Here’s a look to consider if you want an interesting way to look polished for work or for a business environment. Let’s dive a little more about how each pieces gel together.
Pencil Dress
If you have heard of pencil skirt, then a pencil dress should sound familiar to you. A pencil skirt is a tight tapered skirt that usually falls above or slightly below the knees. The pencil dress look the same way, except that it is in one-piece. The thing about pencil dress is how it instantly preps you up for a look that’s appropriate in professional settings.
Good fit is important
As this type of dress is usually tight around the hip area, its important to wear one that fits you. You don’t want it to be too tight and make your tummy obvious, or wear an ill fitting one that has excess cloth around the hip area. If you can’t find a suitable one in the stores, it will be worth to spend a little more money to have it tailor-made.
This is a piece of classic work-wear, you can’t go wrong with it in neutral shades like black, brown or grey. If you are someone who like more details, you can get one with some prints on the fabric, like small dots or smart checks (like the one above). Extra design details like the little drapes around the hip area also makes the dress different from the usual designs.
Ankle Booties
Black pumps are always the safest shoes to match with this type of outfit. If you want to be more creative, you can opt for ankle booties, which will add some fun to your usual work-wear. Due to its larger surface area, ankle booties are strong visual items that people tend to notice first. Hence, you want to tone it down by wearing a neutral pair (black/brown/nude), which will give you more mileage. Avoid strong colors like white, silver, purple or red.
Accessories
Accessories are like your ‘tools’ that you can use at the right time to ‘fix’ your look. For example, there’s just something about large black shades that will help create that ‘wow’ factor instantly. Just remember not to wear them indoors, otherwise you will look like a poser.
You also can’t go wrong with a classic looking black watch with round dial that will go well with most outfit. Lastly, a good quality black leather hand-held bag for work can help you look smart and polished. For a unique look, choose one with interesting shape and handle as the one above.
Black belt
A black belt will always help to define your waist and gives a slimmer illusion. Alternatively, you can also choose one of the same color that matches the components of your dress. For example, if the checks are in brown, you can wear a brown belt in a similar shade.
Final Note
Its always good to plan your outfit before hand to ensure that every piece you wear has a role to play. Last minute wardrobe decisions can sometimes lead to randomly thrown together pieces that result in a confusing or unflattering look. The most important thing is that the overall look must gel together and be able to flow visually in a pleasing manner. It’s great to experiment with your look, because the more you practice, the better you’ll get!
(Header Image Credit: Alan Cleaver)