go to? On that note- leggings are BANNED from the office to wear as pants! Under a skirt or dress? No problem. As pants (which, by the way, they’re not pants)- Don’t even think about it!

5. It’s all about the fit. Sometimes the clothes off the rack may need to be altered just slightly to get the perfect fit, because we aren’t the 5’10” perfectly slim model they were built for (okay, well, I’m not- you might be.) Take the time to make sure your clothes fit you properly and get them tailored if need be, when they fit properly they will look 100 times better on you.

6. Show your boss you care about your appearance, because they will see how much you care about not only that, but also your job! Iron or steam your clothes, make sure you look put together (hair done, under eye cream applied, a touch of makeup.) Little things go a long way- so make the effort.

7. Dress to your job environment. Not all offices are as strict, and not all offices are as casual as you may want. For the interview, always dress a little more formal then you think. Once you land the job you can see how your office dresses and adapt. However, always keep in mind to dress for the job you want.

Below are some of my picks and must-haves for a professional wardrobe:

Suites & Blazers:

Blouses & Shirts:

Skirts & Dresses:

Jackets, Coats, Accessories & Shoes: