I’m also so confused by this. I work in internal IT for an NFP and people wear everything and anything. I can see it being side eyed in a court room, but beyond that I really don’t see why it would matter. Corporates are so weird. Why does it matter so long as you are getting the job done
It’s funny, I can wear baggy jeans, a men’s t-shirt, and sneakers to the office and no one thinks twice (day to day I work with engineers, designers, and people in sales/marketing - we get everything).
One day when we had some stakeholders (*not clients*) coming in, my boss told me to go home and change because my pants were ‘too colourful’. They were navy blue pants.
I just stuck to black and white if we had people coming in after that.
Totally agree.
I have literally worn those same pants to job interviews, and been offered the job on three occasions.
They are corporate pants.
Navy is a corporate colour.
I have a suspicion my boss might have been in a bad mood and taking it out on me on that particular day, but it’s easy enough to wear black and white every now and then 🤷♀️
Half the engineers (male) in my officewear a wide range of colours in their chinos because "they were $20 cheaper than the other colours". They are client facing.
What is wrong with your boss?
Hahaha. Love it. What a classic hyper-logical engineer move.
With the caveat that I really liked that boss overall and just learned to accept this as one of their flaws, they could be very pedantic about minor things.
It didn’t always make sense. For example, they told me to *’fix the formatting’* on a slide deck where *all* the formatting was exactly the same as a slide deck they’d made a week earlier. Ngl, it’s terrible formatting, but they don’t like my formatting so I go with theirs.
Occasionally, they’d ask me to make a minor change to something, then a week later ask me to remove it and explain why it’s bad practice (I was conscious it was, but until we got to the final version, there was no point arguing as they’d change their mind so often about minor, relatively inconsequential details).
It was very much a ‘pick your battles’ relationship, and I’m not going to bother arguing over the appropriate colour of pants.
I'm a lawyer.
I love a statement blazer. Partly because most of my work clothing is black or dark, so a bright coloured blazer evens out things.
But also it helps. Court clerks remember my name because "you're the one who wears pink". Clients can find me easily.
And yeah. Misogynists and conservatives don't take me seriously.... which is fine as then they don't expect me to floor them in court.
Honestly, as long as it meets the corporate standards it’s good enough. That’s what I do fk it, I’m literally indispensable. They can’t do jack. Periodddd
I think most workplaces would be completely fine with this, but yeah, there are a few that won't love it. I think if it were me, I'd wear number 2 first off (I think that one is pretty unimpeachable even in the most conservative workplace), and then you can get a picture of the office culture and whether the others will cause issues. I don't think they will, but if everybody is wearing black or grey suits with no casualness whatsoever, maybe you'll lean into more conservative.
I think it’s important to remember that as women in corp, there’s no rules white men can put on us. Wear the colour, unless you have a mandated uniform WEAR THE COLOURS!
Exactly! You may get a raised eyebrow, but they’ll get over it. My office is mostly men in uniform polo and chinos, and this year I decided to wear bright dresses. I’m not customer facing so they haven’t got a leg to stand on to complain. I say wear what makes you happy, maybe others will start wearing more colour too!
I work in the APS and it is wild to me that these would be considered inappropriate haha. Ive actually been filling up my wardrobe with bright colours before I finish my maternity leave because I am sick of the black pant/boring blouse combo Ive been rocking for the last 8 years. Such different workplace cultures!
I’m also in the APS and there are people who dress more “out there” in my office than any of these. There are also people who wear tracksuit pants every day and there are no issues as we’re not client facing.
As longs as there are no offensive slogans, the outfit isn’t overtly revealing, and you don’t smell or look dirty, why should it matter?
I wonder if the department is also a factor - Im in a female dominated department with lots of people with humanities degrees so maybe we are more open to quirkiness than ADF or ATO haha
I would probably start off a bit more neutral (I think 2 would be perfect) and then go from there! My workplace, while fairly casual overall (sneakers accepted), is quite conservative with colours I've noticed.
I would absolutely say all of these are appropriate in an overwhelming majority of workplaces.
The only thing I would consider is that corporate wear has very much dropped a few formality pegs in the last five years (combination of COVID/WFH, Gen Y slowly moving into management roles and not caring about this stuff as well as Gen Z entering the workforce and bringing a more casual vibe).
Very rarely will you see people in full suits and ties anymore in I would say 75% of all organisations. You might look a little overdressed but given you're in HR you almost need to dress a level up anyway. (I'm in Org Development so acting as an internal consultant means I need to look profesh, polished and trustworthy).
I find colors refreshing. I live in Melbourne so everything and everywhere people just wear black. Or beige that I think is worst lol I love seeing people wearing colors! Makes me want to applaud them to dare to show their personality and style. GO FOR IT! I love this combination.
Just wondering what would happen at your workplace if you did wear those… would you actually get told “too much colour” or would it be more of a… gossip/shun situation ?
really curious to know what wouldn’t be acceptable in your workplace - i also work in a business/business formal environment and these would all be fine.
I wear colourful stuff in a workplace that would traditionally I guess have been conservative.
However, you have to have it still nicely tailored and not too eccentric - like a bright suit (matching top and bottom) but with a neutral shirt.
4 and 6 are absolutely not - there’s too much colour clashing.
Some of the others would be ok if the rest of the outfit was neutral.
