1. Make Your Clothes Fit!

“Clothes look good if they fit well. Have your work clothes tailored so they are neither too tight nor too loose,” Pita says. This is perhaps one of the most important rules of fashion that too often gets overlooked, but fit comes first.

 

If this means getting your pant legs shortened or setting aside your favorite shirt from a previous waistline, then do it. In certain cases it can help to roll up sleeves that are too long or a little bit loose, or just buying a new set of shirts if you’ve decided to commit to your current size.

 


2. Accessorize Well

“Simple accessories such as belts, bags, or shoes add more impact,” Pita says, This may seem like a no-brainer—and probably the reason why its importance is easily lost. Accessories don’t need to be loud to matter—they just need to work well with whatever you’re already wearing.

 

Take shoes, for example. Sneakers are sneakers, although choosing a colorway to complement your clothes is a skill that needs to be learned. But leather shoes, they’re a different creature altogether. Leather shoes aren’t just leather shoes—they’re brogues, loafers, wingtips, and a few other types besides. It pays to know which pair to use for what kind of office clothing.

 


3. Strategic Layering

Layering can add a lot of mileage to an everyday look, adding some complexity of depth and color to what would otherwise be another plain office attire. It’s also a practical choice for the current chill in the air.

 

Pita suggests wearing a sweater to upgrade a typical long-sleeved button down polo look for men, and a long-sleeved top under a sleeveless dress for women to change the look of everyday work clothes. The right jacket can also make or break a look, as long as you’re not wearing the same one every day.

 


4. Wear A Bold Color

The safe black-and-white office combo can sometimes be too safe. We get it, it’s a very clean, professional palette, but a little color should be acceptable in today’s work environments and it can go a long way towards brightening up your style. How about popping up in the office in a bright blue jacket sometime? If the girls smile and notice, you know you’ve done something right.

 


5. Keep It Simple

Lastly, no matter how much you spice up your look, you still want to keep your outfit as simple as possible. Too many stuff can clutter up your silhouette, Pita says. Cool is a good thing, annoying is not.

“The best looks are always simple and understated, especially for work," Pita says. Words to wear by, people.