There’s a scene in the movie Working Girl where our plucky heroine played by Melanie Griffith learns from her boss that if you want to be taken seriously, you have to look serious. Off go the multiple bangles and on goes the gray blazer. The message imparted: office dressing is NO fun.
In college, my wardrobe looked more like the drama department’s costume closet. I had a bright orange kimono, a twenties flapper dress, a strapless Doris Day number. And yes, I wore them to class. Our campus was full of cable-knit sweaters, but somehow my classmates knew I had an intelligent comment to make—even if I was wearing a purple leather mini-dress. I couldn’t expect the same acceptance in the workplace, so before graduating, I prepared myself for my first job by giving away my showboat outfits and buying some simple cardigans. (Cue the violins.)
My first lesson was that you can take the girl out of the sequined bustier, but you can’t take the sequined bustier out of the girl … if you know what I mean. Like many women, I’ve done a little trial and error over the years at work, indulging in some playful fashion while trying to remain office-respectable. There have been some missteps: one pleather miniskirt certainly involved some careful plies in order to reload copy paper! But now I have it down to a formula.
1. Black is my best friend.
Not only is black slimming, it also lets me get away with a lot of flashy embellishments while keeping a patina of seriousness in place. Even a few sequins around the neckline can be forgiven on a black top—I’ve forgiven Mardi Gras green sequins! Black keeps it all in the realm of urban glamour. Remind me to thank Donna Karan for that.
2. Skirts are worth the effort.
I find skirts really comfortable. Unlike pants, with their pinching inseams and thong-exposing waistlines, a skirt gives my legs total freedom of movement. But the secret bonus is that I’ll always look a little more dressed up, a little more polished. If I’m going through a silver lamé moment, it looks far more chic in a pencil skirt than a pair of reflective pants. Or if I decide to do a little Swiss Miss look with a lace apron top, the gray circle skirt I pair it with keeps me from looking like a Ricola commercial in the board room.
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