Dressed to impress? Not really.

Dear Female Colleagues,

Every morning when I come to office, I cannot help but wonder… why is it that young, educated people do not know how to dress appropriately to a workplace? You don't need to wear expensive clothes, or keep buying new stuff all the time. All I'm saying is, once in six months, have a good look at your wardrobe, see what fits you and what doesn’t, what’s faded and what’s torn, what’s meant for office and what’s not. 

If you prefer wearing Indian clothes, this is for you:

·         Waist-length kurtis DO NOT go well with patialas or leggings. They are ideally meant to be paired with jeans.

·         Skin colored leggings honestly do not look good, regardless of your complexion and your figure.

·         If you honestly feel that leggings don’t suit your body shape, then you don’t have to wear them just because everyone else is.

·         If you’re wearing a sari, please learn to drape it well. The pallu should be pinned up and must not fall off your shoulder or sweep the ground beneath you. Also remember, transparent, sequin-y, shiny chiffons look better at parties than at a meeting.

·         Long, shapeless kameezes or kurtis don’t look good and neither do body clinging ones! Go to a tailor and get your clothes stitched properly. If you lose or gain weight, then make sure you get your clothes altered accordingly.

·         You may like to adorn your hair with flowers and wear lots of jewelry that goes with your outfit. But please keep it to a minimum since your colleagues may not be comfortable with the strong fragrance of the jasmine, or with the jangling of your 24 colorful bangles.

·         I understand that not everyone is at ease wearing high heels and that wearing flats is the “in” thing. But wearing rubber chappals is pushing it way too far. There are so many smart-looking flat sandals available these days in all price ranges. Check them out!

If you wear Western clothes, then know that:

·         Black jeans, faded or plain, boot-cut or skinny, are NOT trousers.

·         Formal trousers or skirts are to be worn with formal shoes, not slippers nor sandals and definitely not with floaters. Could a man get away with wearing hawai chappals with formal wear? No. Then why should we?

·         Sequins, bows, bright colors and canvas material do not constitute formal shoes. They should ideally be black and plain.

·         Your low-waist trousers shouldn’t be hanging precariously on your hips. Do that on weekends! For office, use a belt and keep it where it’s meant to be!

·         Ethnic jewelry may not always suit Western wear. Eg: Jhumkis will not do for earrings.

·         Your shirt/blouse should be well fitting. Not loose, not tight, just right. Again, visit a tailor if the store produced ones don’t suit you.
       

Regardless of what you’re wearing:

·         Keep in mind that make-up is also an art. Practice a few times to know what suits your skin tone. Loud colors can look quite ghastly. Make up at work should be subtle and should be used to keep you looking fresh all day.

·         Maintain your hair and your nails. Nothing looks more unprofessional than the just-out-bed hair or dirty nails with peeled off nail polish.

I don’t claim to be a fashionista or perfectly dressed always, but I can see the difference between well dressed and not-so-well dressed. Let’s try and look more professional, isn’t it?

Regards,

A casual observer