What Women Should Wear to Office -

Dressing smartly at work is important to make a good impression and move up in your career.Last week we looked at how men should dress for the office. This week, it’s the turn of women.

Here are some tips on office wear:

The Basics: 

Make sure your outfit is simple without too many frills and multiple layers of clothing. If you choose to wear western clothes, pick a suit for formal occasions. Light-colored shirts with dark suits work well. For young women, slim-cut tunics or slim-cut dresses accompanied with a scarf are also a good option, fashion experts say.On normal days, well-fitted trousers or A-line skirts are fine. But miniskirts aren’t. Ideally, your skirt should be not more than four fingers above the knee. For blouses, choose light colors, and avoid loud prints. Sleeveless blouses are okay. Blouses or shirts that have plunging necklines are a no-no.

Traditional Wear: 

Unlike men, who are not expected to wear Indian clothes for  formal office occasions, for women it is welcome.For presentations and seminars, a color-blocked saree works well, say experts. That is the equivalent of wearing a basic black dress.Slightly less formal is a knee-length, straight-cut kameez (long Indian shirt), with a churidar (tight-fitting pants).Again, go for solid colors or light prints, rather than garish prints and sparkles.

Fabric and Color: 

Ideally, you want to choose fabrics that doesn’t crumple easily so that your outfit looks good the entire day.So, for instance, you can go with crepe or georgette sarees.In winter, go for hues of blue, black and brown, but you can add a dash of color to your outfit with a solid-color blouse or scarf. In summers, go for pastel colors. Don’t wear shiny material.

Shoes:

 Don’t forget to pay attention to your footwear.With western-wear particularly, high heels are considered ideal for a professional look. Not stilettos, but just a couple of inches of heels.If you are not comfortable in those, a good alternative is wedges, which have a broad platform at the heel. However, increasingly, flat shoes are being accepted in the corporate environment.In India, you can get away with shoes with slightly open toes as well. But in a corporate environment, fully open-toed shoes and slippers are not considered appropriate.

Things to remember: 

If you choose to wear make-up, keep it subtle. In accessories, a delicate necklace or subtle earrings are fine, but avoid wearing large danglers or other garish accessories.