Inspiration on cute office outfits please :-)

[RetroModelSari]

Hi everyone!

I´m very impressed with how several of the ladies dress retro every day and I wanna join them, too, cause I feel so unseemable when I´m dressed in my everyday clothes. I´m too used to my pin up photos I guess *lol*

Has anyone good advice like some nice tips of what would do great with office-outfits such as a blazer? I already found a good taylor with reasonable prices and I´m chosing some fabrics for two dresses and a cute sailor-style overall right now to start with. I also think that pencil-skirts and Marlene-trowsers will do well in office, so those are the next things that I plan to get more of. I´m just not too sure about what tops and blouses to wear with it. Anyone wants to share some more ideas what would do well in the office? Maybe one has inspiring vintage photos of secretarys to get inspiration from?

Another thing is: I have rather long hair and I wanna wear matching hairstyles every day and thought about a 40s page-boy cut slightly over-shoulder lenght. Anyone tried that cut? Can one actually still do decent rolls with that lenght?

Hugs,
Sari

 

[BettyValentine]

For my office wear I just went to daddyos.com and bought any of the repro dresses that I liked that had sleeves. The two-tone one is fabulous. (I'm wearing it right now). I discovered that wearing an open-bottom all-in-one girdle and stockings is problematic at the office, so I bought a cheap pair of cuban-heeled pantyhose (so I don't worry about snagging them on the subway) and wear the with a long-legged panty girdle. I carry my cute shoes in my bag or leave them at work.
I have some great women's suits that I can't wait to wear, but it is a little out of season for them at the moment.
I'm still trying to solve the hat problem. Typically I just wear a snood or a hair-flower. I'm way too lazy to do "pretty hair" in the morning.

I can't wait to see the rest of the thread! I need more ideas of good things to wear to work.

xoxo
bv

 

[RetroModelSari]

The dresses by Daddy O are damn cute!!! The two tone one you mentioned is adorable. Another office-cutie favourite would be the 50s bow to me

Here are pictures of what I´ll be having taylored (with other fabric):

That one will do great with a nice blazer: http://home.arcor.de/janettfalk//internet/vintage/pics_gross/kleider/kleid2.jpg

Ok, this one is something "playfull" for hot summer-days. I´ll have it with a pencilskirt though and a red fabric with flowers - don´t know if I´ll take that to office though ;-): http://home.arcor.de/janettfalk//internet/vintage/pics_gross/kleider/strandkleid1.jpg

This one is great. I love stuff that are a bit sailor style. And it has such a glamourous touch to it, too. It looks comfortable but chic enough for work: http://home.arcor.de/janettfalk//internet/vintage/pics_gross/hosen/matro_hose1a.jpg

 

[Rosie]

I too have been dressing in vintage almost everyday to work. I am still building my wardrobe so that I can be vintage or vintage inspired everyday. I'm not sure what your office is like, if it's VERY "corporate", I might not be able to help. I'm a teacher so, work is kind of casual.

My style is mostly mid 40's to mid 50's so, this is basically what I do. Many of the dresses on Daddy-O's are perfect, if they are sleeveless, I normally wear a sweater or a light shrug when it gets very hot.

This: http://www.daddyos.com/retro/j05.html or this: http://www.daddyos.com/retro/j02.html I would wear as is.

Something like this: http://www.daddyos.com/retro/jm2.html
I would wear with a sweater or shrug.

Other than dresses, I wear circle skirts with matching sweater sets, pencil skirts with blazers, cap sleeve shirts/blouses and sweaters. Personally, I don't like suits, I have a few but tend to mix and match the pieces with other things. My pants are high waisted, wide through the leg pants which I usually wear with blouses or sweaters over blouses.

A blouse similar to this one: http://www.torrid.com/store/product.asp?LS=6&RN=204&ITEM=543532

but not shear and not pleated is like a "classic" secrtarty blouse. This looks good with pencil and circle skirts.

A pant similar to this one: http://www.torrid.com/store/product.asp?LS=6&ITEM=562211
but with a higher waist is good.

