Apparel to Avoid in the Workplace

I work in a pretty casual environment (read: I wear jeans to work most days), but that is no excuse for some of the apparel I have seen worn to work over the years. Even though I don’t make the rules in the office, I believe that some items are better left outside of the corporate world, and that is why you will never catch me in any of these at work.

Beach flip flops
As a rule, if you would wear it to the beach, you should never wear it to the office. That stands for swimsuits, tunics, floppy hats, and flip flops. I don’t care how much you spent on them, they just don’t belong.

Instead, opt for a ballet flat. They pretty much go with everything and have been popular for a while, so you can find them in essentially every pattern and style. My new favorite ballet flat trend is the skinny ankle strap.

ShortsI’ve seen countless male coworkers at work in shorts, but unless you are going for a tailored, to-the-knee style, you should avoid them. A few years ago, an intern made it a habit to wear loud-print, just-covering-the-necessaries shorts. I couldn’t believe anyone would show up like that and expect to be taken seriously in a professional environment; never mind the comments I heard spoken about her. I personally don’t feel comfortable wearing shorts to work, but if you do, opt for a style that fits in the Catholic school rule – below the fingertips!

Instead of shorts, try a pencil skirt in a bright color or a fun pattern. A casual t-shirt doesn’t look as laid-back when it’s paired with a fun floral.

Ripped jeans
Sure, the light-washed, torn look is totally in right now, but unless you work in a creative environment, you probably should save these for the weekend. Like I said, I wear jeans most days to work, but they are typically darker washes, tailored, and sometimes look more like dress pants than denim.

Colored denim in darker hues, dark denim, and cropped patterned pants are all good options.