HOW TO LOOK STYLISH IN THE OFFICE

Golden October weather at its best! Temperatures here in Germany were similar to the ones I enjoyed in Portugal last week. Back at work I want to show you a typical office look taken during my lunch break. Black&Blue is a mix I like a lot, I often pair jeans with a black blazer (make sure you come back for my next post) and also wore this colour combination here.

There are dress codes for various branches and you may have to obey a certain rule in your position. I work in a military, male dominated environment and I am dealing with visitors and high ranking officers and officials on a regular basis which involves a close cooperation with our Protocol Department.

LENGTH

Like in any professional environment pay attention to the length of your skirt or dress. I have a few clothes with a length at the edge of my personal comfort zone but some of them work very well with opaque tights.

BLAZER
Usually blazers are part of my office outfits as they complete a professional look. Make sure the fabric isn't too stiff or thick. This one is form fitted yet lightweight and comfortable when I sit at my desk. Alternatively I wear classic cardigans over a top or a dress. I prefer them to jumpers as they allow me to leave them open or even take them off a lot easier.

JEWELLERY
If you wear dark or neutral colours, accessorize them with some statement jewellery. Make make sure your earrings aren't too big as the clacking noise when answering the phone is distracting (I wore these only for the photos as they match the necklace!). I also find bangles not practical at work and go for bracelets instead.

HANDBAG
A classy handbag adds a professional touch to your attire. Usually I carry my lunch or other smaller items like sunglasses, gloves or in winter even a second pair of shoes to work. If my handbag is too small, I use an extra tote bag and love my Longchamps bags for that purpose.

WHAT DO YOU WEAR AT WORK? DO YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW A DRESS CODE?

JUMP START A NEW WORK WARDROBE

I couldn't be more excited about being mentioned in the Wall Street Journal as "amongst the best blogs for fashionable mature women" here: http://on.wsj.com/18FnVWu 

When we took these photos in the glorious sunshine we had to stop every couple of minutes as a lot of people went for a walk - including that cat which obviously enjoyed the warm weather too!

 

Photos taken by Jasmin

Blazer H&M | absolutely love this and this via Piperlime
Skirt H&M | fabulous in black&blue by Mango or printed by F21
Bag Dorothy Perkins (similar) | lovely options by Mango and asos
Pumps Di Lauro | similar by Nine West and ALDO via asos
Necklace and earrings Accessorize (option) | gorgeous by BaubleBar and asos
Bracelets and ring H&M | similar by F21 here and here or Jeweliq
Shapewear Tights c/o ITEM m6
Layering top c/o adea

Black handbags for a stylish yet professional office look

I recently had a fantastic collaboration with Style Expert Deborah Boland and her team of Fabulous After 40 and created a set of polyvore collages for her new e-books Chic on the Cheap and Color Me Fabulous .

You can order the e-books by simply clicking on the covers below.

CHIC ON THE CHEAP		COLOR ME FABULOUS
You’ll feel more attractive!		What colors am I supposed to wear if not black?
Your confidence will surge!		How do you know which are my WOW colors?
You’ll send the message that you are modern and hip and that your ideas are too!		Won’t I look fat if I don’t wear black?
Your wonderful personality will be expressed to the world!		What other colors spell "old lady" and do I need to avoid?
You’ll be inspired to get in the world and have some fun!		What are this season’s most popular colors and will they suit me, especially now I’m over 40?