By now, you all know (well, if you’ve been around for a while) that I work full time in a corporate office for a menswear company.
I’ve been with my current company for over four years now, and I have a pretty good grasp on what is office appropriate and what is not. To give a little background, my office is a mix of those who dress super corporate (usually our Sales team) and those who dress more freely (usually our Design team).
And then we have everything in between.
I’d like to think as a Merchandiser, I’m somewhere in between. There are days when I’m in a meeting all day with an account, so naturally, I’ll put a bit more effort into my outfit. And then there are days where there’s absolutely nothing on my calendar (okay, that’s a lie, my calendar is ALWAYS full — more touch bases, not formal meetings), so I “dress down” a bit. I’m super fortunate that I get to work in a casual corporate environment. To be honest, I wouldn’t know how to dress formally. I like oversized things, so a tailored look (5 days a week) wouldn’t work for me.
Today, in partnership with Gwynnie Bee, I wanted to share a few of my tips and tricks for dressing in a casual corporate environment!
Be creative, but play it safe
If you work in a casual corporate environment, I definitely recommend playing it safe at the office — yet still show off your personal style. For me, I typically interact with the President of our company on a daily basis, so I don’t want to be looking like a slob, ya know? When I want to show off my personal style, I gravitate towards midi dresses, fun pants, sweaters, and shirt dresses. These dresses pictured above from Gwynnie Bee are a perfect example of how I can show off my personal style all while remaining pretty professional. (PS: Gwynnie Bee is THE perfect place to shop better and wear smarter. The subscription-based service is a way for you to have an unlimited wardrobe and never having to wear the same thing twice!)
Don’t forget about the temperature of your office
This was a hot topic of conversation in the office this week. How annoying is it that when you’re commuting to work when it’s 96 degrees out, yet by 11AM, you’re freeeeeeeeeeeeezing? And then it’s the opposite in winter. Freezing during the commute, and sweating in the office. In the summer, I always bring a cashmere wrap to work with me. It’s easy to take on and off And in the winter, I always wear tank tops underneath my sweaters because I BURN up pretty quickly. I’ve definitely made the mistake of not keeping in mind what the temperature of my office will be — when I’m there 8 hours a day. Major fail on my part
Take full advantage of casual Friday
Ah, there’s nothing better than Friday rolling around. When I wake up on Friday morning, there’s nothing I look forward to more than putting on a pair of skinny jeans and loafers or boyfriend jeans and heels. Again, super lucky that I work in an office that’s less formal. This adorable open cardigan-like blazer from the subscription-based service, Gwynnie Bee, is the perfect addition to my casual Friday look! It keeps my look a little more put together while I’m in the office and perfectly transitions from day to night!
When it comes to working in a corporate environment, it’s always important to be aware of where you work. The clothes you wear to work every day definitely define you as an employee, and it’s important to make sure you represent yourself well at your place of work. The tips I’ve given in this post are geared towards a more casual corporate environment, so I’d love to hear YOUR tips for your work environment — whether it’s super corporate, a start up, or you work from home!
