Road Reveals: Favourite Work Outfits
I don't talk about work. Mostly because that's part of my private life, however, I do know that navigating through business casual and formal attire is challenging. I work in an environment that is business casual, I tend to dress either casually or somewhat more formal. Growing a wardrobe is also challenging when you don't have a disposible income of Kim K.
I had five outfits put together, but one really didn't work out, so now I have four. None of these outfits are for casual Friday. Normally on Fridays (or days that snow, rain, or I am not feeling well) I dress casually. Like thick leggings and a sweater. If I can get away with leggings three days out of five and a cute top and cardigan, it's a good week. If I am meeting with a client, obviously, I will dress up, but if I plan on sitting at my desk all day, I tend to be more casual. Which is fine, because my office is pretty casual.
I get mostly all my work outfits at Reitman's, H&M, and Winners. I also find items at Tilleul, which is a local boutique that I love. The owner is so nice and puts so much love into her store.
Which brings me to my next point. Sizing! You are not alone if you get a little anxious shopping for clothes. I am not a size two, I am not a small. Clothing used to be tough, I used to get really sad buying clothes and tried really hard to not have to buy clothes. Then I decided to embrace my size. If you don't dwell on the size you're buying and you buy clothes that fit, I promise you, you will feel 100% better about yourself.
Your worth is not determined by the size of your pants! If you haven't realized yet, no clothing company makes clothing the same anymore, so you could be a size 8 or a size 12. I used to spend so much time being sad about my size. It still happens, but it's a lot better now.
Let's get to the outfits! I 100% used my work lobby to take these pictures. Thanks to my sister for being my photographer.
This first outfit is more formal. In the summer, I used to wear this skirt with a white sleeveless blouse and strappy sandals. For the winter and I wore this at a gala the other week, I have paired the skirt with a blouse and silver shoes. It's formal enough for a gala, but I would also wear this to work.
The second outfit is something I would wear on a day that I am not meeting anyone. It's long, it's comfortable, and it works really well for casual days, but if you get pulled into a last minute meeting, you don't feel too casual.
This outfit is great for client meetings. It's age appropriate, it's professional, and it's actually pretty comfortable. I would normally wear this in the summer, but in the winter, I would normally add a cardigan and beige nylon.
The last outfit includes dress pants and a blazer. The blazer has a modern feel to it with the three quarter sleeves. The dress pants are high waisted, so I can tuck in my blouse. Because of the shade of the blouse, I have pair it with a warmer pair of gold flats.
You'll have noticed that I have some fun shoes. I don't think shoes should always be black or beige, I think shoes should be fun. You need fun shoes if your outfit is pulling to the simpler side. Also, you can totally get away with wearing sneakers, just make sure they are clean and air on the slimmer side, not bulky sneakers. I wear sneakers all the time, especially if I know I will be running around the office during the day getting signatures.
Thanks for reading,
Samantha