It’s always awkward at this time of year, dressing for work. Not only do you have the pitfalls of office wear etiquette to navigate, you also have to worry about whether the temperature in the office will match the temperature outside, and with a climate that seems to be hell bent on tricking us with sudden temperature drops, those pretty spring office tops just don’t cut it on the commute to and from work.
Leggings and jeans as office wear
Whether your office has a dress code that’s casual, smart-casual or ‘professional’ also dictates your work wear options; there was a debate on our Facebook Page recently about whether it was OK to wear jeans and leggings to work, and there are a lot of people who think both are a big no-no. I don’t know about you but I’m not a fan of smart trousers. Being curvy and pear-shaped means that if I try to buy tailored trousers they only ever seem to fit in one place; waist or hips. If they fit on the hips they gape at the waist and if they fit on the waist and tummy they are sausage skin tight on the thighs; if I can get them past my hips.
Leggings look good with long tunics and shorter dresses, I’ve even been to interviews in a tea-dress over plain black leggings. To me it’s just like wearing tights only much more comfortable – whoever designed tights doesn’t seem to understand women’s bodies. The seams are always so uncomfortable and if they don’t sag, they dig in. It can’t be just me, right?
Sleeveless tops and dresses at work
What about sleeveless dresses? Would you be happy wearing a sleeveless top or dress as office wear? Many of us would shy away from it because of air-con, dress codes or simply not wanting to have our arms out for everyone. Whatever your reason, the hassles of having to find a top to wear under a sleeveless dress, or a bulky cardi over it, can make work dressing a complete pain in the posterior in springtime.
That’s why Wingz are really handy for office wear. If you do decide that the office is getting a bit warm you can take them off and pop them into your handbag, and you won’t leave them hanging on the back of your chair like your cardis. They are also great for coordinating a pretty work top, without covering it up. There are a lot of lovely tops in the shops at the moment with pretty details – why would you want to cover that up with a boring woolly cardigan?
So what are your pet peeves about dressing for work? Are there any irritating office wear rules you wish you didn’t have to worry about? Do you wear leggings or jeans to work?