← Her Style Podcast | Shopping, Color Palettes, Fashion, Wardrobe, Outfits, Clothing
Her Style Podcast | Shopping, Color Palettes, Fashion, Wardrobe, Outfits, Clothing
201 | Corporate-less Dressing that Won't Get You Sent to HR!
00:18:39
In the age of athleisure and living in our work from home looks, a challenge that often comes up with women who still have to head into the office is how to dress in a way that makes them feel GOOD — without getting sent into HR. In fact, our friend...
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In the age of athleisure and living in our work from home looks, a challenge that often comes up with women who still have to head into the office is how to dress in a way that makes them feel good without getting sent into hr. In fact, our friend Krista sent in a two part question, the first of which we covered in last week's Q and A Thursday episode. And today I'm tackling her biggest workwear debacle. In this episode I'm going to offer up some new advice for putting pizzazz into your nine to five ensembles so you you can feel feminine, effortless and stylish. It's time to leave your boring corporate wardrobe at home and have fun in an office friendly way. I can't wait to share these tips with you, so let's dive right in.
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Welcome to her Style Podcast where we're all about empowering you to show up and get dressed every day with confidence. I'm your host Heather Riggs, a 15 year and counting certified image consultant and color specialist ready to build a wardrobe and a personal style you love. Let's get started.
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I received such a sweet email from our friend Christa several weeks ago. You might recognize her name from last week's episode. She was one of the few community members who wanted tips to modernize her skinny jeans, but she actually sent a couple of questions in and so today we're going to dive into her other challenge and here's what she wrote. She said hi Heather, I discovered your podcast this past weekend while I was searching for some good road trip content. And let Let me first ask, where have you been all my life? I thought I was just stopping by and seeing what you were all about and then before I knew it, I was binging past episodes and you had gotten me through my three hour drive in what felt like no time. Thank you for delivering such fun, engaging, relatable and helpful content on your podcast. Second, I have some podcast Q and A questions for you that you may want to feature based on a few of my own style struggles at the moment. And now we're going to skip to her second question which was do you have any style advice for a woman who works a hybrid job? I took the personal Style quiz feminine and natural. Thankfully I can wear jeans to work, but corporate style still feels too stuffy, boring and depressing to me. Any advice for putting some pizzazz into my 9 to 5 office wardrobe without getting sent to HR? Christa and Krista, you're so sweet. I am really excited that I was able to help you enjoy your three hour drive and make it go a whole lot faster. It's my privilege to be able to hang out with you right here on the podcast and I appreciate you sending your questions in. You've now given us content for 2Q&A Thursday questions, so I'm super grateful to be hanging out with you too. All right, so the first thing that has to be said in response to your question is that you really need to keep in mind the impression that's most appropriate and necessary for your role at work. So a few things to really think about is number one, are you client facing? Do you need to represent your company in a certain way? Also, do you manage a team? Do you have anyone who works under you and looks to you as an example of how to show up at the office? And then also my other question would be what division are you in and what are some of your responsibilities at work? If you're in a more creative role, for example, you can probably get away with being more expressive in your style without a lot of second glances at the water cooler. So I want you to honestly reflect on these questions. Because when you're in a work environment, even if it's a place that you're welcome to wear jeans, especially if you have a casual Friday, or if your boss is a little bit more laid back, unless you're a solopreneur, it's not just about you. You do want to think about how you're representing yourself, your role, your department, and your company as well. And remember that your style tells a story about who you are. And so how you show up for your in office days can communicate how seriously you're taking your job. We always hear dress for the job you want, not for the job you have. And I would say whether you're trying to land a promotion or not, there is some truth in the fact that your employer is going to take note of how you're showing up. So that's why we want to a good way to bridge the gap between the standards and expectations of the office and your job there. And what makes you feel your best and most confident? And of course excited to get dressed because I do want you to have fun. Even when you're going into the office. I think it's always possible to have both. But if you want to avoid the dreaded call into hr, you're going to want to prioritize showing up in a professional way, even if it means compromising a little bit more on your personal preferences. In this one area of your life. One other thing to note along these lines is that it's preferable when you can mix your existing wardrobe in ways that work for the office. However, if it feels like your job requirements are too far removed from your everyday style preferences, what you could do is create a small work capsule of pieces that are reserved for the office only. So give a little thought to what's going to work best for you if it makes sense to mix in some of the pieces that you love in your work from home wardrobe or your weekend wear, or if you really do want to uplevel things just a little bit for work and find some more polished and professional pieces for the office. So always do what feels best for you in that regard. Now let's get into a few suggestions to make your work wardrobe feel less corporate and stuffy and more feminine and laid back, keeping in mind that meeting in the middle on this might be the best approach. All right, I think the easiest thing that you can do is to take traditionally corporate pieces and combine them in exciting color combinations, especially if they speak to your feminine and natural style style. For example, instead of a basic charcoal gray suit, maybe you want to opt for a rich berry colored blazer and a matching skirt. Or rather