💼 How to Dress for Your Personal Style at Work
What you will learn today…
💉 3 ways to inject personality into your office outfit
👩💼 How to find the perfect blouse for your body type
👚 Look-book: A work-appropriate blouse for each of the style roots
3 ways to inject personality into an office outfit
1.Add a patterned shoe, belt, or handbag
In the workplace, playing with pattern and colour can be difficult. Depending on how strict your office is, you might not have the option of wearing your favourite sparkly dress or bright jumpers. Accessories are often the perfect way to incorporate a touch of your personality without getting a telling off
For example…
🌸 Flower - floral print, polka dots, gingham (think Cath kidston)
🔥 Fire - animal print
☀️ Sun - stripes
2. Add an unexpected texture to your trousers
Textures and fabrics are such a simple way to convey your style story in your outfits. When you are in an office environment where almost everyone is dressed the same, something as simple as texture says a lot about your style
For example…
🌱 Earth - linen, corduroy
🗻 Mountain - silk
🪨 Stone - leather
Add a colourful blazer
In the office, your colours don’t have to be bright or crazy to make a statement. In a world where everyone is wearing black, your deep plum can say a lot. You don’t need to wear bright red, neon green or hot pink to look individual.
For example
🌑 Moon - deep red, charcoal grey, forest green
🍄 Mushroom - camel, navy blue, white/cream
🌸 Flower - nude pink, soft pastel blue, peach
How to find the perfect blouse for your body type
I know many of us have come to dread the pencil skirt + stilettos + blouse formula. For so many of us, a tight skirt, pointy shoes and stiff shirt feels stuffy and doesn’t show off our best features. As they say, Rome wasn’t build in a day, so let’s start with the most important element: the blouse.
When looking at a shirt the two most important factors are width and shape.
If you have a wide frame, look for…
Baggy, oversized
Draped
Open
If you have a narrow frame, look for…
Closed necklines
Cinched
Fitted
If you have a round, soft frame, look for…
Open neckline
Silk, sheer or light fabrics
Round sleeves
Rolled up sleeves
Can create a round shape when tucked at waist
If you have a straight, sharp frame, look for…
Sharp collars
Closed necklines
Straight shape
Crisp fabrics
What if you’re narrow and rounded?
Look for a slightly open neckline, but not wide neckline. The blouse should be otherwise fitted, cinched at the waist (e.g. tucked in) and have a soft, light fabric. Regarding collars, you might look for a small, rounded collar like a Peter Pan collar, a grandad collar (collarless) or a ruffled collar.
What if you’re wide and rounded?
Focus on open necklines and blouses with a relaxed feel, ensure to tuck at the waist and have a soft draped fabric which clings to the curve. For collars, avoid stiff points, and focus on large slightly soft shapes which reach towards the shoulders.
What if you are narrow and straight?
Look for closed or close necklines, stiff fabrics and straight lines. The blouse does not necessarily have to be tucked at the waist. For collars, try either a neat grandad collar or a stiff, pointed collar.
What if you are wide and straight?
Look for open necklines, with large collars. Oversized and draped styles are complementary. Asymmetric tucks can be flattering.
WEEKLY CURATION
💼 YouTube - 51 Work Outfits from Scratch by The Lifestyle Cog | Jashan creates a work-focused capsule wardrobe based on her colour season which creates over 50 outfits.
🐈 App - Vogue Runway | I do not consider myself a fashion girly by any means - I have very little knowledge of designers, I have no intention of purchasing designer items any time soon, and I am no artist. However, thanks to this app I am engaging with this year’s fashion week enthusiastically for the first time. It works like pinterest: you can group pictures of outfits from the latest catwalks and ‘pin’ them for you to reference. This is such a great way to make fashion more accessible.
👜 Instagram - Chloe’s 2024 collection | As I just mentioned, I am not someone who is well-versed in the designer fashion circuit. However, when I saw the pictures from the Chloe 2024 ready-to-wear collection I fell head over heels. I love the earthiness combined with delicate, intricate pieces - as someone with earth and flower style roots it was right up my street.
🚪 YouTube - my wardrobe was damaging my mental health by Caitydidnt | This is such a well-made video on how to restart your personal style by starting with your wardrobe. I particularly liked Caity’s method of writing a list of items you would like to have and checking off what you already have.
New Uploads:
📕 YouTube - My Closet Was Getting Out of Control… | AB Editing System | I break down Allison Bornstein’s AB Closet Editing System and how I applied it to my own wardrobe
👟 Reel - Why “comfy” doesn’t have to mean “messy” | I know so many of us have our comfiest clothes as our worst or ugliest clothes. You deserve to give yourself better!
🥾 Reel - Why you should embrace function-first dressing | It is so important to me to share the message that your wardrobe should be full of the clothes you wear. If you are outside all day for work, then find outdoor clothes in your colours, with patterns you love and that somewhat have a silhouette you enjoy - there’s no point buying dresses you love but don’t wear
🌈 Reel - How to actually dress for your colour season | This a simple outfit formula for creating an outfit based on your colour season
Thank you for reading this week’s newsletter. I post every Friday at 4pm. I am on a mission to make this the best style newsletter in the world, but I need your help. If you have enjoyed today’s newsletter, please share a link with a friend you think might like it too!
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