When getting dressed for the office, it can be difficult to pinpoint how you’d like to present yourself. Maybe you’re into dressing for success with high-quality suit sets and pumps, or maybe you simply want to feel comfortable while you work throughout the day in a simple top and pants combination. Quiet luxury meets both of those criteria.
While quiet luxury is no longer a large conversation in fashion and is a passing “core” trend, the overarching values beneath it are still present and work well for dressing for the office. The modern professional, the Black woman in corporate needs comfort as well as a confidence boost while calling all the shots at work. As we know, being a Black woman in any work environment is already difficult, but doing so while in corporate offices is a different ballpark. Presenting yourself as a capable employee in the office starts with how you feel inward, and dressing the part can help with that. Choosing outfits with quiet luxury in mind for the office does not mean you have to spend large amounts of money. Instead, it means you have to prioritize a capsule wardrobe to ensure your looks are cohesive and true to your style without compromising quality.
We’re here to help you tap into your inner boss as a modern-day professional with tips on how to style yourself for the office. Think suit sets, comfort, and an everyday bag. We have the right outfit combinations to ensure the pieces you decide to get are versatile to style over and over again.
Keep scrolling to learn more about our tips for the modern-day professional’s quiet luxury wardrobe.
Suited Up
A suit set whether with pants or a skirt has always been a powerful identifier in the office. You can always add flair to your suits even if they are in a classic black hue. Add a brooch or pin that has significant meaning to you on the lapel or even at the closure to create an elevated button. If your office permits, wear your suit in a colorful shade that makes you feel like you can take on anything that’s thrown at you. Or you can wear elevated suiting with cutouts and imaginative plays on the classic silhouette. Molly from Insecure in the show’s fourth season provides a stellar example. In that season, she wore deep-hued burgundy suits, plaid suits, and colorful accessories all while adhering to the professional setting of a lawyer’s office. You can do the same if you feel you’re more of a fashion girl than the workplace lets you be.
Find An Everyday Work Bag
A sturdy everyday work bag that has enough space for your essential belongings from a laptop to a small makeup bag for later is an office necessity. The quiet luxury aspect of this is that quality above all is the priority. You’ll want this bag to be more of a square shape with a flat bottom like the black Caye bag from Paloma Wool. Bags like that speak to the professional energy you’re wanting to keep while still coming off as chic with its patent sheen leather finish. It’s more than just a tote bag, but a bag that will last you throughout your days at work and transition easily for your after-office-hours outfits. When picking out this bag, think about what’s already in your closet that would pair easily with it.
Lean On Versatile Blouses
What we envision when thinking about a work blouse is a satin V-neck layered underneath a blazer or a high-neck chiffon top. Those are still appropriate options when going to the office, but you can add other versatile tops in the mix including a loose button-down top that can come in a satin fabric or a striped cotton, a light knit vest that you can layer over said button down or a T-shirt, collared ribbed knit shirts with trousers, or basic tops made with a dense fabric similar to suiting like Zara’s ruched top. The options are plentiful. Even suit vests with a matching pair of trousers are in for the office and can be in any array of colors you please.
Key In On Accessories And Details
Feeling luxe is all in the details. Adding pieces like dainty jewelry or jewelry with texture like this hammered COS hoop is the best route for adding elegant details to your look. Other accessories like shoes from mules to pumps to sneakers is another way to elevate your outfit. You can add other pieces like hair clips with gold or silver details, a few rings to stack on your hands, or a classic nameplate necklace. Your shoes can also have interesting additions like a clear heel or a pattern on the strap like the black leather pumps from Jil Sander. Those small touches are ways to incorporate personal style into your outfits for work without compromising professionalism. Not every uniform has to be boring.
It’s All About Comfort
Dressing for the office is all about comfort first and foremost. You can achieve this with pieces made from soft fabrics, shoes with the appropriate cushion, and silhouettes that accentuate your body how you’d like them to. You can spend how much you want for this feeling, but it doesn’t require exuberant spending, but rather a mindfulness on your personal style in and out of the office, how you want to be perceived, and how you see yourself. If ultra-high pumps with a suit isn’t who you are then another avenue of dressing is always an option. You can be comfortable in the office without looking like you’re working through Zoom. Try outfits like the previously mentioned above with a comfortable vest and loose trousers or a satin button-down over a pair of slacks and a low-heeled mule. When you get creative, your options might surprise you.
Quiet luxury meeting office politics doesn’t have to be daunting with these tips. Dress like the boss you are in comfort and chic style with pieces that make you feel like the best version of yourself.
