Thursday 20 February 2014

101: Building Your Business Wear Wardrobe! (Photos)


I just graduated from my BCom program in August 2013! (6 months ago now. Doesn't feel like it's been that long... huh, wow!)
Two weeks into the Business program, we were all to attend our first conference - told to stay the whole day, practice our business etiquette, and most important (& most challenging for me at the time):
to dress
PROFESSIONALLY.

Now at that time, being Business students, one might think that we all had our suits bought & ready to go, right? Oh, no no.
After that weekend, I made it a sort-of "mission" of mine to slowly but surely build a more COMPLETE business wear wardrobe than I had started with, so I'd be ready for the rest of that year (& even for work afterwards!)

So, here's a quick run down of the different components you might need to wear for work post-grad,
I hope it helps!!

-- ♥ --


If you're just starting out, I'd even pick just ONE from each of the following categories,
and you'll have a solid start! :)





1. FULLY MATCHING OUTFIT
Matching Dress-and-Jacket  Matching Skirt Suit  Matching Pant Suit



2. BLAZER
Classic Black  Casual Rolled-Sleeve  Coloured Casual



3. SHIRT
Classic Plain Button-Up  Chiffon Shirt  Colourful Blouse

Sweater  Cardigan (fancy or simple)  Plain T



4. BOTTOMS
Classic Pencil Skirt  Trousers/Slacks  Flowy Long Skirt



5. JACKET
Duffel Coat  Pea Coat  Trench Coat



6. SHOES
Heels  Kitten Heels  Flats



7. ACCESSORIES
Bag  Statement Necklace  Scarf




What's your staple piece for a work wardrobe?


Thanks for reading!! :)

♥ Cachoo Joo.



20 comments:

  1. Thanks for the ideas! I'd say that a pencil skirt is a must :) Of course, it shouldn't be too short as you could give a wrong impression!
    xx, Tina

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    1. No problem! And I agree with ya there! Gotta keep it classy if you're gonna wear a skirt to the office :)

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  2. This is such a good post- I haven't seen a post like this before :). It's given me some great tips as hopefully I'll be a working woman when I graduate so thanks so much for the stylish work inspiration! Alice xx
    www.aliceinalookingglass.com

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    1. Oh yay that's awesome :D I'm so glad I could help!! I'm hoping to be a working woman myself too soon haha it's definitely a lot more fun shopping for work clothes than I thought at first! Have fun shopping :)!

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  3. I work with children so mine would be anything I don't mind getting dirty!! :) would love to be able to wear a pretty outfit to work though! I think a blazer always makes an outfit look smart though! Xx

    www.tinytaniatalks.co.uk

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    1. That's awesome that you can wear anything!! One thing at my last job that I kiiinda missed more than I thought I would was jeans haha! Blazers are nice too sometimes, they polish off certain outfits quite nicely hey! :)

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  4. These are great tips for business wear! I definitely need to work on building my collection. However I always keep some chic blazers aside for when I need them. I think its important to look professional while maintaining your unique sense of style. The pieces you picked can definitely contribute to that!

    looksbylau.blogspot.com

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    1. Thanks Christina!! Ya at first it'd a little daunting trying to decide where to start...!! Incorporate a bit of your personality where you can I think is definitely important too :) it can make you stand out a bit if you want or even give you that little confidence boost you might want!

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  5. Personally, Blazer is a must for office because it can instantly turn a casual outfit into a business attire. I don't like working in an office, it is so boring and so serious, unless you have some crazy bunch of people who are not scared of their boss and can have a bit of fun.

    Pencil skirt is another good piece to have in your office wardrobe. Tuck a loose causal t-shirt inside the pencil skirt, add pointed courts and you are ready to rock.

    By the way, congrats on competing and surviving the course. My brother did business management and I use to get headaches looking at him do his work :D

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    1. Haha hey Naaj! Thanks!! Ya, I had my fair share of stressful times in Business School but it was definitely worth it in the end :)
      I've got a black formal blazer which is cool but I'm still lookin for a more casual blazer to add to my wardrobe eventually I think! And same with a good pencil skirt! It definitely can be fun looking for different kinds of office clothes :)

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  6. Ah I'm starting a year placement in a Primary School next year and have to wear "business attire"
    So this is actually super helpful for me!!

    Oh, I have a giveaway at the moment! Would love you to enter. Kelly from |Daydreams & Daisychains

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    1. Oh cool!! Woo I'm glad I could help!! :) Once you get started building the "business attire" section of your wardrobe, it'll get less "ahh where do i start?!" and more "why can't I buy everything?!" haha happy shopping! :D

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  7. Such a great and helpful post. I remember how I struggled with work wardrobe when I started working. Xx

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    1. Aww thanks Ella! Ya it can be a little confusing or overwhelming at first, but it gets better for sure hey :)

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  8. Love your picks! My wardrobe staple is a Zara LBD I've been wearing for years. It's still ok and very classy. Whenever I feel insecure, I wear it because It gives me confidence.

    Jasmine xx
    For a Real Woman
    So easy Spanish!

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    1. Oh ya an LBD would be great! And you could even put a blazer or nice trench over it - so nice! :)

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  9. So much blazer love in my work wardrobe! Classes up any plain tee, or dress.

    xo, Liz
    www.casualconcern.com

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    1. Ahhh I wish I had a couple more blazers! I'm casually on the look out for some more haha

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  10. Perfect perfect post!

    For me personally - living in the UK especially - you can never have too many tailored jackets or smart scarves!

    Sinéad xo ♥ fabuleuse, toujours ♥

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    1. Thanks Sinéad!!
      Ohhh I think it'd be so cool to have more scarves than I do atm! They can make an outfit look so chic & put together :D same with tailored jackets!

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