Recently I read a story by Aisha Sultan in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch called “Clothes Send a Message.” Sultan wrote about clothing brands that claim to be geared toward the 20-something woman but seem to advertise for teen girls. These brands market using scantily clad women in questionable outfits. Unfortunately, most school dress codes don’t include street-walker has part of a permissible appearance.
What’s even worse, someone hasn’t bothered to tell companies that hooker is in fashion. Last time I checked, office dress codes prefer you to be fully clothed.
I was reading this article and found myself kind of frustrated. The practically naked models are geared for women who probably need to see more sweater sets than bustiers.
There are already enough strikes against young women when it comes to dressing office appropriate. How long should the skirt be? Are these pants too tight? Is this too much cleavage? Are these considered stripper heels?
Also, thanks to the recession, many 20-somethings don’t have much disposable income to have an expansive wardrobe outside of office wear. Extras might really be limited to tshirts, jeans, and sweats. The entire drawer of “going out” tops gets filled instead with pantyhose and nude bras.
For women, it might be easier to start conservatively (as with suits), then feel your way to what works best in your environment (like using bright colors). Where do you look, though, for these office-appropriate fashions?
Probably where your boss shops…
Your boss and other leaders have probably done the homework for you. They know where to shop, and they also set the bar for what’s acceptable. They look put together. Think about it, you don’t just need office-appropriate clothes, but you need things that are well made. No offense to some of the scanty brands, but the clothes don’t just look like they fall apart, but they do! Even some of the casual brands we love so dearly use bad fabric and have holey seams.
My tips for the 20-something woman is to look for brands who seem to target the 30/40-something professional. They already got the office dress code memo, and they’ve been really rejuvinating fashion over the last few years. L.L.Bean has been diversifying the fit and style of clothes, plus those pieces seem to last forever. Ann Taylor has always been a good spot, as well as most department stores. Ladies, also visit Lane Bryant if you find that traditional sizes just aren’t fitting. Your boss doesn’t care about the size of your outfit, just that you aren’t bursting at the seems.
Don’t foget to think about comfort. Pain in the name of fashion isn’t necessary when you sit in a cube all day. Save it for the weekends.
Finally, when you consider your future, remember dressing for the position you want does go a long way. You don’t need to only visualize yourself as an executive as you look in the mirror each morning, dress the part. Steps to moving forward begin a long time before you ever get to those positions, and adjusting your appearance is a great way to start.
Photo Credit.
The thing is, though? All those places you mentioned for 30/40’s aren’t cheap. I do a lot of consignment shopping, but if you’re looking for something new? It really is a lot easier to go the slutty route. . .because it’s affordable.
Hi Sarah, I guess it comes down to what you want from your professional career. If you do want to work your way up, you might need to sacrifice the happy hour budget to restock your wardrobe. I know for me, in order to be working for the CEO, I spent a lot of time budgeting for smart wardrobe purchases. As Tim Gunn advises, I picked good solid staples that I can always use. Someone just told me online that even Ann Taylor offers a student discount to help get a wardrobe started, and of course, as you make more money in your career, you can exchange pieces with higher quality ones. If you do want to stick with the slutty route, it just comes with the understanding of how you will be perceived. It might work in a more creative environment, but not so in a traditional corporate one. Thanks for your comment!
Simply put: dress for the job you want… not like a hooker.
Thank goodness guys don’t have this problem… with the scantily clad thing I mean…
Hahaha, Patrick, it’s funny you say that. We have orientation this week for my MBA program, and it’s been interesting to see people’s wardrobe choices. It seems the more experience you have in the workplace, the more formal we’ve been dressing. Those who are newly graduated or only have a year under them seem to be ready to adopt the college wardrobe of tshirts and jeans. Thanks!
Banana Republic is also great for men’s and women’s business casual and professional wear. My fiancee is a school teacher and has found a lot of great cute options there that are still appropriate for work. Try the outlets for a better deal.
Hey Sam! I do like Banana Republic, I have a suit from one of their outlets that I just love. I also think JCrew has been good for office-wear, but some people think the price is too steep in some cases. That’s another great outlet option if you find one however, and the quality of the clothes is great from the outlet.
I second the Banana Republic recommendation — it’s expensive as all get-out, but it’s classic and trendy. These are great tips, Emily. Personally, I don’t really like the fashions of the past few years — maybe because it’s just not in line with my body type, but also because I tend to dress more conservatively both out work and outside of the office. It’s sexy in photoshoots and movies, yes, but in the real world, it seems questionable, not sure it’s actually practicable.
Then again, I love the fashions of the 20s through the early sixties, so maybe I’m just born in the wrong time period, period =P
Nice post!
Hey Susan, I’m with you on trying to find things that fit my body type. I’m actually wearing a great dress I found at Penny’s that has a classic look, but an added bonus of pockets! I think sometimes we think too much about trends and not about staples. Also, trends don’t always work with comfort. I watch people in minis, and unless they have tights or leggings, I wonder how they sit without their legs sticking to chairs. You’d end up with big red marks from peeling yourself off the plastic when you stand up.
Thanks for the comment!!!
TV doesn’t help either. If I had a dollar for everytime some fictional female lawyer/forensic scientist/docter trotted off to work with her blouse half open . . .
For those ladies out there who choose to dress that way in the workplace, remember this: it’s your choice, but it affects the rest of us too.
PS
For great business or business casual clothes on the cheap, don’t forget Ann Taylor Loft. J Crew runs some amazing sales on their website too! I can’t afford them on the regular, but scooped up five polos (basically my whole summer wardrobe) for around $80 this summer.
Hi Noel, I know TV doesn’t help at all. Even Cutty from House M.D. wears some pretty scanty stuff for being the hospital administrator.
I love the Loft, and I’ve also been finding that some places have decent guy clothes that can be worn by women, like sweaters. Sometimes the cutesy colors in the ladies’ section bother me. Thanks!!