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I have had a lot of moments in the last few months where I'm standing in front of my closet wondering what I'm expected to show up in at work today. Client meetings, speeches, networking events, etc. all call for a different approach and your attire says a lot about you, like it or not.
In my opinion, social media people shouldn't look like bankers. Maybe some of you disagree and think that the business suit works in all fields at all times but I think that with a lot of clients, a social media team filing into their conference room in business suits can be intimidating. Let's face it, we're going to be talking about Facebook, commenting on blogs, and using the word "widget" with a straight face. This doesn't have to be done in a business suit.
Because of this, I wear a ton of black. Beyond the obvious that black doesn't look wrinkly when it is and hides stains if you are a coffee spiller, there are some good reasons to choose black as your go-to business clothing color.
1) Black always looks semi expensive. Cheap colored dyes look cheap. Cheap material in a light color looks cheap. Black makes it hard to tell what you paid for an item and that's a good thing.
2) Black does not go out of style. Ever. This is great because almost every color has it's day in the sun as the "it" color and however subtle, you date yourself when you wear the lime green 2 months past that time. If you're busy and can't keep up with this, just wear black.
3) Black is soothing. Ever notice that spa and salon employees always wear all black? It's to hide hair and dye of course but (and maybe it's just me) whenever I see a sleek woman in all black I get that warm "I'm about to have a beauty treatment" feeling. If I have that feeling in my head when I meet new clients, there's less of a chance that I'll be a stress case.
4) You can look super stylish by adding accessories. You know the neon that everyone's sporting right now? Wear an all black outfit with a neon pink scarf or bright earrings. Next fall, when the trend is bohemian metals, you can simply retire the scarf in favor of some dangly antique earrings and you didn't have to replace the entire outfit.
I recently found the most amazing black pants ever. I tried on approximately (Bianca back me up on this) 200 pairs of black pants in Denver looking for the perfect pair of comfy but formal-ish black pants. I found them at Black House White Market and they aren't on the website but they are available in gaucho length and long. They are soft and flowy and totally worth the $78. Perfect for traveling (I cannot stand wearing sweats on a plane but want to be comfortable).
photos from lookbook.nu
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Comments
06.09.09
And just like Carrie Bradshaw, you can always style it up with some shoes. I'm a fan of the pump because pumps rarely go out of style. Plus, shoes seem to always fit from season to season, whereas your favorite jacket from the year before might have gotten a little tight after winter hibernation. Thanks for the post!
06.09.09
Sometimes I dress exactly like the young Asian chap in the last picture to meetings. Its always a big hit.
06.09.09
I honestly get tired of black. I always wonder why some people in the office can wear black everyday and never complain about it.
I wouldn't say I was the most stylish person in the world, but I certainly like to liven my mood and my body language with some sort of pop of color.
..But I do agree. On the days where everything looks like its too small, or doesn't fit in all the wrong places, black is always there waiting for me.
06.09.09
I'm down with black. but it has to look professional. No faded black, please.
Also, if you're anything like me, stay away from the following things: White-out, yogurt, sour cream and ranch dressing. These are not your best friends when you're wearing black :)
06.09.09
Mehanz - I'm a notorious spiller. This generally happens within the first 6 minutes of my workday so it looks like I never do laundry. :)
06.09.09
I like reading about fashion, so I loved this post. I would like to add that if you're a blonde (like me) navy is often more flattering because it doesn't wash you out.
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