i think it’s brave: corporate office outfit diary
a new series? maybe?
I really felt called here. I follow a lot of stylists and fashion writers on Substack, I even pay for a few, and I do so because they all have a wealth of knowledge that is actionable, versus posting what they are wearing and buying without any context. To me, it’s nice to read about how others get dressed, something I’ve struggled with on and off for as long as I can remember.
But, I haven’t seen a lot of normal girls going to work in an office. Probably because people aren’t really chasing this aesthetic. It requires sneaky bathroom selfies with severe overhead lighting, dressing for weather and commuting and stuffy clients and office AC. Work clothes are traditionally not “fun” (mostly black/white/brown/beige) and not something people really care about unless you have a cool job (which usually means you have more flexibility in what you wear). As a result of all of this, the inspiration out there is limited. See below for homogenous results from Pinterest for summer office looks:
Beyond the curated inspiration we are used to seeing, it would be helpful to see outfits from people who are actually going to a financial services/tech office multiple days a week. It’s like seeing a house with its normal clutter and personal affects: not perfect but easier to picture how it’ll look when you live there too. I kind of crave the normalcy. The mess in the background, the bad lighting, the unposed bodies. It’s so refreshing, and so I agree with Zoe when she says we need more of it.
*enter me*
I thought, wouldn’t it be cool to see these contextualized, real life “how I got dressed” logs from someone actually going to an office? Who isn’t styling or wearing outfits for a living? I haven’t seen one yet, maybe I’m looking in the wrong place, but figured I would track my own movements and see what happened!
Starting with Monday:
Sunday before bed, I stand in front of my newly-semi-organized closet. I check the weather (low 70/high 82). I decide that I will try to wear my blue skirt, red striped button down and black ballet flats to work in honor of my future kitchen.
Monday 5:45 AM. I get ready and try everything on together. I am very happy my inspiration translated from my head, this is key. The black flats are cute, but are they too severe? I try on my white mary janes, but they are not enough contrast. It feel very 4th of July. I go with the black flats, mainly because I am running out of time.
Thing I wished I had in my closet to complete this outfit? Brown ballet flats.
The genesis of Tuesday’s outfit:
Monday before bed, I check the weather (low 72/high 82, chance of rain). I pick out a black crepe slip dress, a beige blazer, a gold necklace and zebra print flats. TBD if this will feel good in the morning or if I should wear those shoes in the rain.
Tuesday 5:45 AM. It’s black outside and raining. My dress/blazer idea doesn’t look like it did in my head. Classic. I thankfully remember a pin I saved the other day: white button down, dark denim, black mary janes and a matching necklace / draped sweater pop of color. I try a belt, it looks weird. Jeans aren’t usually something people wear in my office but given the weather, I’m going to try it. Plus I don’t have time to change again.
Things I wished I had in my closet? A better fitting tan blazer (my H&M oversized one has no shape and rarely ever works. I should probably get rid of it)
Wednesday:
Tuesday night: I pick out two dress options, one long and one short, to wear with sambas tomorrow. It’s supposed to rain again so I think sneakers is the move since my flats got pretty dirty today. People wear sambas in my office quite regularly.
Wednesday morning: I am getting my period and the dress I wanted to wear was just put through the dryer by my husband, so it feels too tight to be comfortable today. The other one had a print that feels too bright for a rainy day, so I throw on my gingham maxi and a black cardigan and head out the door. No client visits today so I don’t need a spare pare of shoes!
Things I wished for while getting dressed today? Nothing :) just more sleep
Onto Thursday:
going to sleep without picking out an outfit. lol wish me luck tmrw. no rain on the report though!!!
Wake up feeling very puffy, impending flow. I pick out my green linen trousers because they’re not super tight on me, and decide I want to wear my zebra print flats, so now need to avoid skewing too safari. I add a cream top and try 5 belt options. Then I switch my earrings 3 times. I don’t love this outfit but I like it enough! Almost Friday!
Things I wanted to complete the outfit? Maybe a better layer than my jcrew scarf I wear every day, but not much else.
FriYAY!!
My WFH day! Aidan and I are heading up to our friends’ house this weekend for a little adult sleepover. This means being on the road by 6 AM. I wanted to channel
because she sent out some great tips this week and always looks so chic when going casual. I tried a white T with navy linen pants, strappy sandals and a few necklaces. Easy and comfy for the car, but cute enough when I need to get out.For the rest of the weekend I packed light-ish: my desert island black cotton maxi dress, a short white linen dress, jean shorts, 1 pair of jeans, a blue button down, a white tank, a nicer black linen top, workout clothes for walks/tennis, bathing suit and sarong, my sambas and my ancient greek sandals.
Things I learned/thought about this week:
I am not seeing clients yet, so I don’t have to skew to the higher end of business casual. That’s helping me have a little more fun with getting dressed for work since I have access to more of my closet.
I use the same bag every day for work, which I received as a gift in 2018 from my co-worker’s friend who used to work at Kate Spade. I think all of the time about getting a new work bag, but honestly? Mine is in great condition, fits everything I need, and as
wrote this week - who do I think I am?Having a watch makes me instantly feel more put together, and has significant impact when I have a more simple outfit on. Mine is Tory Burch but really, any watch that isn’t a smart one does the trick!
Taking time the night before to look through my closet means I wear more of it. That isn’t a rocket science concept but I tend to default to my regulars when I am in a rush!
Maybe the topic isn’t bravery, but the act of posting something outside of my usual realm of writing? BRAVE! Would you to see you post your corporate girlie fits in the comments too! BYE!
i love this!!! i love reading how anyone gets dressed, but especially when it’s not their main focus! tuesday and thursday outfits are my fav :)
I love this! Reality, not too much overthinking. And all good outfits. I also think the night before what to wear, sometimes with options. It helps and yet there are days it turns out in something else.