Do you work in an office? Dressing for work can be quite a challenge. Sometimes it’s hard to know what’s appropriate on the job and what isn’t. What’s right in one office may not work well in another. Ranging from ultra-conservative to very casual, acceptable office dressing depends on your company’s culture and where you live. It’s a mine field out there, but you can successfully get through it by taking some easy steps.
Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: 30 minutes
Here's How:
- Safety first! Don’t wear anything to the office that could trip you up. Save the stilettos for an evening out. Petites can add needed height with high heels, so wear shoes with heel styles that you can walk in without looking as though you’re doing a balancing act.
- Don’t forget about what lies beneath! To prevent sagging and give support, wear undergarments that will do the trick. Shapewear can be great for giving you a smooth line, especially if you’re wearing knits. After you dress for work, always check to make sure that undergarments aren’t showing.
- Survey your environment, especially if you’re new on the job. Take your cue from other women employees. Observe what the most successful women are wearing, and listen in at the water cooler for comments about what people in the office are wearing. Being known as a team player is very important in most businesses, so fitting in with others on the team is crucial. Wearing the same type of clothing is one way of letting them know that you’re on the team.
- Keep the emphasis on the tasks at hand. You want to be known for your great work, not for your body. So no matter whether you’re working in a very casual or very formal office, go to work covered. Below-the-knee skirts, no visible cleavage, covered arms, stockings, and even covered toes are appropriate for ultra-conservative offices. A suit or a dress with a jacket is a good choice to wear in a formal office. If the atmosphere is more casual, coordinated outfits work well. Short sleeves are OK in a casual work setting. For the casual office, you can skip the stockings and wear sandals in warm weather.
- What about pants? It’s been years since pants were only for men. Pantsuits are fine, even in a formal office. Other pant outfits work well in the casual office where you can pair them with a shell or blouse and jacket, sweater, or sweater set. If you like sweaters, avoid bulky knits. This can be too much on a small petite frame. Opt for thinner sweaters, which you can layer, instead.
- In ultra-casual offices, even T-shirts and jeans may be acceptable. Just remember to reflect the office culture. If the boss is wearing a Mickey Mouse T-shirt and nobody thinks it’s odd, it’s OK for you to do the same. The same goes for wearing jeans. Don’t wear ripped or slashed jeans though, even if others do. And go for the dark denim, rather than the lighter or washed denim. Dark denim and straight legs on jeans give petites a longer, leaner appearance.
- Accessorize with jewelry and a good handbag, but save the sparkle for evenings out. You don’t want to look like a Christmas tree! Keep jewelry proportional to your small stature – very large or chunky pieces may seem overwhelming on petites.
- Remember the company culture rule? Well, there are always exceptions to every rule! In case you work in an office where others don’t have very good judgment about work-appropriate attire, don’t imitate them. Simply stick to wearing clothing that’s suitable for an office. No matter what, never show up for work in any of these:
- Clothes you can see through
- Dirty clothing
- Too-tight clothing
- Sweats
- Mini-skirt
- Leather pants or skirt
- Club wear
- Summer shorts
- Beach wear
- Anything with cutouts
- T-shirt with profanity on it
- T-shirts with offensive words or images
- Satin pants, skirt, or jacket