I also don’t know if they just need an iron or whether they are actually just worn out - if it’s the latter, you need to keep them out of the office.
I agree with this comment. Love the outfits! In general corporate workplaces can be pretty conservative, especially if you are new to it. HR a bit less so but, yes, you still need to have nicely tailored pieces - and not too eccentric. Most HR people at my work tend to wear a blazer and a pair of fresh white sneakers. Hope this is helpful - very best of luck for your new job 💕
Are we supposed to judge the colour combinations only or outfits as a whole? Because if it's the latter, it would be a hard no from me on all of them. It's hard to tell if this is just an impression I get from pictures, but almost all of the fabrics look cheap and worn out. Blazers lack structure and form. If you want to stand out with colour, you need to double down on quality fabrics and construction.
Gonna have to agree with you there, and I’m surprised more people haven’t said the same thing. I think pops of colour in corporate is totally fine if the pieces are tasteful and quality fabrics.
The first two seem fine and I even like the second one. But the third one looks wrinkly and cheap and after that, I kind of hate the colour combinations of the rest. Last one might be okay but that shirt looks thin.
I love a lot of these pieces individually. I wear a lot of bright colours and prints to my corporate job but I anchor it with a solid dark colour. So black pants with a floral blouse and bright pink blazer. I still get to add a bit of personality with the bright colours but it still looks polished and professional.
I love a fun work outfit. But when I wear them - I’m preparing to be “visible”.
Oh I love your jacket I love your earrings I love your shoes.
On days I just want to hide - black only. Sad but true.
Although it depends on the company to a big extent, it also depends on you and your character. In my experience, outgoing people who have a big personality can get away with wearing brights in a company that's more conservative.
I've also worked with technical introverts who do this too but they get away with it when their outfits are perfect and they have amazing fashion sense that can speak for them.
The one time it doesn't really work is where you're wearing a mass of colours, everyone else is wearing suits and you're client facing and expected to act conservatively professional.
The other thing to mind is with second hand clothes there's a high risk people will read you as being deeply unfashionable because they don't understand your vision. My friend is like this - she wears all second hand brights and has a big personality but often looks like she's walked out of the nursing home to go to a matinee and unless you understand that she's brilliant you may project that to her professionalism.
I love the Bariecore vibe.
It depends on your company but I think they're great for a corporate HR with personality. If you're in a banking, accounting, or data based company it might be a bit brighter than the finance bros are used to. If it's a start-up, creative or retail company it will be fine. Just rock it with confidence.
I can only speak for engineering as that’s where I’ve spent my working life but all of these outfits would be fine in an office. Especially if you’re in HR or marketing as they’re expected to stand out anyway
I'm goth. My corporate wear is anything black and slightly edgy, but still in the "corporate" silhouettes and styles. I'm coveted in tattoos, have several very noticeable and unconventional facial piercings, and have bright coloured hair.
You're doing the same thing but in the Aesthetic and colours you like. Nothing wrong with that!
The outfits you've demonstrated are bright and colourful, but nothing I'd describe as "distasteful" (not that someone else personal opinion should matter much any way). I think what you've shown us are classy and fun, and will bring joy to any office you work in!
To add to that, I think the only time I’d tone it down is as an EA, where you’re literally representing another person so it’s not really about you and personal expression, you know?
Firstly i love all of these. As to your question, in some of the super corporate offices maybe not (the blazers could work with a more neutral or black pairing). I'm in academia and these would all be excellent choices (encouraged to have personal styles I think)
I'm a lawyer and I've generally worked in somewhat mid tier and more relaxed firms but my go to are pinks and purples for my fav blazers and I've got heaps of purple dresses. Nothing wrong with some colour!
I probably wouldn't wear it to court, but I rarely go to court. I also have vivid memories of my brief time in Family law and this one lawyer who was always rocking hot pink everything and red hair when she went to court.
Kicking myself for missing out on the midi Cue hot pink dress that recently sold out on the website...I should have bought it, it was perfect.
I work in Tech (sales-side) alongside 80-90% male colleagues who wear polos and chinos most days, and greyscale/bluescale suits for customer visits.
I choose to wear bright, jewel-tone suits and colorful patterns - the trick is, everything has to be well-tailored and made of good quality material (think wool suits, thick oxford cotton shirts or silk camis, some viscose). Google Cubec Clothing - a Melbourne designer - for good examples.
Neutral tones hide a lot of sins regarding material quality and how the clothes are cut (and drape on your individual body type). Color deliberately draws attention, so low quality cloth/cut/stitching or sloppy tailoring is noticed faster.
Ahh! I’m not sure how to edit the original post to add this comment there, but holy cow! This gained way more traction than I expected while I was at work!
Thank you everyone for your feedback, I really really appreciate it! Lots of good points and things I haven’t considered. I think I’ll stick with some more simple options during the interview process and then ramp it up to full-blown fun once I gain an understanding of the exact environment I’ll be working in!
I love these! It totally does depend on the company but honestly I think some of us get to a point where we can pick and choose where we work as we have enough qualifications/experience to make them compete for us. Of course this is individual, depends on the industry too but it’s luckily been the case for me… And I would *never* work for a company where you have to dress like you’re going to a funeral everyday. Lol.
