The most important thing first: Which clothing suits your job depends on the dress code that prevails in your company. It can be called either ‘Business Casual’ or ‘Business Formal’. In many jobs there is no fixed dress code. You can decide for yourself how to dress for the office. However, there are a few unwritten laws regarding office clothing. We’ll tell you what the dos and don’ts of office fashion are.
The ‘Business Formal’ dress code prevails in many sectors such as banking. The job outfit should be as elegant and serious as possible. Office looks with a knee-length dress, blouse-skirt combination, costume or trouser suit with blouse and chic business shoes match the dress code. These are very classic, they look classy and can be combined great. There are also flat business shoes that match the ‘Business Formal Dresscode’. These include lacquer lace-ups ( available here at Amazon ) or leather loafers.
What does ‘business casual’ mean?
If the dress code is ‘business casual’, the office fashion may be more casual. But that doesn’t mean that worn jeans and worn-out sneakers have free entry to the office – the look has to be chic anyway. Make sure that your outfit looks neat. Wrinkles, stains or moth holes are real no-gos.
Tip: If you are unsure about your dress code in the company on your first day in your new job, you can ask the secretary, for example. So you play it safe!
What to wear in the office? Business looks for re-styling
You think business looks are always plain and boring? Then click through the gallery! We have collected the most beautiful office outfits for fashion bloggers in it.
Business casual: Which clothes are suitable for the office?
While the business formal dress code is quite clear and easy to understand, the business casual dress code looks a bit spongier. Are jeans ok? And if so, can there be holes in it? How long does the skirt have to be and what about sneakers in the office? For clarity, we go through the parts in your closet step by step. This way you will find out which items of clothing you can also wear in the office and at which points you still lack in terms of office fashion.
Can I wear jeans in the office?
Whether jeans are ok in the office depends very much on the corporate culture. If there is a very strict dress code, as is common in banks or insurance companies, you should better avoid jeans. Instead, pick up suit trousers, a pencil skirt or culottes.
If the dress code is business casual, jeans are perfectly fine – if they look neat. Make sure the pants don’t look too battered. If your company has a free choice of outfit or maybe you even work in the creative industry, you can also wear stylish destroyed jeans or skinny jeans if you combine them in an office-appropriate way, for example with chic shoes, blouses and blazers.
Which tops fit in the office?
Blouses are an integral part of office fashion, whether it’s a classic white blouse, wrap blouse or tunic. While subtle and muted colors such as white, pastel shades or black are appropriate in the business formal dress code, the blouse can be more colorful in business casual clothing. Very important: the blouse should not be cut too deep, see-through or too tight. And: Make sure you wear a skin-colored bra ( shop here at Amazon ) under light blouses so that it doesn’t flash through. Also make sure that the blouse is not too tight, otherwise the buttons on the chest will open up unsightly.
While blouses are always a good choice for the office, tops with thin straps usually show too much skin and are not suitable for many jobs. Especially in more serious industries, shoulders should always be covered in summer.
Does it always have to be a blazer?
If your company has a strict business formal dress code, then blazers are a must. With the business casual dress code this is seen a little more casually. Blazers do not necessarily have to be, but they are a real secret trick to make even sporty outfits with a shirt and sneakers immediately more serious and suitable for business. If the classically tailored, tailored blazers are too conservative for you, then go for a slightly more casual cut in the trendy boyfriend style.
Business shoes: which ones fit my outfit?
If the dress code in the office is business formal, sneakers unfortunately have to stay outside. A flat and much more stylish alternative are lace-up shoes made of smooth or patent leather. They are a stylish eye-catcher and go well with pants. Also great business shoes that also protect your feet: the classic loafers. Even ballerinas go well with business outfit, unless they are ausgelatscht.
High-heeled sandals are not so popular with the dress code ‘Business Formal’, closed shoes like pumps are better. Pointed models not only look chic, they are also real figure flatterers and make your legs look longer.
How short can the skirt be in the office?
Skirts are an airy alternative to business trousers or fine jeans, especially when the temperature rises – provided they are long enough. Mini skirts may be welcomed by some colleagues, but they look unprofessional.
As a rule of thumb, the skirt length is too short if you cannot move freely and are constantly afraid of a pant flash. Skirts in midi length or models that end at knee height or a maximum of a hand’s width above the knee are less stressful and more suitable for business. And: No matter how warm it is in the office, tights are a must!
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