[dora the explore...]

Hi,

I have been outof work force for nearly ten years. Next year I am going to start working for as an office admin. Any idea what to wear these days? Whats the rule of thumb for office dress code? I am guessing the employer is rather relax, not as formal as in banks.

In the past ten years I was also breeding, hence my body changed, so I had to throw away my old work clothes. And I am in my late 30s, if that helps.

Many thanks.

[sikchic]

Hi there,

I have been temping in various different Offices for 6 months now, it really depends on the type of office/work environment. Some are really professional and some work places are really casual.

Mostly I have been wearing Professional black trousers, I bought mine from Jacuai E/Portmans/target. Floral/colourful tops with collars and sleeves. I mostly temp on Front Desk Reception so I need to have a suit for most Office jobs though can get away with a smart cardigan if it gets cold, i still take my jacket just in case.

Suzanne grae has some great tops on sale atm, as well as target and Myer.

With the shoes I tend to wear comfortable flats or small heels as I am constantly moving around the Reception area.

Some Offices have mufti on Fridays so thats always fun.
hope that helps you
all the best in your job.

This post has been edited by sikchic: 31/12/2012, 08:51 AM

[Oilucy]

I generally wear skir and jacket from Cue, shirts from either Cue or Marcs, as well and heels.
I prefer to overdress rather than underdress as its better to look smarter I always think!

[Amy 1976]

As a start, I'd recommend the following that could be mixed and matched:

Knee length pencil skirt in black
Smart black trousers
Long sleeved shirt with collar and cuffs
Coloured or patterned blouse with elbow length sleeves in smart fabric
Cardigan or jacket to wear with skirt or pants
Nude coloured pantyhose (I like voodoo jabou)
Black shoes with small heel (go for leather for comfort)

Hope you enjoy the new job.

[Pearson]

My office is fairly lax,
However, I dont think standards have changed across the board in the past 10 years.
Skirts, trousers, dresses are still pretty standard, nothing too loud in prints (you can add this with the tops) I dont think that animal print is too acceptable in some offices either.
Low heels, or ballet flats.
Blacks & Navy's are the go, with colours added.

Peplum is in, so it hides the "mummy tummy"