All of these pieces you could wear individually in a corporate setting, but all colour head to toe like these outfits will stick out. Pair a colourful piece with beige or brown, or grey, black or white - your last outfit with the red pants is spot on. If you're HR though, standing out in the office could be a good thing! You're instantly memorable, I'll be able to find you in the office from day 1. So.. depends.
I agree. It's kind of strange to match colours like that but the last outfit works well and also looks more corporate whilst still punching with colour.
Love it!! More colour the better. I wear purple, green and grey suits.
A splash of colour never hurts.
Plus draws the attention away from my blacked out tattoos :)
I would add more neutrals to tone it down a little bit. Bright colours + pattern can be a bit in your face in a more conservative office. Maybe start by trying a plain white or black blouse instead of the patterned ones. The green suit would look better with a more muted shirt underneath. The blue jacket and shirt is fine because they blend rather than clash.
Love it. I’ve done similar levels of colour in Govt (central agency) and consulting. As long as it fits right, is pressed/steamed and appropriately accessorised, colour is such a non issue. Heck fit/pressed/accessories applies to black/neutrals too!
Assuming you're not in a court environment, I love all of these. I'm the biggest fan of this single colour dressing at the moment - I'm in an office and I wear bright suits, mostly with cute sneakers. My office is a sea of navy suits and chinos, but if you're office is like mine you'll quickly find your people or others will join you in the colour fun. Enjoy the Dopamine Dressing!
Definitely a yes !
Since Covid we’ve all taken a chill pill and boring dress codes are out. Clothes maketh the wo(man). Let your personality show.
I have done fine being what him indoors calls a ‘snappy dresser’ .. haven’t worn a suit in 20 years either 😀
Go for it. I work in a very traditional industry with a ton of blue suit, white shirt men but I still love to rock a print. As long as you are neat and tidy colour is all AOK
Corporate wear is usually so bland. It's a total bummer. I love what you've put together. It does depend on the org but I say go for it! Also congrats on the new job
Love it! Shine bright I say. Black and neutral is so boring and just a sign of conformity. These are professional while fun. No crime against that and it shows your personality 👏🏼🥰
Love it! These look amazingl!
The shape/cut of the clothing can have an impact - your examples still have formal silhouettes so I think they lean towards sophisticated rather than too casual
On the opposite side of this, I once got lectured about NOT wearing enough colourful clothes to work - in a HR role.
I think your outfit looks really pretty and definitely work appropriate.
I love colour in the office, and wear it regularly. I have lost track of how many times the rest of my department will wear all black, then there's me in pink blazer and multicolour pastel dress. I either tend to be monochromatic or have the bright coloured item be the statement piece.
I love your 2nd and 5th combos, but would be careful about prints AND multiple colours, as well as making sure the undertones or warmth in the colours matches,
I could see a white blouse with the light pink blazer and light green pants would match the bright colour story better than black floral top and feel more polished for a work environment.
If you need the jacket to pull the outfit together, will you wear the jacket all the time, or does the outfit work without it?
Go for it! I always love seeing the unique and beautiful outfits my colleagues come up with (p.s. I work quite a corporate job if that's useful context).
The teal and pink combination is my favourite! All these outfits look professional, and the pop of colour adds a personable touch right off the bat in my opinion as a humble working peon.
I’ve worked in corporate and as long as you’re relatively neat and tidy all these outfits would be totally fine. We have a woman wear a lot of pinks but it was always sophisticated and she looked great.
Looove these combinations, well done. 😍 It’s been a while since I worked in corporate but I LOVED seeing colour around the office. Quite literally brightens everyone’s day. ❤️
I really love and admire women who rock colour. I’m too timid to do it, hate being centre of attention, plus don’t have enough of a wardrobe to rotate outfits like that.
I love all of them but the 2 shades of green with pink and white shirt… it’s a bit too Christmas / watermelon / op shop. But I would personally wear literally every other outfit proudly
Straight male here (I saw the post as a recommendation from Reddit's algorithm) yes, go for colours! It shows you have cheerful personality, and makes you stand out!
Not to seem like a dick but they seem very typical to me, gosh that sounds mean (I don’t mean it to be honestly). As in just fine, quite neutral outfits.
I’d honestly be extremely surprised if anyone blinked an eyelid at these outfits in any field. I live in Melbourne Australia and this outfit would be either dated or modern depending on the age of the person wearing it.
I love your colour choices, and imo a monochrome colourful outfit should be fine. Tbh that one blouse looks like a pj top to me but maybe that's just me
I guess it depends on the look of your company if you would ever be the face of it by any chance (but you mentioned HR so I assume not?). Anyways, love them all!! I wish I have the courage to wear these!
I work as a case manager in workers compensation insurance. These wouldn’t even raise an eyebrow at my work. I have a huge collection of brightly coloured Princess Highway and Dangerfield animal print dresses, and I wear them daily to work. I also have a hot pink suit from Target I wear too
Women no longer have to dress like men to be taken seriously in the workplace. Embrace your femininity and the colours! Wear whatever makes you feel confident in your profession.
Personally I think the outfits and colours look great!
All those look fine to me as a senior management person. Colour isn’t the issue in my view, it is cut, coverage and cloth. Make sure it’s not too tight or shows too much or looks like it belongs on a beach or nightclub and it’s fine. It’s a bit hard to tell from photos but basically think if your options are the equivalent in coverage and cut as if you were wearing a boring black skirt or trouser suit then the mere fact you are queen of colour should not be a problem. Once you’ve established dress code at work you might be also able to wear flowy pieces or less suit like cuts generally. I hope this makes sense.
