You may enjoy dressing up everyday, or want to present yourself in a more professional light, but your office is very casual. You are afraid that you will stand out if you’re “overdressed” in this environment. For those who have never worked in a truly casual office, this may be hard to comprehend. Just as an office full of suits can be intimidating, you can feel uncomfortable dressed for success when you’re surrounded by blue jean clad, flip flop wearing coworkers. There are ways to fit into the corporate culture and still rise above wearing Uggs to the office.
Trouser style denim, wrap dresses, and printed full skirts lean toward casual but can also be very sophisticated. It’s all about the styling. The following two outfits highlight the casual side of business casual. They are also great suggestions for Casual Friday dressing. You don’t always have to wear 5-pocket denim.
In the first outfit, we found two solid alternatives to traditional denim. As mentioned above, trouser styling is one option. Additionally you can try a pleated denim skirt. Tuck a basic t-shirt into a belted bottom and then layer on a fleece cropped blazer. This look is a little dark so we added a bright coral statement necklace to pop the outfit around your face. For a more casual feel select flats as opposed to heels. Here are links to these products which were found at Dillard’s, New York & Company, Gap and Piperlime:
Calvin Klein Jeans
New York & Company Women’s Blue City Style Ribbon Trim Denim Skirt
Gap Button cuff roll-up T
Fossil Suede Belt
Marc by Marc Jacobs Roxie Knit Tux Blazer
New York & Company Women’s Pink Triple Strand Flower Necklace
This punchy pink shirtdress is yet another alternative. We piled on some bangles and more casual accessories like a loose tie dye scarf. We also went with a casual alternative to a tote bag, and selected a fringe cross-body or messenger style. The outfit is completed with a low heel, wrapped peep toe style wedge. We shopped this outfit from Dillard’s and The Limited. Follow the links below to recreate the Workchic look.
Side Tie Shirtdress
Tie Dye Scarf
Matte and Shine Bauble Bracelet
Joe’s Jeans “Giselle” Cross-Body Bag
Antonio Melani “Keira”
Delicate Drop Earrings
Either of these suggestions should have you feeling like a confident professional while still fitting into the casual atmosphere of your office. We’d love to hear how you merge the dress codes in your office to create your own sense of casual yet professional style. Remember whenever you need that extra polished feel- grab a blazer to compliment your look. You can also turn to our outfit suggestions for the perfect solution to dressing Workchic in a casual office.
