Transitioning from college to adult world is big. Going from class to work, sleeping in to going to bed early and of course all of the financial responsibilities. One change that often is forgotten about is the major wardrobe change. Going from jeans and causal outfits to heels and suits takes some adjustment, but the business clothes themselves weren’t the adjustment for me, it was the colors. I knew that the corporate world was a bit conservative, and that neutrals were popular in the same way white girls are popular at Starbucks. However, while working on my most recent job, I must admit I was very taken aback to see everyone in black every day.
At first, I thought it was coincidence, or perhaps there truly was a funeral people were attending, as their clothes resembled funeral black not cool "Manhattan Artist" black. I quickly caught on and noticed that this was not a trend but a culture. Everyone wore black skirts, black dresses, black pants, black jackets with essentially no pop of color ever! I must admit that this made me, with my bubblegum pink coat and coral purse, feel a little out of place. I felt like I must have been doing something wrong, or even worse that my coworkers would not take me seriously or view me as the “Elle Woods” of the office. So I gave in, I wore a black dress with a black blazer, no jewelry and simple black flats. The whole day dragged on and I felt incredibly blah.
I missed my pink blazer, my bright blue dance pants and just color in general. It just wasn’t me. I quickly went back to my typical colorful fashionista outfits and wore a beautiful lime dress with leopard heels the next day.Those mundane clothes were just not me and knowing my co-workers, I knew that they weren’t them either. They didn't have some weird obsession with black or boring clothes but gave off that vibe from their work clothes. But why? They didn’t need to wear clothes that lacked personality to be professional. There are tons of stores that feature professional clothes, and they happen to be in color. Now obviously in a professional setting, certain things are off limits i.e: sequins, neon, heels over four inches, and all forms of leggings. However this still leaves several options. For example :
All of the above outfits are great examples of professional business outfits that are also feminine. Yes, girls, you can still kick ass at your job and wear a pretty dress. At most jobs unless told specifically otherwise, it is not required to dress in black or even dark clothes just to dress professional. So, don’t throw away all of the color from your wardrobe just wear it professionally. I’ll leave you with this as I walk to by business meeting in my leopard heels, azure blue dress and my pink coat.
