Ask Fashion Girl

Dear Lori:

It's great that you're going to be working! It's such great experience for whatever you plan to do in the future. Standards of dress in the working world, especially in the office, are different than for other places. I don't know whether your office is more casual or more conservative, so I'm going to make a more conservative call here, just in case. It's better to be on the more conservative side, especially when you're young and just starting out in the working world, where you'd like to be taken seriously.

Pants and shirts are a good combination for work. Wear nice pants or"slacks,"not casual pants or jeans, and stick with sedate colors. No denim! Skirts are also really good for office wear. Just above the knee is a good office length. Don't go too wild with colors or patterns. With tops, avoid anything sleeveless or with a low neck. Stick with long or short-sleeved blouses or simple, plain, tops or t-shirts that are not tight. Sweaters are good in fall and winter -- again, not tight or low-cut. For shoes, closed shoes are better, unless your office is casual. Choose medium or low heels rather than high heels, in black or brown. Avoid sneakers or athletic shoes.

I know these standards sound a little old-lady-ish, but dressing for the office is a different mentality that takes a bit of getting used to. While casual clothes are bare and trendy, office clothes are more covered-up and classic. Think junior executive! It isn't all totally drab, however -- you can telegraph a bit of style by the cut of your clothes and by choosing a signature color such as green, dark red, blue or burnt orange and echoing these in your wardrobe.

Sincerely, Fashion Girl