What to wear to work

[lafindesiecle]

Another question here, which also partially belongs in the 'what to wear in winter' thread, but my main concern is professional -- what do you ladies do when it's, as it is today, SNOWING LIKE CRAZY and freezing cold? my last offices were super casual and i'd just break out my doc martens on days like this, but here i'm a bit less childish and always in heels and it just would look ridiculous.

but after a painful sprained elbow from a stiletto-meets-blackice incident last week (SO EMBARASSING, but at least the bandage/soft cast is black and almost cool looking, HA) i think i need to compromise somehow... note that my commute inevitably involves about half a mile of walking total to and from trains etc. do you just wear snow boots and pack your heels in a bag and change once you're at the office, or just suck it up and take the risk of ruining your shoes and various body parts?

 

[ChrissyM]

^^i think go for the snow boots and pack the heels if you can..
annoying to lug those things around and not the most attractive winter look...
but it's a sacrifice that a lot of us in the northeast just have to make...

and no one will look at you strangely
they would probably look at you more strangely if you're trekking through the snow in heels

 

[Nemova]

I need help guys!

I just got a job as a Realtor's assistant and I have no idea what to wear. She says some days business casual, some days professional. I'm just struggling to find pieces that are true to my style and will work


I would really appreciate any advice, or hear from people who are in a similar line of work

The dress code where I work is business casual, but because there are boarding meetings every Monday, I try to dress formal on this particular day (even though I don't join in the meetings, there are a lot of directors passing around and I don't want to look too casual). I usually wear formal jeans, skirts in neutral colours (but there is the occasional floral skirt, for casual Fridays), tops also in neutral colours or floral patterns, flats with 1 or 2 inch heels and totes. I also wear lots of cardigans. As for the accessories, lots of scarves and simple but colourful jewellery.

 

[Nemova]

^I meant 'board meetings', not 'boarding meetings'.

 

[Nemova]

I have a question about makeup: do you think it is appropriate to wear red lipstick to work?

 

[lafindesiecle]

I have a question about makeup: do you think it is appropriate to wear red lipstick to work?

i do every day... but then again, i wear black nail polish and sky-high heels too. depends on your office environment i don't think red lipstick is especially over-the-top racy/sexy -- esp if you keep a basic eye and the rest of your look is conservative? looks very ordinary to me and can be quite 'classic.'

 

[Nemova]

^Thanks for your feedback lafindesiecle (and a big, late 'thank you' to everybody who replied to my question about peep toes, by the way). I'm definitely going to keep it all very simple, from the rest of the makeup to the clothes. I was afraid it could look too "sexy" but I love red lipsticks so much - they go really well with my complexion and they're so classic, like old Hollywood beauty.

 

[BerlinRocks]

What to wear for the first day work in an Embassy ???
... plz note that it will be warm, i think !

I was thinking of a beige pants + brown oxford + a shirt (short or long sleeves ?) ...
Do you think I need a tie ??? a blazer ???
Or is it too casual ???

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ Unfortunately I have spent extremely little time in embassies ... so speaking from complete ignorance, your outfit sounds a little casual to me.

 

[ChrissyM]

i think it also depends on which country's embassy... tough call..

i've been to the greek consulate in boston several times and the things i've seen people wearing have been very varied...
my advice is to veer on the conservative/safe side your first day, figure out the vibe then adjust accordingly

 

[BerlinRocks]

^thanks girls.

it's the french embassy ... and definitely going for the conservative outfit.
i'm kind of scared, since imo the first impression counts a lot for a first day work.

 

[lafindesiecle]

^^ this stuff is so hard for men because there are specific items that dictate how "formal" your outift is... i personally would go for the like "formal-ish secretary but still kind of chic" look -- a very well-fitting button down shirt, maybe striped or printed, a silk scarf, a pencil skirt, solid tights, and pumps. but for men you ahve to worry all that about "do i wear a jacket, do i need a tie," etc etc!! maybe start out with the more formal items, and then once you get to the office and see how everyone else is, sneak into the bathroom to remove the jacket + tie if you can

def go with long sleeves (at least in the USA short sleeves look REALLY casual), and then roll them up if it's casual. and i'd keep the pants darker -- maybe slim-fitting dark trousers, a lighter button-down shirt, and then the jacket whcih you can take off, and a tie in your bag just in case? haha.

would it be weird for you to call the office and ask about the dress code? i did that before starting at my new job, they laughed at me, but it hink appreciated the effort -- and better than shwoing up terribly underdressed!

 

[BerlinRocks]

would it be weird for you to call the office and ask about the dress code?

that's not a bad idea.
i think it's very formal !! like suits, shirts etc.
and i hate all my suits, so i need a new one - which is lame. but i've got 2 new jkts. so i either try to compose, or i'll buy a new one . i have enough access. for men (ties, bow ties, regular tie attch., a vintage pearl pin, a vintage shirt collar chaine, a vintage rolex, etc.), so on the "chic-vintage-weird-look" note, i think i can make it. it's just i'm lazy and hater of suits.

 

[lafindesiecle]

^^ yeah i hear you on that. is your job more high-ranking or lower? i find often if you are "not as important" you can get away without that jacket, but then again sometimes "dressing for the job you want to have" can help with things.... i think calling to ask if it's business casual or business formal or that like "international standard business formal attire" or whatever wouldn't hurt.

suits are awful, but i think there actually are a ton of nice ones out there, just most people who wear them happen to have terrible fashion sense and are just abiding by a dress code! so don't hate on them too much...my boyfriend hates when i see him after work in his suits because he's so used to being around me in jeans and a leather jacket but like, dayamn, he looks GREAT.

so look at it maybe as a way to invest in some really great designer pieces you'd never wear otherwise and not as a reason to be forced to dress boring i know we're all supposed to be over dior homme, but i'd sacrifice my lady-bits to be able to look that sharp in a suit! and like, vests?! and watches?! and crazy ties?! maybe i'm just way too psyched on menswear all the time, but you've actually got a lot to work with.

 

[lafindesiecle]

examples: all this stuff below could be very business-formal and is quite conservative, but still looks really fashionable and awesome and with the accessories you mentioned, doesn't necessarily have to be boring. also, like said, possibly i just love menswear too much....

paul smith, john varvatos

burberry, bottega veneta

costume national

junya watanabe!!! just dress like this ALL THE TIME and you are set to go ANYWHERE... lol.

(images all fw 2010 from gq.com)

 

[Fewormany]

I'm a teacher and I always think about what I wear to work.
I don't have to dress formal, but I don't want my clothes to distract from what I'm saying. Also I would never wear red, since I'm always distracted by it when people wear it.

 

[lightningfields]

i work at starbucks so i usually wear docs, leggings (sheer/plain black/pattern), a simple black dress and a collar shirt. i usually wear my black boyfriend blazer over it to/from work.
in reply to nemova's question, i don't see why not. i wear dark red/purple lipstick with urban decay's oil slick over top almost everyday.

 

[GreatOrion]

I dress totally different for work than normal. For work i mostly wear dark coloured shirts or - during the colder part of the year - roll necks togerther with black pants.

 

[justlooking]

Can anyone recommend where to get a nice suit jacket from?
I want either this or something just like it:

zimbio

I have a shorter torso but am not that slim hipped so i need a jacket in the above shape (pretending that it's not a box cut and actually fits her at the waist, the way she's wearing it) with the same narrow arms

I guess i'm looking for a shrunken fitted blazer.

 

[fashionista-ta]

My jackets (for interviewing and serious meetings) are from Nordstrom and Anthropologie. Not sure where you are ...

PS As far as red lipstick, it would never occur to me not to wear it to work But I wouldn't wear it to an interview. I do sometimes wear a fairly intense pink with aforementioned jackets ... if I'm wearing all black, I'm very fair and it can wash me out, so I try to do something about that with my makeup.

The only thing that gets something pulled out of the work rotation is either a) an obvious evening fabric or b) excess cleavage. It can be hard to judge with something new exactly how much cleavage there's going to be ... on those days I seem to get excess visits from male colleagues