What I'm Buying to Dress Better for Work This Year

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(Image credit: Claudio Lavenia/Getty Images)

Fun-fact: At WWW HQ, there’s no official dress code. Is she serious?! Yes, I am. I can literally wear anything I want to work (and sometimes I do), but that usually means jeans and a T-shirt since thankfully, I’m not much of a sweatpants or leggings girl.

So, where is she going with this? Well, here’s the thing. While I could technically be lazy and get away with wearing the same thing to work every day with no real professional repercussions, I don’t really want to be that person. In fact, sometimes I wish we did have a dress code, so I would be forced into infusing some more polish into my day-to-day style, but since we do not, the onus is on me to self-motivate. With that, I'm hoping 2019 is the year I actually make it happen, and I'm banking on the below five pieces to help.

I figured that if I have an arsenal of certain items, such as blazers and comfortable heels, then not only will I elevate my jeans-and-T-shirt combo, but I might even be able to trick myself out of wearing it all the time. 

One last miscellaneous disclaimer before you start shopping: You’ll notice there are no blouses on this list. That’s because I hate them (hence all the other pieces to try to make up for it). I don’t know why, but if it’s not a sweater or T-shirt, I just can’t wear it. Now, carry on with the shopping! 

Blazers

Boy, do they do wonders for an outfit. You can wear a blazer over a trash bag and still look like you’re ready for business. Nonetheless, I’m going to be wearing mine with some of the next items you’re about to read about.

Pants *That Aren’t Jeans*

This one is tough for me because I practically live in jeans, but even so, I can’t deny that a pair of trousers or leather pants can make a big difference in terms of professionalizing your look.

Comfortable Heels

Emphasis on the comfort factor, because if they’re not, I’ll never find the strength to wear them for a full day at the office. Wearing even a short heel really does add an immense amount of polish to any outfit.

Chic Carryalls

As in, a bag I can carry my laptop and daily essentials in that isn’t a promotional tote but also isn’t excessively large. Harder to find than you think without going into early-2000-Olsen-Twins territory.

Midi Skirts

Midi skirts are great because they’re so easy to wear. You can style them with boots, kitten heels or sandals, and any top (which in my case is probably a fitted sweater), and they give your overall outfit a sense of I tried.

Up next? Shop cashmere sweaters at every budget, that you can also wear to work.

Editor-at-Large

Since starting as an intern back in 2013, Nicole Akhtarzad Eshaghpour has held several roles here at Who What Wear, and she is currently Editor-at-Large. It was a less expected route, seeing as she was graduating from business school at USC when this all began, but it has turned out to be the best one for her. Fast-forward to 2020, and she's moved to NYC from her hometown of Beverly Hills and spends her workdays a little differently from when she was an intern starting out. Currently, she focuses on a weekly mélange of shopping content. As far as her personal style goes, she's largely drawn to classic pieces and neutral basics but will always make an exception for something colorful, printed, or bejeweled as long as it's deemed worthy enough. After all, the only thing she loves more than a good party is dressing up for one. On weekdays, she can usually be found at home eating something delicious for dinner and trying to force her husband to watch 90 Day Fiancé.