For my entire adult life (which granted, has only been 5 years) I've worked in retail up until a few months ago. Which meant I could incorporate jeans, oversized sweaters and tees into my workwear wardrobe. Recently I moved into a work environment where I have to be dressed professionally which is quite a transition when 99% of your wardrobe is made up of colorful denim, sweaters in quirky animal prints, plaid shirts and sundresses. I've slowly been trying to build my professional wardrobe and luckily I had bought pieces before graduating college in anticipation of potential job interviews. But the question is - what do you wear for your job interview and then what do wear when you land a job where you have to be presented as a young professional but loathe the idea of typical work wear. I've found a few tips and tricks for a wardrobe that can take you from work to happy hour.
BANANA REPUBLIC DRESS AND HEELS | TIFFANY AND CO NECKLACE | MICHAEL KORS WATCH AND PURSE
CHOOSE COLOR | It's easy to navigate towards grey, black and navy but if you typically wear bright colors - you have options! I've found that many places offer work wear in corals, greens and yellow. If you feel uneasy about wearing a bright orange dress to work even throwing on a crisp white top or dress vs tan or cream can brighten up your look.
GO FOR PATTERNS | Still nervous about the color thing? You could also wear a neutral top with a pattern to break up your look. Such as a polka dot navy utility blouse tucked into a pair of work pants or a black striped dress with a blazer.
WEAR LAYERS | If I know I'm going to go out to meet friends right after work, I'll often wear the outfit I have in mind but throw a blazer or cardigan on top of my look and wear a pair of heels. In fact, I've gotten into the habit of keeping an extra blazer, cardigan and heels at work, because you know, options. (Or, I accidentally keep forgetting to take my stuff home).
ADD A SURPRISING ELEMENT | Because a little peplum or ruffle can go a long way. This dress in particular is one of my favorites because I love the fun peplum detail (and the color). Also, these pumps are my go-to pair because they are in a neutral color so they match just about everything but they also look like corkboard. And who says you can't be professional AND wear cork shoes.
Have a job interview coming up in the near future? Take a look at my suggestions on What to Wear for a Job Interview.
My roomie is working in a pretty conservative environment (in appearance), so she spent the last week shopping for a new professional wardrobe :P She typically wears neutrals, so that translated into her professional-wear :) I'm loving the bright pop of your dress though--so lively! I quite like the cork heels you linked, but I'm also liking those heels in all the other colours too haha. I hope you're having a good time at your new job! -Audrey | Brunch at Audrey's
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