Remember last week’s skirt? Well, it’s back and styled for work this time. After all – I do practically live in business casual outfits. I’ve been working for PwC now for about a year (I believe my official 1 year work anniversary is coming up this week!) and now that I’ve been in the corporate space for a while, I’m finally feeling more comfortable expressing more of my personal style at work.
I do work in a slightly different type of career where I don’t actually go into my office every day. I work in public accounting as an external auditor, so I actually spend more time at my clients’ offices than at my own. This just means that I frequently have to switch dress codes or dress for a different location.
At first, I just wanted to wear my high waist skinny jeans with a simple work top every day. It’s my go-to look when I don’t want to put any effort into it. Now, I’m a little bored with that look, so I started to experiment.
I tried reading a lot of different blog posts where bloggers share their “work looks” but it seems like some of these girls may have been out of the 9-5 life for too long. A lot of the outfits I saw were something I would never feel comfortable wearing from too-high heels to short suits, it just wasn’t something I could ever picture someone wearing at any of my office locations. That’s part of the reason I’m so excited to begin sharing more work looks that I am actually wearing on a daily basis.
Until those workwear roundups start appearing, I hope these few tips help you get started.
Opt for Pops of Color
There is nothing I love more than a simple look with a pop of color. Ok, maybe that’s not exactly true. I love a lot of fashion things, but you can never go wrong with a pop of color.
In this look, I styled a simple black ribbed sweater skirt with my favorite button down and chose my shoes to be the pop of color. Even though the black and white is simple, the red really pops.
Try Different Silhouettes
It’s really easy to jump into a work uniform. Like I said – I tend to wear a pair of high waist pants almost every day with a slightly looser blouse. Since it’s so hot in Arizona, the very first thing I wanted to do when I started experimenting with more work looks was figure out how to weave more dresses and skirts into the mix.
Honestly, skirts and dresses are a very big part of my weekend style. I’m definitely most comfortable in a loose top paired with my trusty denim skirt or in a floral dress paired with a denim jacket. However, my skirts and dresses aren’t quite an appropriate length for the workplace.
So – I stocked up on a few printed knee length dresses that look great with my favorite heeled mules and a few loose skirts. This sweater skirt was one of those purchases. I immediately saw myself pairing it with button down blouses and solid sweaters once the temperatures start cooling down. In some time, I’ll show you the other cute skirts I got! Skirts and dresses are fun because they feel more feminine and you can find them in so many styles – loose, tight, knee-length, midi, knit, printed, solid…
So – take the time to find what defines your personal style and then figure out how to make that look work appropriate.
Mix Textures
In the past, I’ve traditionally wore cotton or satin type tops with basic black or navy slacks. One of the ways I’ve been experimenting with my work style is by mixing less common textures, like a sweater-knit skirt instead of a polished pencil skirt.
Mixing textures adds a lot more to an outfit than people would guess. Ribbed knit is my favorite texture lately, which is probably why I fell in love with this skirt at first sight.
Pick a Statement Piece
Just pick one piece you love and try styling your outfit around it. This look is a bit more minimalistic, but I really wanted these red heels to pop, which is why I picked a nice black and white look.
When I pick a patterned skirt or top, I always build the look around the loudest piece of my outfit. If loud outfits are appropriate in your workplace, go for it! But – if they’re not – just pick one statement piece and make everything else a bit more neutral.
Shop my look:
