I am all about wearing jeans to work, y’all! Every company I have worked for so far has had a business casual dress code, heavy on the casual. Meaning, jeans every day. Sometimes the occasional dress if it’s warm enough! But I seriously wear denim almost every day to work without looking too casual so I wanted to share my tips on how to wear denim to work while still looking chic and appropriate.
Your grandparents and Baby Boomers may think that denim jeans are too casual, or leisure pants only, or only meant to do hard labor in, like farmers, but that is not the case anymore! We actually have a long running joke in my family about denim jeans being our “dungarees” according to my Grandad and for every family occasion we have to make a pact that we will all wear our nice denim together so Grandad won’t scold us for wearing “dungarees” to Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. Haha!!
Yes, denim and t-shirts are nice to wear to sporting events or to an event that is somewhat active, like a food drive or a field day. And denim with tank tops or camisoles or off the shoulder tops are perfect for going out at night or to brunch on a chilly day. I think denim jeans and a camisole is such an effortlessly sexy look! But how can you style denim for work and still look appropriate in the office and not like you’re running errands or going to your child’s field day?
Tip #1 – Stick with darker denim as much as possible. The lighter the denim, the more casual the look will turn out. I have a pair of light denim jeans that I save for Casual Fridays because the lightness of the denim just looks so casual and doesn’t pair well with nice office tops. Darker denim kind of masks the appearance of “hey, I’m wearing my house-painting jeans to work”. And turns it into “this is really nice denim so of course I’m wearing them to work”. Here are some examples of darker denim that I’m referring to:
Tip #2 – Wear denim that fits you perfectly. If your jeans are too loose and you’re always having to pull them up, or if they’re too long and they bunch up around your ankles, it can look like you’re super young or not very professional. And the same goes for denim that is way too tight. Your denim needs to fit your bum well enough to show that you have a cute butt and not sag, but also not be too tight to where the men in your office can’t focus because they can’t figure out how you got all that ass in dem jeans. And if your jeans are too long, get them hemmed! I have to get all of my denim hemmed because I’m too short for them. Wearing jeans that fit your body will make you look more professional and less casual.
Tip #3 – Always tuck your top into your denim jeans if you can! Obviously, thick sweaters or ruffled blouses can’t be tucked in, but if you at least tuck the front of your tops into the front of your denim jeans, it will give a more business professional look. Leaving your top untucked can look more casual and careless. But tucking in your thin sweaters, blouses, button ups, and any other top with a straight hem will look very chic and can turn any outfit into a business professional look.
Tip #4 – Always wear nice, work-appropriate tops with your denim. The nicer-looking your tops are, the more business professional your outfit will become and the more dressed up your denim will become. Button ups, ruffle-sleeved or bell-sleeved blouses, basically anything polyester or polyester-blend will be nice. And if you do wear a cotton top, wear a blazer or moto jacket over it to style it up.
Tip #5 – Always wear the right shoes with your denim. Flip flops or sneakers paired with denim will make the look a lot more casual and not very professional at all. Even the Tory Burch Miller flip flops I would save for Casual Fridays. Open-toed shoes can work with denim in the office setting as long as they have heels attached to them. I absolutely love the look of pointy-toed pumps and strappy heels with denim and a nice blouse for work. The top will say very business professional, the denim will say stylish and chic, and the strappy heels or pointy-toed pumps will tie it all together with the professional heels and sexy open- or pointy-toe. You also can’t go wrong with mules, clogs, flats, loafers, booties, or wedges! Here are my favorite work shoes:
And those are my five tips on how to wear denim to work and still look like a professional boss babe! Sometimes denim in the office can look very casual and lazy, but styled the five ways I listed above will give your denim look a professional, chic, executive look. I wear denim every day to work at my business casual office and still feel like a fancy business woman. Haha!
How do you style your denim at work?!
Details: Black Studded Pumps, similar/DUPES | White Button Up, similar | White Tote | Denim Jeans | Black Jeans | Leopard Wedges (s/o), similar | Gucci Belt, similar/DUPE | Leopard Belt | Chambray Button Up | Orange Ruffle Sleeve Blouse |
