One of the best parts of moving into your professional career is starting your first “big girl” job. Whether it be in business, healthcare, or something completely different, the beginning of something new is both exciting and nerve wracking. One of the best ways to cement yourself in the culture of your new job is dressing for the office space that you work in.
Everyone boasts their own style preferences, but curating your personal style enough to fit the atmosphere of your new job is necessary. If you’re starting a new job, or plan to soon, these styling tips are perfect to help you kickstart the perfect professional closet.
Outfit Ideas For New Professionals
With the world being the way it is, many people are finding more comfort shopping from home rather than from a store. As well as shopping from home, many people are now working from home. Last year, we all totally fell into the “blouse on top, pajamas on bottom” mindset, where working from home was seen as a sort of vacation from the rigidness of office-wear.
Now, as we begin to transition back to in-person working, we have the ability to mix the comfiness of working from home with the properness of office wear.
For those of you taking your first steps into the professional world, keep reading to see how you can transform your career style to be both stylish and comfortable.
My go-to office outfit is a pair of comfortable chinos with a fun blouse. When shopping for something that’s both cute and comfortable, always start off with finding the statement piece of your fit.
It might be a bright pair of pants, a long flowy skirt, or a pair of wicked shoes. Whatever you start with, remember to build the outfit around one statement piece instead of picking multiple eye-catching pieces that don’t mesh well together. Outfit ideas for new professionals don’t have to be complicated!
When shopping, start looking for your basic needs, such as black pants, solid colored shirts, and layering pieces like tank tops or plain tee shirts. These are the foundation to your outfit. Try sticking with neutral tones so that it’s easier for future-you to match multiple outfits out of the base.
Following basic color theory, you should avoid mixing navy blues with black, and deep browns with black. When looking for basics, pick up a variety of pants and shirts in black and white, then sprinkle in some tan/beige pieces.
So you’ve shopped and gotten all of your basics—now what? While you could simply build an outfit out of your basic pieces, it’s always fun to add something that catches the eye of those around you. If you’re working in a more professional atmosphere, find a bright blazer or patterned blouse to wear around.
If you’re working in a more relaxed setting, find a fun graphic tee shirt to pair with nice slacks. To figure out what’s appropriate for your new job, pay close attention to other employees in the office when you go for an interview. This is the quickest way to feel out the style culture of your new work space.
Let’s look at some examples of outfits for new professionals:
#1—The Professional Office
Take a look at this outfit. We’ve got a bright blazer, but an otherwise neutral palette. When working in a professional office, make sure you stick to classic silhouettes, such as a suit or modest dress. To make it more fun, drop a little bit of color into an otherwise boring outfit.
#2—Something More Casual
When working in a more casual office space, don’t shy away from wearing jeans, or a tee shirt. Obviously it’s more comfortable to wear something casual, but make sure you’re still put together in a way that makes you professionally acceptable.
Dressing for your new job can sometimes be more stressful than actually starting the new job, but don’t force yourself into a box when you start building outfits. Being yourself is just as important as fitting into the office atmosphere.
And if you’re ever confused on what to wear, remember that it’s much better to be overdressed than underdressed. So, buy that bright blazer and wear it with pride.
What are your favorite outfit ideas for new professionals? Let us know in the comments!
About the Author
Keegan Myers is a recent grad of the University of South Florida with a BS in Management. Her current interests include the environment, reading, and social media management. She wants to eventually own her own social media management firm, and work hands-on with small businesses in the Eastern United States.
Website: www.keeganmyers.co