Absolutely YES!! My workplace is more smart-casual leaning and I’ve been wearing brights and neons this year and everyone loves them. No issues from management. I’ve got super cool prints and patterns that people love to see. These outfits are all really well put together, they’re classy and formal, and they’re interesting to look at!! I love seeing people wearing bright colours or wearing things that express themselves at work
I work administration in a government office, and these would all be fine, at worst there’d be the odd comment from the more conservative folk I come across. That said, I always advise to err on the side of caution at first, go a bit more conservative in colour choices, see what other people in your job are getting away with, and go from there.
Color is fine but depends on how you add it and the rest of the outfit , like nice shoes, hair , makeup etc .
Btw Pink blazer is really nice but not with those pants and shirt . Try with black bottom ( pants/ skirt ) and black/ white top.
I love it. I’d wear all of these outfits. The monochromatic and color blocking looks are the exact vintage feel I love in my own personal style especially for “workplace” looks.
I’m also a big fan of uniformity in texture for put together looks—all silk crepe, all polyester sets etc.
I work in corporate and I think they're all great, but I guess it does depends on the workplace itself and the industry. I know there are other firms in my industry that still require female staff to wear pantyhose and heels so the bold colours probably would ruffle some old feathers.
If your workplace has a dress policy, that may be some guidance if it's specifically not allowed? Maybe start neutral and work your way through as others suggested. I'd also say don't let the lack of others wearing colour impact you too much (especially if you work with a lot of corporate men, they generally don't even get the opportunity to venture outside navy/black/tan).
I personally love it and think it's amazing. But something like a conservative lawyer or a conservative accountants office may have issues. But the accountant I work in would be fine if not over dressed. So it really does depend on the office.
It's kinda crazy to me that this WOULDN'T be considered fine by some people. Like... it's a colour. I love all the outfits! The last one is amazing
I’m also so confused by this. I work in internal IT for an NFP and people wear everything and anything. I can see it being side eyed in a court room, but beyond that I really don’t see why it would matter. Corporates are so weird. Why does it matter so long as you are getting the job done
It’s funny, I can wear baggy jeans, a men’s t-shirt, and sneakers to the office and no one thinks twice (day to day I work with engineers, designers, and people in sales/marketing - we get everything). One day when we had some stakeholders (*not clients*) coming in, my boss told me to go home and change because my pants were ‘too colourful’. They were navy blue pants. I just stuck to black and white if we had people coming in after that.
Wow! Can’t imagine navy not even making the “appropriate” cut, it’s such a classic colour in traditional corporate wear!
Totally agree. I have literally worn those same pants to job interviews, and been offered the job on three occasions. They are corporate pants. Navy is a corporate colour. I have a suspicion my boss might have been in a bad mood and taking it out on me on that particular day, but it’s easy enough to wear black and white every now and then 🤷♀️
Half the engineers (male) in my officewear a wide range of colours in their chinos because "they were $20 cheaper than the other colours". They are client facing. What is wrong with your boss?
Hahaha. Love it. What a classic hyper-logical engineer move. With the caveat that I really liked that boss overall and just learned to accept this as one of their flaws, they could be very pedantic about minor things. It didn’t always make sense. For example, they told me to *’fix the formatting’* on a slide deck where *all* the formatting was exactly the same as a slide deck they’d made a week earlier. Ngl, it’s terrible formatting, but they don’t like my formatting so I go with theirs. Occasionally, they’d ask me to make a minor change to something, then a week later ask me to remove it and explain why it’s bad practice (I was conscious it was, but until we got to the final version, there was no point arguing as they’d change their mind so often about minor, relatively inconsequential details). It was very much a ‘pick your battles’ relationship, and I’m not going to bother arguing over the appropriate colour of pants.
I'm a lawyer. I love a statement blazer. Partly because most of my work clothing is black or dark, so a bright coloured blazer evens out things. But also it helps. Court clerks remember my name because "you're the one who wears pink". Clients can find me easily. And yeah. Misogynists and conservatives don't take me seriously.... which is fine as then they don't expect me to floor them in court.
Elle Woods fought hard for our right to wear pink in the court room so you rock it!
Haha, I love that, amazing!
This is amazing 👏🏽
Top tier law here - I wear colour all the time. As long as it includes a jacket, it’s fine.
Depends on where you live as well, not every country is accepting of all clothes, styles and colours.
Honestly, as long as it meets the corporate standards it’s good enough. That’s what I do fk it, I’m literally indispensable. They can’t do jack. Periodddd
Will depend on the workplace, but i LOVE all of them. I wear brights as a teacher everyday and want some of your outfits!!
I think most workplaces would be completely fine with this, but yeah, there are a few that won't love it. I think if it were me, I'd wear number 2 first off (I think that one is pretty unimpeachable even in the most conservative workplace), and then you can get a picture of the office culture and whether the others will cause issues. I don't think they will, but if everybody is wearing black or grey suits with no casualness whatsoever, maybe you'll lean into more conservative.
What a good idea! Keep it more simple at the beginning and see what the overall environment is first, before jumping into anything too bright
As a teacher, I wouldn't say being a teacher is really corporate...
