I’m sure I’m not the only one when I say sometimes there’s a great deal of pressure on us women to be exemplary wives and mothers, and take care of the household and work tasks, while also looking our best. I don’t mean to complain, but as a busy businesswoman, wife and mum, I’ve struggled with the outfits more than I’d like to admit – especially when it came to corporate wear.

Who could blame me, with the way things were going in the COVID-19-hit 2020, comfort certainly became my preferred choice even more than before, as you might have already guessed by my poncho obsession, as well as comfortable shoes. Thankfully, I found my way out of tasteless, lifeless work looks, and the “I have nothing to wear” mindset with a few carefully chosen pieces.

Finding My Corporate Style

As I shift between formal business attire and business casual, depending on whether I’m meeting up with clients, discussing with partners, or spending time in the office, there are some options of classy and elegant business wear for women that I call my middle ground. This is so because I like to interchange them between the two dress codes.

These include my smart shirts, sophisticated blouses with a relaxed fit, and oxford shirts I like to combine with my carter pants, wide-leg pants, midi skirt, blazers and knit jackets. The reason for this is I’ve figured out I feel most comfortable in these, next to my usual jeans and dresses.

If you aren’t sure about the pieces that would work for you, the dress code you have in your corporate environment is a nice guiding point as it would allow you to see the amount of flexibility you can work with in terms of clothes. This applies to accessories too. In the beginning, when I was still in doubt about the dos and don’ts, I liked to play it safe by keeping the business wear for women simple with a fine leather belt or a scarf of luxurious fabric knowing they’re enough to get that complete-outfit result.

Now when I like to accessorise, I choose the one statement jewellery piece instead of opting to decorate myself like a Christmas tree. In some cases, it’s a maxi necklace or a maxi bracelet, and other times I stick to a couple of rings or show-stopping stud earrings for a smoother outcome.

As for shoes, when I’m in my office, I change it up between my classy sneakers and closed-toe wedges, and when I’m out meeting up with people I count on my comfortable classic yet professional pumps, kitten heels and ankle boots. And when it comes to the ultimate woman’s best friend, I don’t go anywhere without my fancy sling bags.

Finding Your Corporate Style

Investing in business wear is investing in your professional life, so let that motivate you on your next shopping to make it less of a hassle. Now that I know the struggle with maintaining a spotless professional image, I can assure you it’s easy to get over it as long as you find the reliable and fashionable store or retailer that’s got versatile stylish pieces of business wear for women you can choose from.

Moreover, I also suggest you do your bit of research and come to understand what works and what doesn’t for the kind of corporate world you find yourself in. The general guidelines about women in the business world are of help and I like to keep them in mind every time I’m shopping for new outfits, or try to create new combinations with what I already have.

Even though I’m very fond of bright colours, most of the time the corporate setting doesn’t allow for that much flexibility – if this is your case too, you’d be just fine if you opt for whites, earth tones, navy, grey and of course black. If you can’t resist adding a personal touch to your womens office wear with some liveliness, you could save the bold bright colours for the accessories.

The same can be said about women who wear uniforms and want to customise them; a discrete pin, scarf or necklace would do the trick. Just stay away from adding your touch to the outfits with anything that’s too revealing – be it with skirts, blouses, or in some cases even open-toe shoes.

Comfort is still of the essence, so choose business wear for women that’s the right fit, nothing tight and nothing loose. This goes without saying you should use the same strategy when picking footwear too, and even though stilettos have long been viewed as the perfect choice, things have changed for the better.

At least that’s the case with most corporate environments nowadays, with certain exceptions. If you work in an office that doesn’t require you to wear heels, and they don’t make you feel empowered, or worse, they have a bad impact on your health and well-being, you’d look just as powerful and professional in a pair of elegant loafers.