Fab, Functional and Flexible at Work
I admit that my sister always had a better fashion sense than me. I’m not really an expert. More so, the culture among engineering students commonly exudes very simple and casual fashion sense. Nothing really complicated and dashing, just the basic shirt/blouse and jeans with the flats will do. I would sometimes sport some skirt or dress but never really like some students from other departments matched with all the make-up, trendy bags and heels. Why would I wear something like that in our lab?
But coming into a corporate setting changed the way I had to bring myself. Even when I was wearing plain straight cut slacks with a striped long-sleeved polo, I felt like an outcast among our sales ladies wearing tight dresses, blazers, skimpy skirts and the like. Of course I didn’t want to look too attractive like them but I didn’t want to look like a ‘manang’ among them either, especially that I had to show a bit authority despite my fresh grad age. I needed to upgrade my look without losing the sense of simplicity that I’ve grown comfortable with.
So what did I learn in the two and a half years of experimenting and shopping? You have to know first what suits you best and what you are most comfortable to wear. Then you have to make sure that your pieces are Fab, Functional and Flexible. For me, these are fashion staples:
1. Little Black Dress
Remember it should not be too little since corporate attires shouldn’t show a lot of skin. The less skin you show, the more formal and appropriate you are. My little black dress can be worn on its own or it can be paired with a kimono, wrap, shawl or blazer. Its plain and simple style gives you the flexibility to transform it into different outfits. This little black dress is from Terranova.
2. Skinny Slacks
Straight cuts have never suited me and make me look too thin. Since I travel a lot, I always have my two pairs of skinny slacks that are comfortable and can be paired up with any blouse. It’s very flexible since the blouse dictates whether you’re going for a smart casual look or a casual (site inspection-type) look. I always go for pants/slacks with side and back pockets since they are useful for storing my boarding pass, ticket or ID during travels where I have a lot of heavy bags. The gray slacks is from Terranova while the brown one is from my sister. Haha
3. Black Blazer
The very first blazer I bought was black and it has always been a great help in transforming my casual dresses into a corporate outfit. Black matches with everything and as long as you don’t pair it with jeans, it will always give you a good corporate outfit. Best thing about my blazer is that it has two spacious pockets that can store important items like keys or index cards for those days when you need a cheat sheet with you. It’s a simple but very useful fashion item. This one I bought from one of the many random fashion stalls in manila.
Also, never forget the heels to complete the look. In my first few months, my legs and sole were in pain because I had to wear heels. Despite the fact that it was only one and a half inch, the heels were really uncomfortable. It took me a while to learn how to buy comfortable but fashionable ones. Not all expensive heels are comfortable and quality. So far, my most comfortable heels that are value for money are from Payless and Mendrez.
Again, never lose your personal style. Always remember that by the end of the day, what matters is that your outfit is comfortable and useful for you and your work.
But coming into a corporate setting changed the way I had to bring myself. Even when I was wearing plain straight cut slacks with a striped long-sleeved polo, I felt like an outcast among our sales ladies wearing tight dresses, blazers, skimpy skirts and the like. Of course I didn’t want to look too attractive like them but I didn’t want to look like a ‘manang’ among them either, especially that I had to show a bit authority despite my fresh grad age. I needed to upgrade my look without losing the sense of simplicity that I’ve grown comfortable with.
So what did I learn in the two and a half years of experimenting and shopping? You have to know first what suits you best and what you are most comfortable to wear. Then you have to make sure that your pieces are Fab, Functional and Flexible. For me, these are fashion staples:
1. Little Black Dress
Remember it should not be too little since corporate attires shouldn’t show a lot of skin. The less skin you show, the more formal and appropriate you are. My little black dress can be worn on its own or it can be paired with a kimono, wrap, shawl or blazer. Its plain and simple style gives you the flexibility to transform it into different outfits. This little black dress is from Terranova.
2. Skinny Slacks
Straight cuts have never suited me and make me look too thin. Since I travel a lot, I always have my two pairs of skinny slacks that are comfortable and can be paired up with any blouse. It’s very flexible since the blouse dictates whether you’re going for a smart casual look or a casual (site inspection-type) look. I always go for pants/slacks with side and back pockets since they are useful for storing my boarding pass, ticket or ID during travels where I have a lot of heavy bags. The gray slacks is from Terranova while the brown one is from my sister. Haha
3. Black Blazer
The very first blazer I bought was black and it has always been a great help in transforming my casual dresses into a corporate outfit. Black matches with everything and as long as you don’t pair it with jeans, it will always give you a good corporate outfit. Best thing about my blazer is that it has two spacious pockets that can store important items like keys or index cards for those days when you need a cheat sheet with you. It’s a simple but very useful fashion item. This one I bought from one of the many random fashion stalls in manila.
Also, never forget the heels to complete the look. In my first few months, my legs and sole were in pain because I had to wear heels. Despite the fact that it was only one and a half inch, the heels were really uncomfortable. It took me a while to learn how to buy comfortable but fashionable ones. Not all expensive heels are comfortable and quality. So far, my most comfortable heels that are value for money are from Payless and Mendrez.
Again, never lose your personal style. Always remember that by the end of the day, what matters is that your outfit is comfortable and useful for you and your work.
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