What to Wear to Work
Its 6AM and the buzzer on the alarm goes off, I hit snooze and roll over on my back; I tell myself I will spend the next 7 minutes, that my snooze button has just granted me, thinking about what I am going to wear that day to work. I could wear those black pants and that white blouse again, but I just wore it last week on Thursday and today is only Tuesday, is it too close to the last time I wore it to repeat it again? I could wear that white skirt with the blue shirt, but that isn’t business enough is it and the neck line is a little low or is it? Inevitably the alarm clock starts buzzing annoyingly again, screaming at me to get out of bed this time or I will be late. Still haven’t figured out what to where: The story of my life.
Every one of us has been in this position at one point or another, struggling to make a statement about who we are at work and be taken seriously as an equal-partner in a business environment, yet at the same time wanting to be proud to be a woman and not wanting to be intimidated into hiding our femininity and the elements that make us women. Not to mention, we want to do all this while trying not to break the bank. In North America, Stats Canada, for example reports that while women may have the same education as men they are still somewhat less likely to gain employment than their male counterparts. Knowing our battle is already slightly uphill creates a sense of feeling as though every small element is factored into whether or not we can do the job as good as our counterparts. While a man can get away with a shirt, a tie, and a suit; a woman’s battle is slightly more complicated. Do we wear a dress? How tight can it be not to give the wrong impression? Can we wear a skirt and what hemline is appropriate? These choices however do not need to be so hard though if given some careful consideration. After all it is how we carry ourselves also that has the greatest effect on how we are perceived.
When looking in your wardrobe first and foremost we need to leave a lot of space for confidence and a sense of self. If you know who you are and what you stand for, getting dressed in the morning can be a lot easier because you know what message you want to send. Having key pieces in your closet is a must; a pair of well tailored black or grey slacks as well as a well tailored white button collar blouse. A pencil skirt is flattering on any body shape and for a business environment usually its best to keep it no shorter than two inches above the knee, navy blue is also a crisp classy colour that can be easily mixed and matched. Adding elements of colour through sweaters and accessories is much more cost effective and adds a lot of variety to your wardrobe as well as character to your style. For example, everyone has a basic black dress in their closet here are two ways to wear the same dress: Style One Classic: Black stockings with a classic black heel and possibly a string of pearls, will announce to anyone you are a serious business woman. Style Two A little Colour: Wearing opaque stockings with a coloured heel that also ties into the same coloured scarf and/or necklace says you know who you are and aren’t afraid to show it. At the end of the day no matter what industry you work in, it is important to be self assured and know that you can achieve any goal, the perfect outfit is only an accessory to the smarts and preparation you have put into landing that great job!
JID
Management
@tess,i wud suggest u to go fr abdominal ultrasound rather..coz the way u r gaining weight:-?...may b may b um wrong...
and i really love it but this do not give me a better right to be in abaya bcos i an not an Arab... for fun, one time should be fine, ja?
i leave it till morning... in the evening i have no idea how i gonna feel next morning..
but when I am really in hurry, I have one unbeatable option: ABAYA! and it is always appreciated in my office :)
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"What lies behind us and what lies before us are small compared to what lies within us."
Oliver Wendell Holmes
I always used to be jealous of you ladies having so many options with clothes as against us men who have the same shirt, trousers, belt, tie...only can vary the colors but not the styles... but after reading the dilemma of ladies in the posts above seems men dressing has a brighter side too....lol
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One life to live, live it to the fullest.
good for you! keep on rocking MJ!
snowflake, i dont have long legs, but i can still handle the skinny jeans no problem :)
skinny jeans really cool on long legs!
no wonder i find it easier wearing Abaya
Pay peanuts & you get Monkeys
The problem for women is if you wear the same outfit 2x in one week you are looked at as being lazy/cheap/not getting something cleaned.
If you are a male, you can wear the same blue/black/pinstriped suit and the same shirt 3x a week and no one will even notice!!!
discrimination!!! - of course, I do like to wear something different every day (in the course of one week) keeps me from getting bored! LOL
Signature line > "You can't fix stupid"
back home i prefer straight cut or flared jeans, .. when i came here, i got used to wearing skinny jeans.. :)
with while long sleeves and stilletos and nicely shape body of course. ahi hi hi...
got their beauty enhanced.
tess, agree.. some people may be comfortable with heavy make-up on their faces,.. i prefer less... :P
If I had a pound for every thread that has been posted regarding work dress , i woul;d have 15 pounds :O)
i also wake up very very early in the morning, so that i have enough time to decide lol :P
Whatever comes next or doesn't smell ...
from highly corporate to casual (jeans and white long sleeves). and like Aisha, always on high heels/stilleto. can't be on pure corporate, boring. And like Mj,i have all my gears prepared before i retire at night. Fun!
I wear whatever I want beneath my working abayas, simple and easy to function :-)
However, I can't let go with my heels. I would totally lose balance if I did I'm not even kidding.. It's easier for me to walk in high heels I'm just too used to them!
plus, a natural make up.
[img_assist|nid=7232|title=Dua|desc=Amen :-)|link=none|align=left|width=440|height=56]
tess, be confident, surely you're not that, err, wide.. ;)
tess, on a casual day, like when im not working or just going to the mall, it's easy for me hahaha... :P
anything aside from thongs outside the pants
"Do not do unto others what you don't want others to do unto you(Wag kang gay-an, kung mang gagay-an ka, wag gay-on)"
hmm tess, what exercise machine you got? sometimes, i fall asleep undecided what to wear, so the next morning i end up staring blankly at my wardrobe for like 10 minutes or so.. :P
I take whatever comes next in my wardrobe.
lucky men,i ve seen some even going in bloody LUNGI,ma gosh too much..
i make it a point to decide on what to wear the night before i go to bed.. if i dont do that, i most likely end up trying on like a dozen outfits in the morning.. so i don't go to sleep at night without deciding first what to wear the next morning.. :)