Are Your Beautiful Shoes Appropriate for Work?

Wear to Work Mistakes

6 Wear to Work Mistakes to Avoid
By Paula Darnell, About.com Guide

With our lifestyles more casual than ever and business wear blurring with casual attire in many workplaces, it's no wonder that women sometimes have difficulty determining what they should wear to work. To keep work attire appropriate, avoid these six wear to work mistakes.

1. Wear to Work Mistake #1 - Short Skirts

Wear to work mistake #1 is wearing a skirt or dress that's too short. Even if you look fabulous in very short skirts, save the minis for date night or other occasions outside of the workplace. Short women especially need to be mindful that a mini-skirt may make them look girlish (if not sexy), and that's a look to avoid in a business setting where women want to be taken seriously. Stilettos

2. Wear to Work Mistake #2 - Cleavage Showing

Wear to work mistake #2 is showing cleavage. Even Hillary Clinton, who's known more for wearing business/formal pantsuits than sexy tops, took some flack from commentators for cleavage showing during a Senate speech in 2008. This is another look that's too sexy for the office and best saved for non-work occasions.

3. Wear to work mistake #3 is wearing sky-high stilettos. While high heels are fine for the workplace, and most petites enjoy the extra height, when heels are too high, they read as too sexy. Another downside is that very high stilettos are terribly uncomfortable to wear all day. Recently I was at the bank, and I noticed that one of the officers was tottering around on 6-inch stilettos. She could barely walk in her beautiful shoes. The best look for business: sleek shoes with a heel height that you can live in for a day's work.

4. Wear to Work Mistake #4 - Distracting Jewelry

Wear to work mistake #4 is wearing distracting jewelry. Huge hoops or chandelier earrings, an armful of bangles, big statement necklaces, or rings on every finger qualify as too much distraction, as does some body jewelry. While jangly and dangly can be fun for casual wear, less is more when it comes to jewelry for work.

5. Wear to Work Mistake #5 - Jeans

Wear to work mistake #5 is wearing jeans. Although jeans are acceptable in certain workplaces and in others only on "casual Friday," they're not really up to code when it comes to business/casual attire because the workplace emphasis remains more on "business" than "casual." If wearing jeans is acceptable in your workplace, opt for dark wash jeans because not only does a darker color make women look slimmer, but it also makes us look taller. Dark jeans make for a neater look, always good to maintain for business.

6. Wear to Work Mistake #6 - Flip Flops

Wear to work mistake #6 is wearing flip flops. I love my flip flops and live in them in the summer--but not at work. Flip flops are far too casual to wear in the workplace unless you're working at the beach.

MY THOUGHTS

it's best to check the HR Policy on Dress Code. in the absence of one, ask. or simply use common sense. demonstrate your ability to manage yourself. show that you have business etiquette. it's an office. a workplace. not the beach or the mall. no matter how beautiful your shoes are what HR will notice is how inappropriate it is. there's a time and place for everything. decide to be a good follower. of policies. not of fashion. otherwise you will be creating unnecessary workplace stress. when that happens it will be difficult to find job satisfaction. dress appropriately. that's etiquette 101. so, if you're not jobless, clear your closet and be ready to come to work as a professional.