As Springtime appears to be inching into our midst, I have to contend with cool walks to work and a boiling office once I get there... The time for light jumpers is passed, and it has to be light tops and cardies. Unfortunately I have very little in that area, aside from a few dry clean only shirts, and some vintage finds. Thus, I am on a hunt, people! For reasonably priced, okay, make that low priced, tops that are suitable for a relatively-smart-workwear office.
Today I had a mildly successful charity shop hunt, which unearthed a white cropped broderie anglaise top that might fit with high waisted skirts and trousers, and a black silk shirt for potential work use... Can't wait to play, particularly with the black shirt, next week!
What are people thinking about TopShop for workwear at the mo? I bought their mint green short sleeve, voluminous, slightly sheer shirt, which I wear tucked in with grey trousers and a shell pink cardie and white boots. Sheer? you may ask, but I have only had compliments on it at the office...
Tempted to invest in another couple of their shirts...
or
Do you think buying the same thing in different colours is a good way to go? Or is too similar every day a bit unoriginal? Or is the fact that it's workwear mean being original isn't top of the agenda...?
The thing about these is, I know they fit. If I weren't so worried about fit, I'd go for this shirt at Rokit...
Sigh. Only 2 days to pay day! Then, I might manage a shirt or two... I just feel like such a scruff with my endless cycle of slightly tired outfits. I really do hate feeling Blah, even if it is "just" the office.
For a quick overview, my office is very female dominated, with no clear dress code. It's pretty hierarchical to be honest. The men are all at officer level (middle rank) and wear suits and ties. The women at manager level (top rank) are all similarly smart, wearing suits and classy dresses. The female officers tend to go for more of a top and skirt approach, with the assistants generally bringing up the rear in - for the most part - generally scruffy workwear. It was the oddest thing for me, starting 6 months ago, to find that people think it's acceptable to turn up to work in clothes I wouldn't even wear on a scruffy-day on the weekend. Okay, so I probably sound mean, but I happen to feel that at work, you should dress for the job you want in the long run, not for the job you have. In an office where the majority are at least well-dressed enough to hold a meeting with a client, I think it's bad form for the assistants to turn up looking like they don't bother, or don't notice, that we work in a professional environment.
Don't get me wrong, I have a few days where I wear a pretty skirt, or a sheer shirt (with cami, obviously), i.e. clothes probably too frivolous for, say, a lawyers' office, but generally, I try to present a professional image. Amusingly enough, of the six of us at assistant level, three of us take the dress-for-the-job-you-want route, with three taking the other, and guess what...? The two groups sit together on different "pods". Groupthink mayhaps?
What do you guys think of this? Is it important to you to project a professional image at work, or are you more about comfort?
Xxxc