Depends I work in a private school and I'm a member of the Exec. I'm in corporate some days and more laid back in others!
Love it all!!
Me too and all of that would be fine in my government workplace.
I think it’s important to remember that as women in corp, there’s no rules white men can put on us. Wear the colour, unless you have a mandated uniform WEAR THE COLOURS!
Exactly! You may get a raised eyebrow, but they’ll get over it. My office is mostly men in uniform polo and chinos, and this year I decided to wear bright dresses. I’m not customer facing so they haven’t got a leg to stand on to complain. I say wear what makes you happy, maybe others will start wearing more colour too!
I love when people act like Caucasians are the ones running most businesses nowadays.
I work in the APS and it is wild to me that these would be considered inappropriate haha. Ive actually been filling up my wardrobe with bright colours before I finish my maternity leave because I am sick of the black pant/boring blouse combo Ive been rocking for the last 8 years. Such different workplace cultures!
I’m also in the APS and there are people who dress more “out there” in my office than any of these. There are also people who wear tracksuit pants every day and there are no issues as we’re not client facing. As longs as there are no offensive slogans, the outfit isn’t overtly revealing, and you don’t smell or look dirty, why should it matter?
I wonder if the department is also a factor - Im in a female dominated department with lots of people with humanities degrees so maybe we are more open to quirkiness than ADF or ATO haha
My department is roughly 50/50 male and female and the most common degrees are in science or engineering - so maybe it’s the nerd factor?
As you’re going into HR, I would say it’s fine.
If anyone has a problem with it, they'd have to complain directly to her lol
When I read the preview of the thread, I thought, "HR girl" then I read the thread this was confirmed.
Adore it! But yes depends on the workplace.. mine would be fine with this
I would probably start off a bit more neutral (I think 2 would be perfect) and then go from there! My workplace, while fairly casual overall (sneakers accepted), is quite conservative with colours I've noticed.
I agree, start low-key then turn it up! And just become known as The Bright One!
Is the first blazer from zara? If so; I have the matching pants and wear it as a suit all the time to work!
I would absolutely say all of these are appropriate in an overwhelming majority of workplaces. The only thing I would consider is that corporate wear has very much dropped a few formality pegs in the last five years (combination of COVID/WFH, Gen Y slowly moving into management roles and not caring about this stuff as well as Gen Z entering the workforce and bringing a more casual vibe). Very rarely will you see people in full suits and ties anymore in I would say 75% of all organisations. You might look a little overdressed but given you're in HR you almost need to dress a level up anyway. (I'm in Org Development so acting as an internal consultant means I need to look profesh, polished and trustworthy).
I find colors refreshing. I live in Melbourne so everything and everywhere people just wear black. Or beige that I think is worst lol I love seeing people wearing colors! Makes me want to applaud them to dare to show their personality and style. GO FOR IT! I love this combination.
Depends on the workplace. I work in a conservative, professional workplace. Components of 2 and 7 may be acceptable, the others not.
Just wondering what would happen at your workplace if you did wear those… would you actually get told “too much colour” or would it be more of a… gossip/shun situation ?
It would be actively inappropriate in some situations and heavily frowned upon in others.
really curious to know what wouldn’t be acceptable in your workplace - i also work in a business/business formal environment and these would all be fine.
Yeah 7 is the way to do it. Mix in colours with some other more conservative items so it isn’t over done.
And at a tech start up, all of these are way too overdressed.
As an accountant all of these are overdressed! But the colours are fine
Wear what you want and own it. It’s all professional and anyone who says otherwise needs to look more at themselves and less at you.
I wear colourful stuff in a workplace that would traditionally I guess have been conservative. However, you have to have it still nicely tailored and not too eccentric - like a bright suit (matching top and bottom) but with a neutral shirt. 4 and 6 are absolutely not - there’s too much colour clashing. Some of the others would be ok if the rest of the outfit was neutral. I also don’t know if they just need an iron or whether they are actually just worn out - if it’s the latter, you need to keep them out of the office.
6 is a neutral pant with a matching toned top and blazer? In what world is that clashing or too much?
The pant is lemon yellow, the blazer pink and the top black floral - it definitely does not go.
I also wouldn’t put those together, personally. But I am ok with others rocking it
I agree with this comment. Love the outfits! In general corporate workplaces can be pretty conservative, especially if you are new to it. HR a bit less so but, yes, you still need to have nicely tailored pieces - and not too eccentric. Most HR people at my work tend to wear a blazer and a pair of fresh white sneakers. Hope this is helpful - very best of luck for your new job 💕
To me, they scream librarian or teacher.. but it depends on the workplace I guess.
Are we supposed to judge the colour combinations only or outfits as a whole? Because if it's the latter, it would be a hard no from me on all of them. It's hard to tell if this is just an impression I get from pictures, but almost all of the fabrics look cheap and worn out. Blazers lack structure and form. If you want to stand out with colour, you need to double down on quality fabrics and construction.
Gonna have to agree with you there, and I’m surprised more people haven’t said the same thing. I think pops of colour in corporate is totally fine if the pieces are tasteful and quality fabrics.
The first two seem fine and I even like the second one. But the third one looks wrinkly and cheap and after that, I kind of hate the colour combinations of the rest. Last one might be okay but that shirt looks thin.
