What to wear on your first day in a new office job, according to a stylist

Because first impressions are everything.

The first day of your new office job is looming, and you’re a little nervous. Are you going to be good enough? Will your coworkers be nice? Can you learn everything quickly? And most importantly, what will you wear on your first day? Navigating corporate dress code can be tricky, particularly for a woman who wants to be taken seriously while maintaining a throughline of personal style.

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This may seem frivolous to some but our clothes reflect our personalities and our professionalism, and I think it’s important to get it right on the first day. Don’t feel stupid if you’re fretting – it’s completely normal. To get some professional styling advice, I spoke with Jenna Flood, aka Ironic Minimalist, to learn how to perfectly balance an official dress code with your personal style.

Hi Jenna! When starting a new job, should you try to try fit in with the organisation, or stay true to your personal style?

I think blend a bit of both if you can. because you don’t want to stick rigidly to your personal style and to be applying that for a place that is not as out there as your personal style might be. I think subtly blending the two would be ideal… so add a little bit of flair to your outfit, but keep it subdued.

So you think it’s good to show a bit of personality through your outfits?

I think so. Because you know, you are applying for office jobs – it has to be a little bit more subtle, but you also don’t want to squish your personality, because that’s what they’re hiring you for most of the time. You know, they’re getting a sense of your personal style. And that’s your personality… just bring the dial down a little bit.

 

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Do you have any recommendations for shoes?

For a corporate dress code, I think a nice loafer would be really cute. You could also go with a mid-calf boot. I’d keep it in a black or neutral tone. Obviously, it depends on what you’re wearing, [if it’s] a skirt or pants. But a really nice loafer with a cute little sock would be really cool.

If you’re buying a new outfit but you want it to be worn again, you want the pieces to be versatile. Are there any pieces you recommend that can be styled easily?

I always think of a blazer [for versatility], because you can wear it slightly oversized and it can still be really corporate, or you can wear it on the weekend with a T-shirt and jeans and it’s still extremely comfortable. When I think of corporate pieces or pieces that are versatile, I think of the Melbourne labels Caves Collect and E Nolan. I think they bring a really nice blend of corporate and casual together.

My last question is if you had to build a full outfit for day one at the office, which pieces would you pair together?

My wardrobe is very neutral so I’d have my blazer (it would probably be a black blazer) and then my black loafers. And then in between, I [would] have a pair of pants that are a little bit wider in the leg, like a Kuwaii-style pair of pants in black. And then I’m always a really big fan of the traditional white shirt or a turtleneck. So I’d go one of those ways, depending on the weather. And if it was a little bit cold, I’d top it all off with a huge overcoat.

This article was originally published on August 9, 2023.

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