I will try to upload some pattern pics.

 

[Rosie]

I'm not sure how to upload I keep getting upload failed not sure why. Sorry.

Betty is right, open bottoms are irritating for work. I found this: http://www.jms.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce/ProductDisplay?prnbr=12960&cgnbr=40A1000000

and it seems to work well. Also, I cheat a bit and get stay up stockings.

 

[RetroModelSari]

Well, since tommorow I go and introduce there for the job I don´t know how corporate or strict they are. But since it is a media company and not like a insurance office or a lawyer where people come in al lthe time I don´t think it will be too strict. On the other hand I´ll be the secretary at the entrance but than again I don´t know yet if they mean the entrance of the building or if there are several floors and I sit at the entrance of one of their floors only. [huh]

We´ll see ;-)

But I saw several dresses at Daddy O that would be perfect and decent enough for office work.. They just don´t have most of them in my size *lol*

 

[BettyValentine]

I'm becoming a big fan of repro for work. I just never know when I'm going to dump coffee in my lap around here.

Little sweaters are probably my biggest staple. I have a giant collection of vintage sweaters. Don't know where they even came from, they were just in my closet one day. Those are great for pairing with any type of skirt or slacks or even jeans.

 

[Chantilly Lace]

Oh geez, with all of these threads on threads I can tell I'm going to have some 'splaining to do when the UPS man is here every day!

 

[skinnychik]

If you're okay with vintage inspired, try Ann Taylor. Actually, their LOFT stores include a lot of 40s inspired dresses...though this season they're more 50s.

 

[Alpine Glamour]

I wear vintage clothing and repro's to work every day. Since I ride my bicycle to work in the summer, pants are more practical, but skirts wtih enough room to move are good too. So Marlene Pants are always great, dresses with sleves (tattoo coverage when appropriate), and I have several skirt suits to wear when we have business meetings or sales trips and such. But I never change my style, hair or 40's glasses. My boss has learned to accept my style and clients usually find it cool. So stick to it!

 

[Miss_Bella_Hell]

Actually I prefer open bottom girdles at work, especially with seamed stockings...for ease of...ahem...using the ladies' room!

 

[LizzieMaine]

I'm a big fan of vintage/vintage-looking cardigans for mixing and matching with dresses, blouses, and skirts as work wear -- they're easy to find, there's a wonderful variety of knits and colors, and they always look very very classy.

 

[jitterbugdoll]

I wear a lot of wide leg 40s-style trousers paired with blouses, sweaters, and jackets. I love the City Crepe line sold every fall at New York and Co. The pants actually hit my natural waist, and the fabric has a beautiful drape besides. I pair them with great 40s and 50s heels as well.

Otherwise, I wear a lot of vintage day dresses, mixed up with the occasional repro. I prefer the more tailored styles, and because the office I work in is so darn cold, I usually bring a vintage bolero sweater to match.

I like to wear stockings as well--I like either open or panty girdles. Garter belts don't bother me either.

I also like to wear chunky 1930s-40s bakelite and celluloid jewelry. I've found some very cute sets of late, and that can really dress up an otherwise simple outfit.

And of course, my hair is always in some state of 1940s glamour--rolls, curls, updos. You've got to have the hair right to complete the look

I work in a fairly casual office--I am overdressed every day--but my coworkers have accepted my style. I actually think they don't notice it as much as newcomers or visitors do, but aside from the occasional "who's that 1940s girl", no one has anything negative to say!

 

[Miss_Bella_Hell]

I think it's much better to wear real vintage than repro at work simply because it's MUCH cheaper! I can spend $60 and get a fabulous 40's dress or I can spend $95 and get something by Stop Staring that everyone else has.

 

[jitterbugdoll]

This is true. When I first started out, I bought repro dresses, but now I buy and wear 99 percent vintage. The cut, fit, and drape are 100 times better, though the price isn't *always* cheaper

Also, the Stop Staring dresses often have very high cut armholes, which are uncomfortable.