than a traditional black and white office outfit, could you try blush pink and hunter green as a combination instead? I don't know what your best colors or your specific color preferences are, but I think infusing interesting hues into your wardrobe is one of the fastest ways to feel re inspired when you get dressed. And this is for any area of your life, I recommend that you go back and listen to episode number 111. I shared seven go to color combinations to try in your outfits and that'll give you some really unique ideas that will help you reinvent the boring work outfits that you might be used to seeing or wearing to the office. And while you're going back in the archives, you might also want to give a quick listen to episode number 162 so you can pick up some helpful color psychology tips as well to make sure that you're going back to the first point that I made in creating the right mood for the office. All right, now second tip. I don't know your stance on dresses, but if I were you and I can relate because I also have a very feminine and natural style. That doesn't mean our definitions of those two styles are exactly the same or that we like all of the same aspects of those two personal style types, but we might have some overlapping preferences and I know that if I were in your shoes, I would 100% build out a beautiful, even simple or minimalistic dress collection that you can wear for work or for play. For example, you could look for some pretty shift dresses that have interesting embellishments like floral appliques or that maybe come in Chanel inspired tweed fabrics. I think it's so effortless to just put on a dress and call it a day. I also find dresses to be a lot less restrictive than pants, so that really supports my penchant for comfortable, more natural, effortless and easy styles as well. So if you opt for dresses at the office, you're going to look polished and professional as long as you keep your hemlines an appropriate length. I would opt for at or below the knee if you want to play it safe, or at least lower than your fingertips if you have some more flexibility in the standards at your office and use the old public school rule. I don't know if this was true for your school. I don't even know if this was a true rule that we had at my school growing up. But I seem to remember that you were supposed to stand up straight and let your arms hang down and your hemline was supposed to reach at least as long as the end of your fingertips, so you could always default to that basic rule as well. Now you could also pair some opaque tights with matching pumps if you want extra coverage, especially in colder weather right now as well, you could either opt for basic black or try having a little bit more fun with a complimentary color and use that to finish off your outfit. I know I feel way more comfortable in a loose fitting dress and I do think that this type of one piece outfit makes getting dressed super fast and easy in the morning. 2025 is coming in hot and I know you don't want to spend one more year struggling over what to buy, what to wear and how to put it all together. This is the time to break out of the same T shirt and jeans you default to every day you're ready to uplevel your style, streamline your wardrobe and find exactly what you want and need when you go shopping so you can step out with confidence and put your outfits together quickly and stylishly every single day. And I want to help you make this happen because, friend, it is so much easier than you think. That's why I've decided to host my first ever Wardrobe Revamp boot camp from January 6th through the 9th so we can dial in your signature style, audit your closet and take a deep dive into wardrobe planning and shopping strategically together. And the best news is that this live four day training event is completely free. Yes, I said free. There are no strings attached. Just come hang out with me, get the chance to win some incredible prizes, have your questions answered and walk away with brand new style tips and advice I've never shared before. If you've been loving what you're learning here on the podcast, you do not want to miss this. If you want to revamp your wardrobe and take your style to the next level in 2025, head to herstylellc.combootcamp and register for this free four day training event today. I'll see you inside In a related episode, number 153, I talked about dressing for work in a way that makes you feel like yourself, which is another really good one to go back to after this if you want even more ideas. But in that episode I suggested you search for outfit inspiration by job title. For example, in that one I talked about searching for physical therapist outfits or teacher style and I think that you could definitely do this for corporate careers as well. Maybe you'll want to search for feminine corporate outfits or effortless office looks if you want to lean into the natural side of your style. But another suggestion that might be even more helpful in this case is to search for corporate outfit ideas using your current wardrobe favorites as the base. So maybe you have a favorite pair of twill jogger pants that you live in when you're at home. Maybe try running a search on corporate outfit with twill joggers. You're definitely going to find some hits and misses when you do this. Believe me, I typed in this search. I always experiment before I make any recommendations to you, and I found some really cool work outfits and some super casual not office appropriate outfits. So you're going to need to be discerning. And keep going back to the first point that I made about what you're communicating through your style. Use that as a standard when you're evaluating any new outfit ideas, but I do think that this can get your wheels turning about how to incorporate the wardrobe pieces that you feel best in into some good office worthy outfits. You're probably going to want to forego leggings and athleisure altogether, but see which feminine or casual pieces you might be able to make some great outfits out of. For example, maybe you have a super soft worn in graphic tee that would look amazing tucked into a pair of relaxed wide leg trousers and topped with a nice structured cropped blazer and then paired with a simple pair of ballet flats. There are so many ways to mix casual and corporate pieces, so just get out there and see what you can find on Pinterest or Google that speaks to your signature style. And I think worst case, you could at least come up with some cool ideas for your weekend wear. So I don't think this exercise is going to go to waste either way. But make sure that you save any inspiration you come across onto your Pinterest style mood board. Or you could