Having worked in an office for many…many years, I know the favorite part of the week is Friday! Not only because its the end of the week and you won’t have to sit at that dreadful desk for 2 whole days, but also because its usually Casual or Dress down Fridays in most offices (yay)! If your in the office reading this now…take a quick look around, how many of your co-workers are wearing jeans, a t-shirt or sweater, and sneakers?! It’s ok…it’s common. What I don’t like about it is that it gives the illusion that you’re heading to the park and not your place of work. Sadly, even on dress down fridays I like to dress up a bit…I’m nothing if I’m not stylish! So here, I’d like to share a few of my style tips/ideas for making/keeping your casual fridays stylish and not like a drab day at the park.
Jeans: Jeans on casual friday are a staple! After being in suits, dresses, skirts, etc all week long us ladies just want to relax in a comfortable pair of sexy jeans! We love them all, skinny, bootcut, wideleg, jeggings, etc. The key to remember is we’re wearing these to the office, make sure their not too tight…for us curvy ladies that may mean no skinny jeans or jeggings (unless you know where to shop for your shape *wink wink*)! In lieu of a pair of your favorite skinnys, that may be more appropriate for cocktails with the girls than 9-5 at Goldman Sachs, take a look at a few of the styles below! All under $70 and from one of my favorite denim stores…The Gap, which makes jeans for every shape and size!
From left to right we have the (1) 1969 skimmer legging jeans in Red! Available in regular, tall (online), and petite for only 59.95! These leggings are great and office approved because they look more like jeans than they do leggings, they fit amazing, and come in an assortment of stylish colors…great with wedges or nude patent leather pumps for a more polished look; (2) Mustard colored jeans! The 1969 lightweight skinny bootcut jeans fit slim throughout the hips and the legs and flare out just slightly at the ankles, great for boots, pumps, or high-heel sandals! The colors are very fresh and funky and lets you stand out from the blue jean wearing crowd; (3) 1969 lightweight always skinny skimmer jeans, these give a great fit to the curvier shapes in my opinion…I’m very hippy and have moderately sized thighs LOL but I love love the way these jeans fit my curves! They’re not too tight and helps accentuate your natural curves, and the colors are awesome (fuschia, lilac (pictured below), oatmeal, turquoise, rose) I could die and go to heaven in a pair of these! I’m in love with this year’s 1969 collection; and lastly (4) the uber comfortable ultra sexy boyfriend jeans! A favorite of mine which should be a staple in your closet! These give the ultimate feel of dressing down and comfortabilty without the look and feel of oversized shabby jeans!
Office Friendly Tee-shirts: For me, tee-shirts in the office are a big NO-NO, not to mention some organizations forbid them! Nevertheless you always have those one or two co-works that just can’t help themselves. If this is you, please pay attention: No matter how cute and witty they are, resist the urge to wear them unless they will be safely hidden beneath a sensible pull-over sweater or another shirt. I mean it! Instead of your favorite graphic tee, take a look at a few of these chic office friendly tees you may be able to get away with.
From left to right we’ll start with the Gap’s Mercer V-neck pocket tee. (1) This short-sleeved (SS) tee is very light-weight, easy to dress up, and does not have that basic tee-shirt look or feel about it. If you’re top heavy like I am, opt to layer a lace white tank underneath (I usually get mine from American Eagle or Old Navy); (2) Dotted Dolman Sleeve T, a favorite of mine because I am a huge fan of Dolman sleeves! I just can’t get enough. This stylish tee gives you a look that’s far beyond tee-shirt as you can possibly get! The colorful dots make it a festive must have for the spring. I also like that it fits a little loosley around the tummy, because I too suffer from extra baggage in that area, this helps to camoflauge that a bit; and (3) the Easy SS pocket T is an amazing find and currently on-sale for 18.99! With a more stylish cut V-neck style this shirt is easily dresses up any casual friday ensemble! Pair with a funky pair of flats or heels if you’re adventurous for a chic and easy look!
Last tidbit of advice: Add a blazer for effect! Yup…effect! You might think what you wear doesn’t matter because it’s casual Friday, but it does! Ever get called into a last minute meeting with your higher ups on a Friday and found yourself thinking I wish I hadn’t worn this today during the entire meeting? If you haven’t don’t let it be you and if you have don’t let it happen again! So you’ve taken my advice on jeans and office-friendly tees…it does get cold in the office from time to time so why not bring a cardigan along with you? Better yet…bring a blazer! The blazer has come a long way in varying styles and lush colors, you don’t have to look as formal in the newly reinvented blazers! And thanks to the likes of H&M and Forever 21 we can grab as many as we want all for under $50! Below are a few of my favorites that have made my shopping list or their way into my closet!
In this economy it is hard finding a job, let alone a good job! Trust me I know (unemployed 4 months and counting)! Don’t get too comfortable because you already have one. Your appearance tells just as much about your commitment to your job as your work output. As a manager if I see that you took little to no effort on your appearance today because you didn’t have to or you didn’t feel like it, I’m inclined to think you take that same approach with your work! It doesn’t have to be neuroscience, by just tweaking your choices you can conquer casual fridays in style, great taste, and you won’t have to spend an arm and a leg to do it!
Just an FYI: The GAP, OLD Navy, etc are a few of my favorite places to shop for work wear largely because I am a woman with a complex shape LOL, at the GAP I get pieces at prices that’s great for my budget and that can fit me well (especially in the pants department…God bless them and that TALL section)! Sales are always great, and if you keep your receipts you may be able to get price adjustments for items that may have went on sale within 2 weeks of your purchase! Hope this helps!
Have a great weekend my loves! Take care, xoxo
