Office Fashion: Planning Outfits or Embracing Flexibility and Organic Style?

Ana- The company I work for, practices hybrid work and leaves requirements to work from the office; up to the managers. I choose to come into the office 3 days a week. I still have to be camera-ready on the two days I work from home.

I do not plan my outfits in advance. There is just too much unpredictability: The weather, my mood, my body, my hair, the office, numbers of face to face meetings.

I built time into my morning routine to address all variables that can interfere with choosing the right outfit. Is it sunny? Is it cloudy? It’s humid? Do I need to go into the office? Do I have a meeting at the office? Do I feel bloated? Do I have many virtual meetings?

Time; however, is not infinite.

Since Corina and I started blogging, I can now see pictures of the outfits we share with all of you. We have quite the library which makes choosing an outfit easier; the mornings when my mind goes blank.

Here are my outfits for the week of June 17-21. It turned out to be a highly variable week. Office days on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, a holiday on Wednesday with one virtual meeting, and the traditional easy Friday at home.

Viejas, all this wonderful flexibility and situational variability requires maximum ingenuity of style.

Next time you come up with an outfit you love, take a selfie. Start a virtual closet. This can be useful whether you are a style planner or an improviser, like me.

Corina- I say both depending on the day and circumstances. If I have an early appointment or must be at work at a specific time, then often I would plan my outfit the night before. I have a long commute, and cannot risk being stuck in traffic because I was late leaving the house. I also embrace spontaneity and flexibility since many times what I wear is tied to how I feel when I wake up in the morning. It can also depend on the weather, how long my day is going to be or whether I am going somewhere after work. When I can't decide I resort to an outfit that I have worn previously or grab that one dress that I can just throw on, add a cute pair of shoes, and walk out the door. 

I go to the office everyday. Luckily, my work place is casual and I do not need suits or heels daily. Below are five outfits - Monday through Friday for any given week.