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Luckily, the time for uncomfortable office clothes has come to an end. No more sky-high stilettos and suits you can barely move in; now, you can almost get away with strolling into the office in your yoga pants and sweatshirt. Almost, that is. While we want to look professional and well-groomed, it’s also important to be dressed in something that doesn’t make you want to throw yourself out the office window.
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To make it a bit easier for you to find that middle-ground between uncomfortably tight waistbands and lazy Sunday-attire, we’ve found a couple of outfits that you can totally pull off in the office.
Dress in stretch
A lot of formal clothing brands are starting to understand what people actually want to wear to the office by incorporating a stretchy waistband in those suit pants. It’s going to make them a lot more comfortable, that’s for sure, but remember that you can easily make sure your entire wardrobe is stretchy by buying clothes that are made partly of elastane. It stretches up to three times its original length and recovers just as seamlessly.
“Although we have general guidelines for what to wear in an office setting, the fine line that once separated appropriate and inappropriate-office attire has become a gray area. For example, it would be no surprise to see the founder of a startup company conduct business in jeans and a T-shirt, yet that ensemble would likely be frowned upon at a larger corporation.” – Forbes.com
Now you’re able to look just as polished as you would in any other structured pair of pants but with the freedom of yoga pants – and nobody will ever have to know.
Go for flats
Nobody should be forced into high heels, neither men nor women. Flats can be just as fancy as high-heeled shoes, in any way, and you’ll be able to maintain normal-looking feet when you’ve passed 40 too so don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Get a pair of flats with a slightly pointy toe if you want it to look a bit more formal and you’re good to go.
Unless you are applying for a job in the fashion or entertainment industries, your potential employers aren’t just judging your appearance to see if you have a sense of style. They are looking to see that you convey the right image for their corporate culture.
Tweet ThisTimberland has some really sleek-looking shoes for both men and women that are perfect for the office, by the way, and they’re not all a part of that chunky winter boot collection. Remember that there is comfortable jewelry out there as well these days that you won’t take off before you’re halfway through the day; silicone rings are a perfect alternative to something you’d want to wear every day and a lot better for you than the regular types.
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
Slouchy clothes are trendy
Alright, you may not care that much about fashion or what other people are wearing but, when it comes to office wear, it’s a good idea to make a note of what kind of style you’re expected to show up in. You know, to look as professional as the rest. Slouchy clothes are a part of that pajamas trend and they will help you to look effortlessly stylish and secretly comfortable.
Photo by chuttersnap on Unsplash
There is, unfortunately, one pitfall to this: you will have to be rather tall to pull it off. At least if you’d like to wear something slightly drapey without looking like you’re crouching up inside a bag. Choose something flowy and light this summer, regardless of how tall you are, and you won’t sweat away in the office heat either.
