I usually live by the motto that you can never be too overdressed, however you often don’t want to be dressed in formal office attire when going out afterwards. It’s nice to give some separation to your day and give yourself a break from office life. Part of successfully creating a work life balance is being able to leave work at work and enjoy time with family and friends, so I wanted to share three ways to transition your outfit from work to social attire. Often there’s not much time to change out of your work clothes if you’re going to grab a quick dinner or drinks after a long day at the office, but these simple tricks will help you transition your outfit so you can feel more relaxed and dressed for the occasion!
Swap out at least one piece of clothing
Changing at least one item of your clothing, even if it is to another similar item can make you feel refreshed and prep your mind for a bit of a relaxing break. Ditch the pencil skirt or slacks! Not only can they make you feel like you just left the office, but you probably don’t want to wear them out afterwards after you’ve been in them all day long. Ditch your office appropriate bottoms and grab some pants that you’re comfortable in. These could be blue jeans, colored denim, or chinos. If you’re feeling fancy, you could even put on a skirt or dress that you didn’t sport earlier at work.
Trade your blazer for a fun jacket
Next, trade the blazer for a fun jacket. Play with different colors or textures to make you feel more social and less work appropriate. In a time where many offices have a business casual dress code, this might not differ too much from you work attire, but this is the fun part. Challenge yourself to explore different styles outside of the office!
I usually opt for leather as my go-to fabric, but anything that makes you feel a little less buttoned up will do the trick. (See the common theme here?)
Accessorize
Last, but not least, put on your favorite jewelry. It’s very common to stick with simple and easy jewelry for the office, and many of us (myself included) just leave go-to pieces on all the time. When you’re going to a social event, change things up and accessorize by adding accent pieces to your night time look. This can help you feel like you’re getting ready to go out with friends instead of going to work.
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These three ways to transition your outfit from work to social attire will help create more separation between your work life and social life, and will help rejuvenate you and give you the energy to socialize after a long day at the office.