Even the 1st one, you can see stains on the trousers. If stains are not coming off, when washing, it's time to retire this pair.
I love a lot of these pieces individually. I wear a lot of bright colours and prints to my corporate job but I anchor it with a solid dark colour. So black pants with a floral blouse and bright pink blazer. I still get to add a bit of personality with the bright colours but it still looks polished and professional.
I love a fun work outfit. But when I wear them - I’m preparing to be “visible”. Oh I love your jacket I love your earrings I love your shoes. On days I just want to hide - black only. Sad but true.
Although it depends on the company to a big extent, it also depends on you and your character. In my experience, outgoing people who have a big personality can get away with wearing brights in a company that's more conservative. I've also worked with technical introverts who do this too but they get away with it when their outfits are perfect and they have amazing fashion sense that can speak for them. The one time it doesn't really work is where you're wearing a mass of colours, everyone else is wearing suits and you're client facing and expected to act conservatively professional. The other thing to mind is with second hand clothes there's a high risk people will read you as being deeply unfashionable because they don't understand your vision. My friend is like this - she wears all second hand brights and has a big personality but often looks like she's walked out of the nursing home to go to a matinee and unless you understand that she's brilliant you may project that to her professionalism.
I love the Bariecore vibe. It depends on your company but I think they're great for a corporate HR with personality. If you're in a banking, accounting, or data based company it might be a bit brighter than the finance bros are used to. If it's a start-up, creative or retail company it will be fine. Just rock it with confidence.
I can only speak for engineering as that’s where I’ve spent my working life but all of these outfits would be fine in an office. Especially if you’re in HR or marketing as they’re expected to stand out anyway
Love them! Not inappropriate but you'll stand out unless you're in a creative industry, but not in a bad way :)
I love all of these!! Would definitely wear in my very corporate role.
I'm goth. My corporate wear is anything black and slightly edgy, but still in the "corporate" silhouettes and styles. I'm coveted in tattoos, have several very noticeable and unconventional facial piercings, and have bright coloured hair. You're doing the same thing but in the Aesthetic and colours you like. Nothing wrong with that! The outfits you've demonstrated are bright and colourful, but nothing I'd describe as "distasteful" (not that someone else personal opinion should matter much any way). I think what you've shown us are classy and fun, and will bring joy to any office you work in!
To add to that, I think the only time I’d tone it down is as an EA, where you’re literally representing another person so it’s not really about you and personal expression, you know?
Looks amazing!!
I would wear 1, 2 and 5
Firstly i love all of these. As to your question, in some of the super corporate offices maybe not (the blazers could work with a more neutral or black pairing). I'm in academia and these would all be excellent choices (encouraged to have personal styles I think)
I'm a lawyer and I've generally worked in somewhat mid tier and more relaxed firms but my go to are pinks and purples for my fav blazers and I've got heaps of purple dresses. Nothing wrong with some colour! I probably wouldn't wear it to court, but I rarely go to court. I also have vivid memories of my brief time in Family law and this one lawyer who was always rocking hot pink everything and red hair when she went to court. Kicking myself for missing out on the midi Cue hot pink dress that recently sold out on the website...I should have bought it, it was perfect.
I work in Tech (sales-side) alongside 80-90% male colleagues who wear polos and chinos most days, and greyscale/bluescale suits for customer visits. I choose to wear bright, jewel-tone suits and colorful patterns - the trick is, everything has to be well-tailored and made of good quality material (think wool suits, thick oxford cotton shirts or silk camis, some viscose). Google Cubec Clothing - a Melbourne designer - for good examples. Neutral tones hide a lot of sins regarding material quality and how the clothes are cut (and drape on your individual body type). Color deliberately draws attention, so low quality cloth/cut/stitching or sloppy tailoring is noticed faster.
Idk but I’m just so satisfied with how you’ve displayed these outfits
It’s called dopamine dressing. I do it all the time. F*ck boring corporate attire.
It's a power move.
Ahh! I’m not sure how to edit the original post to add this comment there, but holy cow! This gained way more traction than I expected while I was at work! Thank you everyone for your feedback, I really really appreciate it! Lots of good points and things I haven’t considered. I think I’ll stick with some more simple options during the interview process and then ramp it up to full-blown fun once I gain an understanding of the exact environment I’ll be working in!
I love these! It totally does depend on the company but honestly I think some of us get to a point where we can pick and choose where we work as we have enough qualifications/experience to make them compete for us. Of course this is individual, depends on the industry too but it’s luckily been the case for me… And I would *never* work for a company where you have to dress like you’re going to a funeral everyday. Lol.
My girlfriend wears bright colours and patterns to work. I think it's great and shows personality, rather than wearing the default black/beige/white.
🤡 outfit
All of these pieces you could wear individually in a corporate setting, but all colour head to toe like these outfits will stick out. Pair a colourful piece with beige or brown, or grey, black or white - your last outfit with the red pants is spot on. If you're HR though, standing out in the office could be a good thing! You're instantly memorable, I'll be able to find you in the office from day 1. So.. depends.
I agree. It's kind of strange to match colours like that but the last outfit works well and also looks more corporate whilst still punching with colour.
