STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

Grace wrote:

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I'm looking for ideas of business casual outfits that are a little more sexy/sassy.  Share any ideas you have!

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My first reaction is to warn against it--work is not the place you want to be "sexy/sassy."  Having said that, what do you do?  It'll help give a better idea of how and how much we can push the envelope.  

I wear a lot of Nanette Lepore, Theory, Rebecca Taylor, Robert Rodriguez, and DVF to work, don't know if any of that is your particular style though. 

I like Lepore and dvf for work, too. I feel like they have a good fit and interesting details that keep me from getting bored with my work wardrobe.

I don't think she's going for the hooker look but sometimes office clothing can be boring - I think you can look sexy without being revealing (as in, in a black sheath dress w great peeptoe pumps - totally appropriate but also sexy).

I think you should get your basics, have them tailored nicely to fit your body then look for feminine, fun items like a flowy blouse or wrap dress.. also you could do the same with accessories. Think of a typical work outfit. Add a fun belt, and there you go sexy/sassy minus the skanky.

Suasoria wrote:

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This is sort of my life. Some things I've been wearing to work lately (in a very casual office, mostly guys):

Knit dresses with wedges or high-heeled boots.

Pencil skirts and either a tank/cami under a cardigan, or some kind of knit top that's nicer than a tee, with kitten/low heels. Or the above tops with regular dress slacks.

Cropped dress slacks with flats, short-sleeved blouses, sometimes a cardigan, or cropped dress pants with high-heeled boots and the aforementioned knit top or tank/cardigan. (My office is cold as a meat locker.)

Good jeans, blouse, jacket or blazer, funky heels - not that original, true.

I think fit and proportion are important but mostly I try to balance dressier pieces with more casual pieces. A skirt and heels are professional, but with a more relaxed top, it's not so secretarial as it would be with a fitted button-front shirt. Today I am wearing a black satin blouse, trouser jeans, camel cardigan, and leopard print heels. With slacks this would be too dressy for my office, but with jeans it's good.

Accessories are sassy too - bracelets or fun watches or long necklaces.

 

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I like Susoria's ideas a lot - but on the other hand, I do agree that you don't normally attribute "sexy" to an office environment.  Sometimes it can lead to people treating you less seriously and can hurt future promotions, if you are perceived as not serious about your work, but just flirty.

 

-- Edited by sydney at 19:24, 2008-10-30

I feel obligated to defend "sexy" because I don't agree with this absolute ban on sexy at work.

Sexy is not a synonym for skanky or trashy or clown hooker. Sexy is completely subjective anyway. If you wear high heels to work, some people may find that sexy. If you show any leg, or wear anything form fitting, ditto. If my friend and I buy the same top, it's "sexy" on her because she's a D-cup, but not on me because I'm a small C. Some people are sexy in old jeans and a turtleneck.

I don't wear hardly anything if it doesn't make me at least FEEL sexy. I don't see the point. I want to look like a woman, and I don't do unisex.

I say this as someone who has worked in a male-dominated industry (technology) in a male-dominated company, although ironically, for a female boss. To be frank, I need men to listen to me when I speak, and they don't always want to listen to someone who has boobs. They might allow me to hold their attention a little longer if they like looking at me, so knowing when to bring the sexy has been a huge advantage.

If sexy at work is good for your career, then do sexy at work. If you're ambitious and self-aware, why wouldn't you use whatever tools you can? Is it so easy for women in business today that we don't need image, personality, charm, connections, etc.? In my experience it hasn't been so easy.

I am not advising anyone to get by on beauty, flirting, inappropriate behavior, etc. in place of merit or capability, but I would like to think that if we challenge our understanding of this issue, and turned it around a little bit, we'd agree that we should be entitled to wear what we feel like wearing even from nine to five.