create a new board strictly for work ideas so you can come back and then revisit and recreate those outfits later. All right, next tip is that it can also be incredibly beneficial to prioritize the fabrics that you feel good in for your work wardrobe, especially if you decide that you need to embrace corporate styles like blazers and button ups. You could choose pieces that still have a feminine or soft quality to them. If there's a day that you feel like you want to be more elevated than your favorite pair of jeans, maybe you decide to opt for a pencil skirt, but you could pair it with a really luxe soft cashmere turtleneck on top. Or maybe you want to shop for some comfortable bamboo or Pima cotton pieces to make dressing for your job feel like a welcome luxury. Maybe you want to look for a supple velvet blazer to wear to the office this winter or a nice pair of wide leg corduroy pants. I think this is a great way to honor your natural style preferences and look polished but feel effortless at the same time. So you might want to keep your styling simple and fuss free and focus on some really comfortable soft fabrics that feel just as comfy cozy as your work from home. Maybe if you wear sweatpants or loungewear, this could be a great way to bring a similar feel into more office friendly pieces. All right, I've definitely offered this advice before, but I think it's worth repeating. I don't want you to underestimate the power of using accessories to up level your look and reflect your personal style. You could take the most basic and boring suit of all time and just add a decorative headband or a pretty hair bow. In fact, one of my clients in the Collective has been crushing her outfits and that has become a signature accessory for her. And we all go bananas every time she posts a new outfit photo in the group because she's really been mastering the pretty but still totally professional vibe for work. And she received a wonderful compliment from her boss this past week as well. Which proves my point that Your co workers and supervisors do notice your appearance, but moving on, maybe you want to add a great statement necklace or some matching earrings and a bracelet. Or you could add a fun pop of color with a beautiful handbag. Or you could be known for having the best shoes in the office. Whatever it is, find your signature accessory or play around with lots of different pieces to add some flair and fun to your corporate attire. If you're looking for some ideas, I am always obsessed with the accessories at Anthropologie. That's a go to store for me. I can usually find some pretty pieces at Nordstrom or even Target as well. Of course Etsy has beautiful handmade pieces. You could shop from some local boutiques in your area. And of course I absolutely love jewelry and accessories that have a purpose behind them. So I have to mention one of my personal favorites, which is thisiseden Jewelry. That's their website. It's an organization based in Southeast Asia. They offer jewelry that has been designed and handmade by survivors of human trafficking. I will say their mission is so impactful and it's just one example of an organization that you could support with your shopping dollars and you can pick up some pretty pieces for your jewelry collection that actually mean something and make a difference in the lives of other women. So I do encourage you to check out Eden Jewelry at thisiseden Jewelry or explore some other similar charitable organizations that could help you bring some beautiful accessories into your wardrobe. All right, my last suggestion today, if you really want to lean into the girly side of your style at the office, is to incorporate feminine details and silhouettes. Rather than choosing the basic cardigan, could you look for one that has pretty pearl buttons? Or opt for the mock turtleneck that has a ruffled edge collar? Maybe try blouses with a puff sleeve or tie a monogram scarf around your neck or your waist. I think you can create an office appropriate hourglass shape that also subtly highlights your curves. You can do things like adding a waist cinching belt or opt for peplum tops to give you that nice fit and flare silhouette. You could try a full midi skirt with a structured blazer. I think you can create some interesting, unexpected and even subtle nods to your personal style while keeping your overall look still very polished and professional. I think a perfect example of this is Gina Torres's character Jessica Pearson in the TV show Sue. I think it's still available on Netflix. If you haven't seen that show and you want to check out at least some of the style, I think there are some really fantastic corporate style goals going on in that show. But that character is a name partner at the law firm so it's essential for her to show up in a powerful and put together way. But she often wears light feminine colored suits, peplum style blazers and pencil skirts, ruffled trim collars and sleeves, really soft feminine hairstyles and some very beautiful jewelry and I think you could find some great inspiration in that character. But of course, feel free to make it more casual to suit the natural side of your style and be appropriate for your exact position as well. So Krista my friend, I hope this advice inspires you to think outside the boring corporate box and put your own unique spin on natural and feminine workwear. It is so possible to show up in a professional way that still feels comfortable and fun. I can't wait to hear what you come up with after listening to this episode. And friend, if you have a question you'd like me to answer in an upcoming Q and A episode, come join us inside the free Wardrobe Revamp Bootcamp community. It's open right now. You can post your questions in there and I might even answer them sooner during the live training event or right there in the community. So head to herstylellc.combootcamp and join us right now. I can't wait to see you inside.
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Thank you for listening to today's episode. If you want to stop copying everyone else's style and start dialing in your own swoon worthy signature look, head over to take my free 5 minute personal style quiz which you can find at the link in the show notes. If you've enjoyed our time together, please be sure to rate, review and subscribe to her style podcast so you never miss an episode. Finally, I invite you to make this.
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A two way conversation and send me.
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A DM over on Instagram @HeatherRigg style to let me know how I can best support you on your style journey. I'm always here for you in style and service. Until next.