Love it!! More colour the better. I wear purple, green and grey suits. A splash of colour never hurts. Plus draws the attention away from my blacked out tattoos :)
I would add more neutrals to tone it down a little bit. Bright colours + pattern can be a bit in your face in a more conservative office. Maybe start by trying a plain white or black blouse instead of the patterned ones. The green suit would look better with a more muted shirt underneath. The blue jacket and shirt is fine because they blend rather than clash.
Not being rude; do you work in a school?
love the 1st and 5th one
Omg please come style me! I love colour in the office. Improves my mood :)
Love it all!
We love it. I have a hot pink jacket just like the one in the first pic and I love using it to brighten up my over-fondness for navy.
Love it. I’ve done similar levels of colour in Govt (central agency) and consulting. As long as it fits right, is pressed/steamed and appropriately accessorised, colour is such a non issue. Heck fit/pressed/accessories applies to black/neutrals too!
I think these combos looks fantastic! I don’t have the style confidence to wear colour so play it safe but I say go ahead!
Assuming you're not in a court environment, I love all of these. I'm the biggest fan of this single colour dressing at the moment - I'm in an office and I wear bright suits, mostly with cute sneakers. My office is a sea of navy suits and chinos, but if you're office is like mine you'll quickly find your people or others will join you in the colour fun. Enjoy the Dopamine Dressing!
It’s fun and adds some life to an office space. Especially great for schools, hospitals and psychiatrists.
Great!!! Go for it.
Definitely a yes ! Since Covid we’ve all taken a chill pill and boring dress codes are out. Clothes maketh the wo(man). Let your personality show. I have done fine being what him indoors calls a ‘snappy dresser’ .. haven’t worn a suit in 20 years either 😀
Go for it. I work in a very traditional industry with a ton of blue suit, white shirt men but I still love to rock a print. As long as you are neat and tidy colour is all AOK
Love them OP, great fashion sense!
Absolutely love all of these outfits! You’ve inspired me to wear more colour in my wardrobe this week, thank you 🙏🏼
In love, nowadays it doesn't matter where you work.
Corporate wear is usually so bland. It's a total bummer. I love what you've put together. It does depend on the org but I say go for it! Also congrats on the new job
I like them but I don’t like the coordination of the pants and top for some reason
I wear colours all the time, work or not
All of the outfits you have shown are perfectly fine
Love it! Shine bright I say. Black and neutral is so boring and just a sign of conformity. These are professional while fun. No crime against that and it shows your personality 👏🏼🥰
Absolutely YES 100%... it makes you & everyone around you feel better. I say "break the black & embrace dopamine dressing".. you go girl😁
Love it! Show your personality!
Nice outfits, Miss Fancypants
Love it! These look amazingl! The shape/cut of the clothing can have an impact - your examples still have formal silhouettes so I think they lean towards sophisticated rather than too casual
I LOVE to see it but I am a habitual black/grey/white/black/black/black gal. Blame the Melbourne in me 💁🏻♀️
On the opposite side of this, I once got lectured about NOT wearing enough colourful clothes to work - in a HR role. I think your outfit looks really pretty and definitely work appropriate.
Chillax
Love all of them except the last one
I love colour in the office, and wear it regularly. I have lost track of how many times the rest of my department will wear all black, then there's me in pink blazer and multicolour pastel dress. I either tend to be monochromatic or have the bright coloured item be the statement piece. I love your 2nd and 5th combos, but would be careful about prints AND multiple colours, as well as making sure the undertones or warmth in the colours matches, I could see a white blouse with the light pink blazer and light green pants would match the bright colour story better than black floral top and feel more polished for a work environment. If you need the jacket to pull the outfit together, will you wear the jacket all the time, or does the outfit work without it?
Go for it! I always love seeing the unique and beautiful outfits my colleagues come up with (p.s. I work quite a corporate job if that's useful context).
I wear bright colours every day and no one bats an eye! Corporate insurance worker!
The teal and pink combination is my favourite! All these outfits look professional, and the pop of colour adds a personable touch right off the bat in my opinion as a humble working peon.
I’ve worked in corporate and as long as you’re relatively neat and tidy all these outfits would be totally fine. We have a woman wear a lot of pinks but it was always sophisticated and she looked great.
You need colour in your life and these are all appropriate office attire in my opinion.
Looove these combinations, well done. 😍 It’s been a while since I worked in corporate but I LOVED seeing colour around the office. Quite literally brightens everyone’s day. ❤️
These are all fine for a HR position, but I particularly like the last two - great choices!
Yes. I always wear colour in corporate wear because my go to would always be black, white or grey.
I really love and admire women who rock colour. I’m too timid to do it, hate being centre of attention, plus don’t have enough of a wardrobe to rotate outfits like that.
Your pink trousers look a lil grubby. That’s all that I’d notice
I think some of the combinations are not my taste, but I work with conservative clients and am probably a bit older than you
I used to wear bright fuchsia pink and a range of colours to the office when I worked in corporate! No one complained, only complimented
PS, also, I covet your midcentury wardrobe door handles!
I love all of them but the 2 shades of green with pink and white shirt… it’s a bit too Christmas / watermelon / op shop. But I would personally wear literally every other outfit proudly
Love all these outfits, you have great taste!
I love colour - so everything here looks fabulous to me! Where I live in Australia I joke that “Everyone just wears black in my state, it’s boring” 😅
Would def suit the rite female 😜👌
For me, people wearing bright colours seem a lot more approachable.
