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Ask StyleDash: Professional dress for a 20-something?

by Sarah J. Gim (Subscribe to Sarah J. Gim's posts)
Posted Feb 23rd 2007 at 7:17PM  
1 Comment
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thedelicious' wishlist StyleDash reader Neha sent us an email asking about what to wear to work, basically saying that she needs help looking more "mature":

I am 25 years old and going to work as a business analyst. I would like to know...the perfect hand bags and shoes for my formal dressing style.

Neha, I have been there, girl. When I came out of college, the stars were aligned for me and I landed a kick-ass job that I didn't really deserve. However, I was young, and was working alongside people who were more than 10 years my senior. As sad as it is to say, I had to "dress the part" so they wouldn't have me making copies and coffee for them like some college intern. My entire wardrobe consisted of black slacks, button down shirts in every color of the rainbow, and plain black pumps. Business casual was, to say the least, quite boring.

These days, however, business casual is less restrictive with respect to personal style. Since you are starting out as an analyst in the business world, it's never a bad idea to stay slightly conservative. Here are a few picks to start as the foundation of a wardrobe that will grow as your career does!

If there's any place in your "outfit" where you can be a little more fashion forward, I say it's in the handbag. More than likely, you will carry your handbag into your office or your client's office, then slip it under your desk where it will hide for eight hours. There's no worrying about raising eyebrows. However, if you do want to keep it somewhat subdued, stick with a simple leather bag in either brown or black like the extra large Sandhurst Shoulder Bag from Banana Republic. The bag is large enough to carry all your essentials, including cell phone, PDA, and mp3 player for your commute. Of course, the other option in to go with something super compact that you can slip into a laptop bag.

The same philosophy applies to shoes, and since I am suspecting that you will be spending a lot of time sitting at a desk, you don't have to worry about extraordinary comfort. Just wear anything that matches your outfit, and if you want to add some personality here, don't be afraid.

Pants are the workhorse of the business casual wardrobe. You can wear the same pair of pants every other day if you are disciplined about changing your top and accessories. There are no rule when it comes to pants other than: mke sure they work with your sihouette (i.e. "fit"). A low-rise pair of pants with a wide leg is universally flattering. Start with black, since it goes with everything, then build from there. Personally, I'd go with a navy and white pin-stripe.

With pants, you need tops. Unlike men who are basically restricted to Polo shirts and dress shirts, women can get away with just about anything that isn't too revealing.

If you're like me, you'll want to outfit your work wardrobe with dresses, which are the easiest thing to put on in the morning. When you've slept through the snooze button on your alarm clock one too many times, you don't have to waste time trying to put together a complete outfit since a dress is all-in-one. You can't go wrong with a shirtdress, like the Walter brown shirt dress. For comfort, wrap dresses are awesome since they fit to your size and are usually made with a comfortable fabric that has some give. My choice would be Diane von Furstenberg, but if that' s out of your budget, there are plenty of designers that make similar style wrap dresses.

Hope that help, Neha, and best of luck!

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Filed under: Accessories, Fashion, Best of the Season
Tags: bags, business casual, BusinessCasual, dress, dresses, handbags, pants, purses, shirts, shoes, tops, workwear
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READER COMMENTS

(1)Add A Comment

algi, 2-28-2007, 2:29PM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
algi

i currently live in the caribbean and my wardrobe consists of tank tops and flip flops. in the next couple months, i will be moving to the states to start a medical program. im in desperate need of some professional wardrobe advice for a 25+ and places to purchase

thank you.

Reply »

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