Look Fab and Not Drab for Work!

Conflict: I really don't know whether to announce "My internship has started" in a sad or happy tone. 

Sad because of the measly allowance that they paid me, the long working hours, and also the missed opportunities of working freelance!

Happy because I can at least get some experience in workplace and start wearing my formal clothes!

I am determined to make my workplace as my own fashion runway! Who says that you have to wear drab and boring clothes to work every morning, just because everyone does so? As I was shopping for some working attires, I was horrified to receive an email from the HR department that I have to wear proper formal clothes, black pants, black shoes with no jewelry when I report duty for the first day. Thankfully, it's only for the first day of work! I look horrible for the first day for work even though I was wearing G2000, such a shame! I didn't get to take any pictures though but I was wearing a purple long sleeves (without tucking in), black pants with black FLATS! I can't even look at myself in the mirror!

A change of image is desperately needed! Therefore, ta-daa! 

Day 2 

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

*Just giving out some little tips here, do bear in mind that I am not a fashion expert whatsoever but I am simply expressing my opinions on which I think is best and please do check your company's dress code policy first as some of the companies require their office staff to wear dreary clothes! *

A MUST to get:
1. Nice blouse

You must be wondering what do I mean by that? Well, basically I think the normal button-down blouse especially with plain colors are so boring! Spice it up a little by choosing blouses which have ruffles, frills or at the very least with strips. You can also choose different types of collars or even a V-neck blouse as long as it's not showing too much of cleavage! I mean, you do want people to take you seriously. It's always good to invest on white colour blouse as you can mix and match it with pants and skirts of any colours, and if you find it too dull, some simple accessories can do the trick!
Examples:

(photos by mirumiru.my)

2. High-waist slacks

To be honest, last time I used to think that high waist pants are so 'auntie-like' which just proved how badly I used to dress last time! If you only have plain colour, buttons-up blouse, there's no need to worry! I found that if you pair it with a high waist slacks, it will accentuates your body shape and instantly makes you look like a professional office lady! How incredible is that? It also makes your legs look longer and it is also great for working blouses which are short. I have experiences with Padini where the blouses are too short so it's hard for me to tuck in into my G2000 slacks as it kept slipping out, high-waist slacks basically just solves my problem! In case you are wondering where I bought mine, surprisingly it was Lence (Sunway Pyramid)!
Examples: 

3. Skirt 

I usually prefer my skirt as short as possible, however for working attires we can't exactly do that! Don't wear your casual skirts such as jeans skirts or overly short skirts as your working skirt, it will just show how unprofessional you are. It's always nice to get a pencil skirt or an A-skirt which is just below the knees. If you scared you can't pull it off, always pair it with a pair of heels so that you won't look so dreary or a prude! I found out that long skirts can be quite nice as well and I saw that it is quite popular nowadays ever since the actresses in Korean movie wear them. Those long flowy skirts may have been for casual, but with the right blouse, you can transform it into working attires!
Examples:

(photos by mirumiru.my)

4. Jacket, Blazer, Cardigan
Never underestimate the power of them! Even an informal/casual top or dress would look formal-ish as long as you paired a jacket or a blazer! I do find that a normal blazer is kinda boring but it is quite essential to have it if you have some serious meeting with the top management or something like that. If not, you can have some fun with it! Some jacket or blazers look great with sequins, lace, or some additional touch, like bows or ribbons. You can also opt for colourful blazer or even a cropped jacket, like mine (Cotton On)! 
Examples:

(photos credited to mirumiru.my)

5. Dress
If you look more closely at your workplace, you will find that only 5% of your colleagues will wear a dress and probably that 5% consist of maternity dress. There's really nothing wrong with wearing a dress at work, probably you might be a bit overdressed but who cares? At least you will feel good about yourself! You can actually rummage back your closet and you might find dresses which are too formal to wear casually. If so, match it with a blazer, and you are good to go! If you are still concerned about overdressing, you can restrict yourself to wearing dress on a special occasions, maybe meeting important clients, company functions or so on. I find that dresses with a pencil skirt finish or a trenchcoat type dress are most suitable for workplace. You can also choose a dress which looks like it's a 2-piece. Choose a dress which shows your class and elegance!
Examples:

6. High Heels
You can't forget about your heels! You may think that wearing heels to work is just too much, but on the contrary, it's convenient to wear heels for work! This is because that you are gonna take off your shoes once you are behind the desk anyway, so why not your heels? Usually people tend to wear black leather shoes or flats for their comfort, but heck, I chose style and pretty over comfort! It's not to say that you can't wear flats, there are some really cute flats (usually those 170cm and above can totally pull it off) and you actually can match it well with skirts, but I really drew a line with those black leather shoes! Basically all high heels can be used for work except for those rock&roll studs or chains and probably stilettos with too much of details. I would suggest some simple black pumps or if you are already wearing all black, why not add a lil' bit of flavor with some colors!
Examples:

7. Accessories

 If you look into the mirror, and you felt dull and bored of what you see in the mirror, try to add some accessories! Of course, I don't mean those exaggerated ones but probably some simple and long dangling necklace, or even a scarf might just do the trick. Or you could add on a belt so that you can make your clothings look more professional. Seriously I would recommend to get a thick clincher belt as it can be used for all occasions and even make your clothes look like a new piece! While we are at it, I think that a pair of plain colour leggings is a must for your wardrobe as well so that if your skirt or dress are too short, you could just wear your leggings to sort of hide it! Do you know that if you wear a watch to work, it actually shows that you a person who are into punctuality (a good image for your boss!). 

Examples:

I supposed that's about it! You can see that most of the examples are from the Gossip Girl and that's because they really have fabulous style in Gossip Girl. Blake Lively/Serena Van der Woodsen is absolutely my fashion icon though I could never have her figure! Well, make sure when you shop for your working attire, find something which fits you well and not a potato sack. Of course, though we all would like to make a statement at work, it doesn't mean that you have to start wearing flashy with plunging neckline or even a mini skirt. After writing this post, I realized that I need to do some shopping to stock up my work clothes!

"Dress to impress"