Hands in the air if you get wary about wearing prints at the office! I’m imaging a sea of hands… Well even if you can’t imagine it, know that you are not alone. Getting up the courage to wear prints at work can be tough and knowing how ‘much’ print to wear is a whole other matter.
Last week I wore a black and white printed blouse to the office and I second guess myself sometimes on printed pieces at the office so I thought that others might as well. I knew that discussing my thoughts on the matter might be a good way for others to ease into selecting prints for their wardrobe. Plus, one of my followers asked about my thoughts on prints being professional (Shout out to Christina!).
I think prints at the office are professional and appropriate for women. Men wear prints even in the most professional setting and I believe that in all dress codes: casual to professional, it is acceptable for women. However, there is a line for each dress code and you don’t want to play with that line.
I’ve got three suggestions for wearing prints to the office and one overarching rule. Remember to look at your specific office to get a grip on what’s best for your office; pick a female superior and see what kind of and how she wears prints at work.
Small in the sense of the print themselves: small checks, pinstripes, tiny floral; and small in the sense of the fabric the print is on: scarf, blouse, headband. If you’re worried about wearing prints to the office then starting small is the perfect way to start. There’s no need to go any bigger unless you’re comfortable with it and they’re appropriate for your office.
Stick to classic prints & colors: leopard, floral, tweed, houndstooth, stripes, polka dots, black, white, pastels, muted etc. Starting with neon paint splatter is not going to fly. Quite possibly, ending on neon paint splatter isn’t going to be appropriate either! That would not happen in my office. I might be able to get away with a solid neon blouse under a suit. Or maybe a subtle splatter jacket. Also, look at the picture below where I have a polka dot blouse and a burgundy short sleeve sweater. I’ve ranked it more casual but if I paired the blouse without the sweater it would be MORE conservative. Think about with what and how you pair the print.
Jut don’t do it at work. I know that apparently a plaid skirt and a floral blouse with leopard shoes is super high fashion but if someone walked into a professional office dressed like that I would have to remind myself that judging is not what I get a salary for. Pick a print. Just ONE. If you want to wear all three of those things then wear them on three different days. Not at the same time. You might be able to get away with mixing in a casual workplace but even then … Pair your prints with solid dark colors to tone them down.
Here are some ideas for business professional to casual print wearing:
Finally, my overarching rule is one that is for everyone. If you’ve been wearing prints for years or just getting started, remember this when picking out prints for the office…
Remember you can also get outfit ideas based on your office dress code: professional, conservative, casual. I’ve linked some of my favorite print pieces you can wear to work right now!
