The question of “what do I wear to work?” has never been this hard to answer.
The pandemic made it normal to wear pajamas and sweats while working from home, and casual dress followed workers as they returned to offices over the years.
Naturally, corners of the internet have since lit up in debate over the appropriateness of crop tops, shorts and office sirens in the workplace.
Social media, the internet and everyone you talk to will have a different idea of what appropriate workwear is. Your personal work style will also depend on the type of job you have, the company you work for, your general industry and what city you live in.
To give some general rules of thumb, CNBC Make It spoke with etiquette experts and stylish office workers for their best advice on how to figure out what to wear to the office right now:
on social media. (She credits LA-based content creator Mars Chasolen, known as yung.planet online, as inspiration.)
Bird says it’s important to wear light layers to get through the Texas heat. She sticks to classic silhouettes of dress shirts, long skirts and trousers but swaps out heavier fabrics for cotton and linen for summer.
Then, in the air-conditioned office, she always has a sweater, blazer or blanket handy.
Dominique Bird documents her “corporate goth” style on social media.
Courtesy of subject
wardrobe budget or office formality, make an effort to look tidy, whether you’re wearing a suit or jeans and sneakers, Shellis says. That means ironing your garments, making sure there aren’t any holes or frayed threads, and keeping your shoes clean.
“I’m a huge believer that you can have a $2,000 outfit on, but if you have bad shoes, you’ve just ruined the whole look,” Shellis says.