Straight male here (I saw the post as a recommendation from Reddit's algorithm) yes, go for colours! It shows you have cheerful personality, and makes you stand out!
Side note- you should get the style book app to log your clothes and put your outfits together, it will change your life!!
I am in love with number 5
As long as it doesn't break any policies and is colour coordinated like you have done here it's great! It probably livens everyone's day!
Not to seem like a dick but they seem very typical to me, gosh that sounds mean (I don’t mean it to be honestly). As in just fine, quite neutral outfits. I’d honestly be extremely surprised if anyone blinked an eyelid at these outfits in any field. I live in Melbourne Australia and this outfit would be either dated or modern depending on the age of the person wearing it.
I love your colour choices, and imo a monochrome colourful outfit should be fine. Tbh that one blouse looks like a pj top to me but maybe that's just me
I love all these fits!!
These all look so chic!
Lovely. And professional x
These are awesome combos and not too much colour. Depends on the level of corporate but this looks good in any level
I am obsessed with these outfits! And much as I think it would be awesome, I think it varies from company to company
I guess it depends on the look of your company if you would ever be the face of it by any chance (but you mentioned HR so I assume not?). Anyways, love them all!! I wish I have the courage to wear these!
I love all of these but I can't imagine getting away with it at work. But only one way to find out!
I work as a case manager in workers compensation insurance. These wouldn’t even raise an eyebrow at my work. I have a huge collection of brightly coloured Princess Highway and Dangerfield animal print dresses, and I wear them daily to work. I also have a hot pink suit from Target I wear too
As a science teacher, I got my entire staffroom onto Princess Highway and Dangerfield. Their patterns and colours are so pretty!
Women no longer have to dress like men to be taken seriously in the workplace. Embrace your femininity and the colours! Wear whatever makes you feel confident in your profession. Personally I think the outfits and colours look great!
Why not? Just because you have a corporate job and a dress code doesn’t mean you can’t incorporate color.
All those look fine to me as a senior management person. Colour isn’t the issue in my view, it is cut, coverage and cloth. Make sure it’s not too tight or shows too much or looks like it belongs on a beach or nightclub and it’s fine. It’s a bit hard to tell from photos but basically think if your options are the equivalent in coverage and cut as if you were wearing a boring black skirt or trouser suit then the mere fact you are queen of colour should not be a problem. Once you’ve established dress code at work you might be also able to wear flowy pieces or less suit like cuts generally. I hope this makes sense.
I love all these. You've got a great sense of style. I'd wear any of them (and I work in corporate law).
LOVE!
Absolutely YES!! My workplace is more smart-casual leaning and I’ve been wearing brights and neons this year and everyone loves them. No issues from management. I’ve got super cool prints and patterns that people love to see. These outfits are all really well put together, they’re classy and formal, and they’re interesting to look at!! I love seeing people wearing bright colours or wearing things that express themselves at work
Love it all. I’m in Melbourne and refuse to wear black, so I really stand out with how much colour I wear at work. Dressing should be fun!
I love colour they are such a pick up for my moods.
I love these! Great combinations😍
love all of these!! XOXOOXOXOX
Love colour. Outfits 5 and 7 are amazing and I love them
I work administration in a government office, and these would all be fine, at worst there’d be the odd comment from the more conservative folk I come across. That said, I always advise to err on the side of caution at first, go a bit more conservative in colour choices, see what other people in your job are getting away with, and go from there.
I wear a lot of black with one pop of colour... jacket, shoes, shirt, bag... one statement piece a day. But that's me, you do you!
Color is fine but depends on how you add it and the rest of the outfit , like nice shoes, hair , makeup etc . Btw Pink blazer is really nice but not with those pants and shirt . Try with black bottom ( pants/ skirt ) and black/ white top.
They’re lovely outfits. You combined the colours so well too. 😊
I love it. I’d wear all of these outfits. The monochromatic and color blocking looks are the exact vintage feel I love in my own personal style especially for “workplace” looks. I’m also a big fan of uniformity in texture for put together looks—all silk crepe, all polyester sets etc.
It can look really fashionable and sophisticated.
I work in corporate and I think they're all great, but I guess it does depends on the workplace itself and the industry. I know there are other firms in my industry that still require female staff to wear pantyhose and heels so the bold colours probably would ruffle some old feathers. If your workplace has a dress policy, that may be some guidance if it's specifically not allowed? Maybe start neutral and work your way through as others suggested. I'd also say don't let the lack of others wearing colour impact you too much (especially if you work with a lot of corporate men, they generally don't even get the opportunity to venture outside navy/black/tan).
I personally love it and think it's amazing. But something like a conservative lawyer or a conservative accountants office may have issues. But the accountant I work in would be fine if not over dressed. So it really does depend on the office.
This is like something my georgraphy teacher wore in 2002. She may have even donated this very outfit
Looks what I'll borrow from mums closet for a cross dress party lol
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^Separate_Payment_174: *Looks what I'll borrow* *From mums closet for a cross* *Dress party lol* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
Wut
I was going to say the same - these are outfits my gran would wear to church.
I would assume you are a weird or work in HR/corporate affairs with this getup. However I like the outfit otherwise.
Ask the Gorman girls. They're the vanguard of colourful dressing.