unpacking what you really need in your closet and how to make what you already have work for you

Obviously, there’s a time and place for an Ann Taylor pantsuit. But unless your work has the strictest of dress codes, we need to stop thinking about workwear as a separate part of our closets. In my opinion, there is absolutely no reason to buy an entirely new wardrobe just for work - it’s a waste of money, and frankly, a lack of creativity. A lot of the photos below I pulled are STREET STYLE looks!! It’s possible, we can think outside the box.

There are lots of pieces in my closet I wouldn’t wear to the office, just like there are pieces I would never wear to a wedding, or to the beach, or to a workout. But for women, we need to take advantage of the fact that we don’t have to wear a suit and tie every day and start experimenting with our office style.

Renting clothes has absolutely changed the game in terms of the ability to be creative with what I wear. When I started to use Rent the Runway, I tried to rent pieces that could transition from the desk to drinks. There are so many ways to make items you already own “work-appropriate.” Below are some of my thoughts on workwear and some inspiration to get you started.

Blazers

The easiest way to make your slip dresses, skirts, leather pants, jeans, tanks, etc. ready for the office is to throw on a blazer. If I ever feel like I’m pushing the boundaries, I just grab a blazer. I think it’s good to have them in a variety of colors, patterns, lengths, and textures just depending on the season as well as the rest of the outfit. Truly the best investment you can make and SUE ME I love wearing blazers out.

2. Texture Combining

When I am stuck deciding what to wear, I look for textures and patterns that don’t necessarily “match.” Admittedly, this is much easier in the winter when you want to wear something other than the lightest dress in your closet. Thinking about my own closet, I have a pair of yellow satin pants that I’ve never styled for work. With leather flats and a cashmere cardigan layered over a cotton button-down, I can still be conservative in terms of showing skin and fun in terms of colors and textures. Taking an item like a basic pair of black pants and then adding a bright sweater or cropped blazer or oversized button down can help you look at your closet in a new way.

3. Pants are fun, dresses are better

If I had to choose one category of clothing in my closet, it would be dresses. For work, I tend to only wear midis, but there are definitely some shorter dresses in the mix that I usually wear with blazers. A dress is so easy when you’re rushing to work, and paired with a skinny belt and metallic flats like the woman below, you’re good to go and barely had to put any thought into it. I wish I had focused on dresses to wear at a multitude of events when building my wardrobe, instead of now working backwards. But now I know!

4. Get ready to layer

This is something I’m still learning how to do. Take the photo below for example. I would never wear that by itself for work, but with the button down it’s fresh, work-appropriate, and fun. This extends to jewelry, vests, sweaters, dresses… start thinking about how to layer your pieces to make the outfit more interesting. I’ve gotten a lot more bang for my buck with clothes by layering - for example, I have a one shoulder satin dress that I definitely couldn’t wear into the office. But with a sweater and then a skinny belt to pull it all together, I’m now able to wear a wedding guest dress almost as a skirt. And then again to a wedding.

5. Generally, flats>>>heels

Don’t get me wrong, I love being tall. But when I reach for work shoes, they’re usually a loafer, a flat, a mule, or a slingback. Heels are just not comfortable to wear for 8+ hours a day, and I refuse to subjugate myself to that pain. Pack the heels to wear out to drinks after work, but save your feet during the day with flats.