Women’s Working Outfit: How to Create Your Workplace Style

It’s always a tremendous challenge to organize your wardrobe into a set of outfits that will serve you throughout the week. Ideally, you can create a set of outfits that will serve you over the course of two business weeks – two sets of five outfits over ten days. If you can do this, then you’ll free up time to do actual work.

With that in mind, here are some ideas on organizing your wardrobe to create 10 versatile yet iconic outfits. These will not only make selecting your office style easy but will leave you with less of what no hard-working person needs – stress. Let us help you build your women’s working outfit collection.

What is the Best Women’s Working Outfit?

When creating work outfits for women, understanding color is essential. Professional outfits for women should focus on traditional colors for an office environment: think neutral hues like taupe, grey, black, shades of white. While it is possible to break that rule, understand that it is a rule. Neutral hues project confidence and professionalism. These colors can be adjusted depending on season, but these are the basics.

The foundational pieces for working fashions are listed below, with our recommendations for styling.

The Basics of Women’s Work Outfits

Let's focus on what forms the basics of working outfits for women. The goal is to provide a list of essentials for women's work outfits that can be mixed and matched over the course of a week.

The Jacket

You can get by on just one jacket. Seriously. But you need to make the right choice.

In a women’s work outfit, the jacket needs to be one that has little to no closure, has a neutral hue, and looks good over a dress, a tailored pant, or a pencil skirt. The right jacket can be used with anything. You may want to purchase a second one to vary up the look a little. But one jacket will be the tried and true foundation of your work ensemble, no matter the day of the week.

The Dress

A quality shirtdress can work great with said jacket or alone. A practical dress with a stylish silhouette can make a great professional statement when put together with mules or pumps. One or two dresses are perfect for your biweekly needs.

The Tops

A clean white or cream top is a classic must-have.. Silk tops with high necklines are the ideal go-to when creating a professional look. Mixing in matching sweaters and striped shirts in subtle patterns to form a mix of basics you can rely on. We recommend having four or five basic tops in varying styles that you can mix and match as needed.

The Skirts

Pencil midi skirts are also hard to beat. These have been a classic look for nearly a century and create an elegant silhouette. Keep at least two in the closet – one basic option and one with an interesting pattern that sets off other pieces. As long as the colors work with your top pieces, you’ll be set for success.

The Shoes

When deciding on shoes for work heels, mules, and loafers good options. However, you may want to be daring with different colors to set off your style.  It’s often been said that shoes are for women as ties are for men. Mix and match! Have fun with your shoes. We suggest three pairs (one of each type) as basics.

The Pants

We recommend at least three pairs of women’s work pants. One pair can be a dark skinny jean for casual Friday and happy hour, while the others should be dark slim pants.  These are pants that go easily with the previously mentioned  jacket. With these, and a pair of heels, you’ll be on your way to having a workable array of options for every day of the week.

Keeping It Organized

Once you have this all together, we recommend creating your selection of outfits, one for each day of the two-week cycle. Having these set up in your closet on a weekly basis gives you the breathing room for adjusting the next week’s outfits. It also lets you experiment with new items and combinations.

Dos and Don’ts of Workwear for Women

There are some common errors a working woman may make in office fashion. Unfortunately, we’ve all been there. However, here are some tips to look crisp, professional, confident and in-charge.

Don’t Be Too Sexy

Revealing too much is, of course, a faux pax. While we don’t want to look too severe, riding the line between well put together and over the top can be a real problem.

Do Find the Proper Fit

Taking the time to make sure that clothes fit well is time well spent. Too small, too large, and badly tailored clothing are all problems for working women. Make sure you wear the clothes and that the clothes are wearing you.

Don’t Add Too Many Accessories

Nice jewelry and accessories can add flair to any outfit and help you express your style. However, too many accessories can be distracting and ruin a look.

Do Wear Heels (But Make Them Office Friendly)

There are heels and shoe styles that are appropriate for going out. On the other hand, there are office appropriate heel heights. While we’ll leave it to your best judgement when choosing your heels, it’s important to gauge what you feel is appropriate for the dance floor as opposed to the office floor. Then, leaving the dancing shoes for afterhours!

Building the Best Daily Work Look

At UNIONBAY, we’ve worked for years to provide to professional women the looks and styles they need to make a great impression in the office. When searching for the best working outfit for women, be sure to check out our women's clothing styles. These fashion-forward options will help you build a successful working wardrobe you’ll be proud to wear.