I started ditching my shorts, shirts and slippers when I graduated from the University a year ago and began investing in polo tops, pencil skirts and black pants when I started working for an architecture firm in the Metro. I think I (and most of the people I know and am close to) am in the phase of my life when I need to start proving myself and making myself known in my profession. Possessing the right talents and skills is the formula to success, along with numerous other things a young professional must consider – projecting a good self-image, for example.

It’s a given, making oneself presentable is one of the must-do’s in the professional scene. Even though admittedly not all professionals dress alike (the nature of the chosen field is always a factor), I came up with a quick guide to corporate dressing for girls like me who sometimes need to dress up for corporate meetings and presentations to clients.

I am a believer that good office wear doesn’t have to be in black and white as I have emphasized in an earlier post about corporate dressing. However, choosing and matching the right colors is also very important. I usually go for soft, pastel colors to project youthfulness (I am still young, after all.) and I can also be seen in neutral hues with a pop of color somewhere (shoes or necklace or top or pants) like this outfit I have on. I think the skirt in dark red contrasts well with the black and white top.

Just a little story, in one of the meetings I attended, a colleague (with a fashion sense I have come to admire) was wearing a bright pink jumpsuit. It wasn’t so much of an eyesore, she definitely knows how to carry it. However, several days after, she told us the story of how after she wore it to the office, their office admin released a memo reminding people to stick to the corporate colors – black, white, gray, neutrals. @.@ I did not know some offices are that strict! I’m not encouraging people to stick to the safe side, but guys, neon overalls are still neon overalls.

You already know about showing off your best features and concealing the not-so good ones. Yes, it’s a basic fashion rule. Yet, I still wear body-con skirts even with my lack of an ASS-et. Nobody has a perfect bod (or at least I pretend to think so haha) so continue to reveal and conceal but don’t let it majorly stop you from trying on different clothing styles.

My point in here lies more on the right balance of flaunting and covering. Work is never a party scene so skimpy outfits won’t do. I think short skirts are okay so long as your upper body is properly covered. For sleeveless tops, be sure to pair it with a pretty conservative bottom. In this outfit, although I’m wearing a top that shows off a bit of skin, I matched it with a pencil skirt so that it can still give off the corporate feel without compromising the style I wanted to go for.

More often than not, I can be seen in the office these days with a long sleeve polo and a pair of pants. The balance?  The top is in sheer. Hehe.

It’s never about the brand. I wear clothes from bazaars and I still walk with confidence in it.

It’s not about having the perfect body. Because of work, admit it or not, most of us lack an active lifestyle. So yes, those bulges that show in all the wrong places are unavoidable (and understandable)!

It’s simple, really. Just wear your clothes with confidence.

Here are items I would love to wear with the outfit to complete the look. I decided to include an Outfit Wishlist in my posts because honestly I can’t buy everything but I would still love to show you how I’d style the whole look.

Chiffon Black Blazer. Nothing completes a corporate wear better than a blazer. Instead of the regular ones out there, I decided on this chiffon piece to let the interesting cut-outs on my top see through.

Melina Nassau Wedge. I first saw a white counterpart of this pair of wedges on Camille Co’s blog and I loved them immediately. They are a bit pricey for me so I included them in the wishlist instead. They’ll go well with anything!

I’m no expert in corporate dressing but I hope you liked this post. Feel free to add anything to my short list. I would love to hear from you!