I'm looking for 'business casual' role models.
February 4, 2012 2:47 PM Subscribe
I'm looking for 'business casual' role models. For example, I think I like how Maria Bartiromo dresses... any other women I could look to for style inspiration?
I work in the financial industry but my office is somewhat casual. Jeans are okay during the week, but I'd like to go just one step up without going overboard to the full Brooks Brothers getup. Relaxed but dressy, minimalist. I'm in my early 30's.
I'm just looking for examples of workplace style on real women versus the women wearing clothes in the catalogs, and am not really finding a lot of women inside my office to look to. Any style role models you can think of? Examples from movies, or even good website resources? Doing a google search for 'business casual for women' is coming up a bit all over the place.
I work in the financial industry but my office is somewhat casual. Jeans are okay during the week, but I'd like to go just one step up without going overboard to the full Brooks Brothers getup. Relaxed but dressy, minimalist. I'm in my early 30's.
I'm just looking for examples of workplace style on real women versus the women wearing clothes in the catalogs, and am not really finding a lot of women inside my office to look to. Any style role models you can think of? Examples from movies, or even good website resources? Doing a google search for 'business casual for women' is coming up a bit all over the place.
Have you looked at Corporette? It's mostly aimed at lawyers, but their business casual posts and what to wear to work on the weekends posts might have some ideas for you.
on preview: what decathecting said. You might also try Tom & Lorenzo "gal on the street" posts for high fashion, carefully orchestrated casual outfits, if that's your end of the style spectrum. It's usually men, but you get women celebs, too.
posted by crush-onastick at 3:20 PM on February 4, 2012
on preview: what decathecting said. You might also try Tom & Lorenzo "gal on the street" posts for high fashion, carefully orchestrated casual outfits, if that's your end of the style spectrum. It's usually men, but you get women celebs, too.
posted by crush-onastick at 3:20 PM on February 4, 2012
Look at the 60 year old women managers, if there are any, and dress like that. I'm not saying you should shop where they shop, but pay attention how they dress, especially on Friday. Both men and women of that age have kind of reluctantly accepted "dress down Fridays" a while back. Business casual they're not quite on board with. My advice would be dress how you want that fits your dress code M-W (but no jeans), dress your best on Thursday, and look great but *always* wear jeans on Friday.
Take a look around your office next Friday and my bet is that you will suddenly notice for the first time that 60+ year olds you never knew owned jeans wear them *only* on Fridays. This is their half-hearted buy-in to the new world order. If the older managers see you too wearing jeans *just* on Fridays, your favor with them will rise. On Thursdays you should dress your best, especially in the financial industry. This has traditionally been known as "client night", where sales types take their clients out on the town to hopefully secure their future business. Watch for a week or two and see if you see the same pattern at your office: M-W anything goes but older people never wear jeans, Th-everybody old looks their best, F- look for older people in jeans. BTW, don't be thrown off by younger people who don't know any better dressing better on Fridays because they're headed off to happy hour. Don't let your managers mentally group you in with that crowd.
Disclosure: I'm 51 and have been watching these patterns for decades.
posted by Rafaelloello at 3:41 PM on February 4, 2012 [2 favorites]
Take a look around your office next Friday and my bet is that you will suddenly notice for the first time that 60+ year olds you never knew owned jeans wear them *only* on Fridays. This is their half-hearted buy-in to the new world order. If the older managers see you too wearing jeans *just* on Fridays, your favor with them will rise. On Thursdays you should dress your best, especially in the financial industry. This has traditionally been known as "client night", where sales types take their clients out on the town to hopefully secure their future business. Watch for a week or two and see if you see the same pattern at your office: M-W anything goes but older people never wear jeans, Th-everybody old looks their best, F- look for older people in jeans. BTW, don't be thrown off by younger people who don't know any better dressing better on Fridays because they're headed off to happy hour. Don't let your managers mentally group you in with that crowd.
Disclosure: I'm 51 and have been watching these patterns for decades.
posted by Rafaelloello at 3:41 PM on February 4, 2012 [2 favorites]
Omiru can be somewhat hit or miss, but they have a huge list of links to similar women's fashion blogs that you may find helpful to explore.
posted by monkeys with typewriters at 4:21 PM on February 4, 2012
posted by monkeys with typewriters at 4:21 PM on February 4, 2012
I saw a piece on Michelle Bachmann's campaign wear the other day. Her clothes are actually pretty cute.
posted by stoneandstar at 4:30 PM on February 4, 2012
posted by stoneandstar at 4:30 PM on February 4, 2012
I covet pretty much every outfit Portia de Rossi wears on Arrested Development. (Well, except for the awful red tanktop Lindsay wears to the prison.) A lot of neutrals or near-neutrals with an edge. Everything looks expensive. Were I back working in lower Manhattan again, it's the look I'd go for.
posted by mochapickle at 6:37 PM on February 4, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by mochapickle at 6:37 PM on February 4, 2012 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thanks for the ideas - Corporette looks like a great resource, and I'll keep looking for inspiration around the office. I'm going to need to re-watch Arrested Development now, too!
posted by belau at 5:12 PM on February 5, 2012
posted by belau at 5:12 PM on February 5, 2012
« Older [This variation] is Oll Korrect. | How do we get the smell of mothballs out of baby... Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by decathecting at 3:15 PM on February 4, 2012