133/ A Flexible Guide To Injecting Colour Into (Realistic) Corporate Outfits
Using 10 outfits to illustrate.
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Dear readers,
Across Substack, I’ve been noticing comments from women seeking advice on how to dress for the formal office, so a few weeks ago I started a chat asking how I could help:
The responses touched on a wide range of issues and themes, and over the next few months, I’ll address them in AMA and styling newsletters.
Today’s edition is a flexible guide to creatively injecting colour into your corporate outfits using 10 looks to illustrate. I emphasize “flexible” because you don’t need to have my exact pieces to make use of this guide. The outfits are comprised of pieces you probably already have kicking around in your wardrobe, and if not, you can substitute in something you already own. And if you do need to add pieces, I’ve provided guidance on what to look for.
Here are some of the questions and comments I will address in this newsletter:
Q: “I would love your take on colour in the office, Irene! I see so much white and black, because I think that’s what’s offered in stores for that type of clothing, it’s hard to pull off more color especially in winter!”
A: You’re in luck! I was planning to do a fall version of my Ring 3 newsletter, but decided to apply the concepts specifically to corporate outfits. I’ll be referencing many of the concepts in that newsletter, so please have a read:
Q: “A lot of advice or full outfits online include sunglasses or coats or bags, which aren’t practical in an office. So you lose ways to make things feel interesting? If that makes sense?”
A: That totally makes sense. This summer,
asked me a question about summer dressing that’s analogous to a common issue when getting dressed for the corporate office: “how to add visual interest toI answered that people often own a few signature — usually basic — summer [corporate] items. “If that’s enough for you, then great! But if you want to level up the visual interest, my approach is to add individual pieces that are interesting enough to stand on their own. Fewer pieces on the body means those pieces need to do more heavy lifting. The biggest impact will be from adding pieces with impactful shapes and lines whether in the neckline, sleeve, body or leg. Secondarily, you can achieve interest through texture, colour, etc… Bonus if the piece can also be worn year-around. Pair the elevated piece with a basic, or wear them with each other, which is often where the unexpected magic happens.”
For fall [corporate] outfits, I would also add to that list: layering.
Q: “How to style sweaters for work in a way that isn’t just pants/jeans, sweater, boots. Two months into a LONG Ohio winter I get sooo bored.”
A: You’re right on both counts. If you’re not wearing a dress, every outfit you put on will be some combination of top, bottom and shoe, and that can get boring fast! It comes down selecting pieces 1) in a range of impactful shapes, and 2) varying colours and textures, and then styling them with basics, with each other, and/or 3) layer them on top of each other. I will illustrate how to do that in this newsletter!
Q: “I would love some guidance on this topic of workwear for conservative offices. How to look polished, sophisticated, yet not boring, predictable.”
A: I’m hoping this newsletter does that for you! And, there’s more to come in the coming months…
Q: “I often look at pics on Instagram of amazing outfits and think, ‘there is no way she had to sit in a car for an hour or walk up and down stairs for the train.’”
A: If you need more evidence that social media isn’t real life, just look at the outfits on Instagram that are supposedly being worn to work…and then have a good chuckle.
In all my outfits, comfort is Queen. They’re also realistic for a formal office. As I wrote in last fall’s corporate edit, an outfit needs to tick all the boxes of what I associate with formal office wear, namely: