Working Girl Fashion Guide

In many workplaces women are a minority in a male dominant environment. As a result, in many cases women try to align with masculine qualities and adapt themselves to the work environment in order to fit in and advance. Sometimes it works but usually it means losing out on the wonderful qualities that come from our differences . And because women are not men, we lose part of our identity when we try to fit in “like men”. That’s why I encourage you to emphasize femininity and stand out as you are! But how do you emphasize femininity in the workplace? After all, in many workplaces it is customary to dress modestly, which suits men perfectly now adays. So…how can we be fashionable and stand out, while still dressing professionally? Here are 3 principles by which you can look sexy even in the workplace:

:DO IT LIKE A MAN

Yes, you read it right – “do it like a man”! In the world of fashion there are many items that have made the transition from men’s wear to women’s fashion with small changes (if any). For example, oxford shoes, oxford shirt, dress pants (tailored pants), fedora hat, blazers, suits, and suitcase-like bags. In addition to the various adaptations of all the items, they can be made more feminine by combining them with soft and feminine items such as lace or a combination of bold and feminine makeup such as bright red lipstick.

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:SHOW OFF YOUR CURVES

It is customary to dress modestly and in the workplace, this means not exposing a lot of skin, not wearing a shirt with plunging cleavage or short shorts, dresses and mini skirts. So how do we highlight our femininity and maintain looking work appropriate? The answer – highlight your curves. You can emphasize the chest area by using a scarf top or a short neckless to draw the eye. Another way to draw attention to the chest is to use a shirt with ruffles that will add volume and emphasize the chest without revealing anything. Another area worth drawing attention to is the waistline (which definitely differentiates the female body from the male body) which can be accentuated with a belt, a high-waisted skirt or dresses that are tight at the waist. A great example of a TV character who uses this method is Joan Harris from Mad Men. She is always dressed appropriately for the workplace but still feminine and sexy as hell.

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:HAVE FUN

Usually when we think of work attire we think of clothes the don’t stick out and minimal prints, but this does not mean that you should avoid using bright and cheerful colors – after all we work most of the days, and we should make the time at work as cheerful and bright as possible. Use shades and colors that will stand out in a male-dominant workplace: pink, orange, light blue, yellow or red. Another way to break the mold is to use clothing items with a print (not too crazy), a floral belt or a dotted blazer, this way you add interest to the routine and stand out with a feminine flair. The character Lane from the movie “Beauty and the Briefcase” (a romantic comedy that I really like) uses this method a lot and shows her unique style in the mostly male business world thus she stands out.

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Now I want to hear from you, what is your favorite way to dress for work and highlight your femininity out of the three ?
And if you have new or different ways to style work-wear I would love to learn and hear about them, so please feel free to write me on all my socials.
I would love to hear from you about everything!

-Sapir-