It's a question we ask ourselves every day in hopes that we can find something that is comfortable, stylish, well-fitted, and appropriate. Appropriateness is probably one of the most important. Even if there isn't an official policy, no one wants to go to work looking like the office party-girl. You want to look feminine and intelligent. Joan Holloway (Mad Men) and Rachel Zane (Suits) are my official standards of a happy medium.
Over the past few weeks, I've encountered a couple of things to pay attention to, prior to leaving the house. It's not the most glamourous of topics, but I'm sharing because I have great sympathy for other women or girls who experience the same pain I do.
Pantihose that just don't fit
I have never, ever, heard of one size fits all pantihose not fitting someone. But I have checked, and double-checked, and they most certainly do not fit me. I'm a very small person and somehow, the waistbands are one of the most painful things. They will stretch every where else, but here. I have now turned to thigh highs. They stay up, they don't cover half of my torso, and most importantly, they don't hurt me. I have officially cleared my drawer of painful pantihose.
Skirts that ride up
Anyone have the experience of walking to the office with a heavy jacket on, only to find that when you get there and open your jacket, your skirt has risen so high that it no longer looks like you're wearing one? I have. Luckily I straightened that out in private, but it was still one of the most embarrassing things to ever happen to me. I was paranoid for the rest of the day. I've found that skirts tend to stay down a little better if you're wearing some sort of pantihose (thank god I figured out problem #1), but it doesn't completely get rid of it. If you have a clever trick up your sleeve, I would love to hear it!
Shoes that hurt (sometimes)
On Monday, my shoe will be super comfortable for the whole work day. On Tuesday, it will pinch my toes and blister my heels. I don't get it. I recently bought some slipper socks in hopes that they will prevent this because I love my heels and I really can't live without them. Otherwise, I strongly recommend investing in other footwear for walking to and from the office: tall, low-heeled leather boots for winter (I use Uggs and I will love them until the end of time), rubber boots for spring, Converse sneakers for summer, and a low-heeled ankle boot for fall.
Shirts that droop
Let me just say that I refuse to use double-sided tape on a workday. It just should not be needed. I've found however that it pays to wear a shirt for a full day prior to breaking it out at work, specifically with the type of bra you expect to wear with it. Sometimes. you're going to have to wear a balconette or demi bra. Sometimes, you're going to have to spare the lace and go for something that won't leave any distinguishing lines. These seem like the simplest of messages considering the variety of under garments being sold today, but honestly I have had the unfortunate experience of a) flashing bits of my bra because my shirt falls awkwardly or too low, and b) wearing the wrong colour with a blouse I didn't realize was so sheer. This is regardless of the fact that I am very aware of these problems. So I guess what I'm trying to say is, make sure you really know your garment before you wear it.
