A few years ago someone described my outfit as “surprisingly professional” because I was wearing a dress. It’s a compliment that has haunted me ever since. How does one look professional as a queer person?
How do you wear traditionally feminine clothing when your relationship with it is fraught? When it wasn’t made with you in mind? Turns out, work dresses are totally a thing.
Specifically ones that help you show up as yourself and still speak fluent office. But first, I had to learn what work dresses actually work for me.
Not the Pinterest vision of breezing through conference rooms sans coffee stains and horrible chairs.
Here are the ones I keep reaching for because they nail that whole professional but not-performatively-feminine, comfortable but not-baggy. I even included a few that make me feel like armour. They just feel safe.
Supportive. And most importantly allow me to be unapologetically me at work. Fabric weight: A big turn off for me was when I kept seeing super lightweight versions of these dresses.
Nothing is more unprofessional than a dress that clings to your body in air conditioning and/or shows every curve/crease underneath. I wanted versions that were lightweight enough to drape well but still had some heft to them to prevent from being see-through or ridiculously hot when you’re commuting in the summer. Fabric: Speaking of summer, I needed these dresses to be versatile enough to get me through all seasons.
That meant no polyester because, while cute, that shit melts when it’s warm out. I was also low key exhausted by the idea of dry cleaning these everyday so they had to be able to withstand a normal wash. These ended up being dream dresses because ponte knits are basically everything I want in terms of clothing.
They have structure without being stiff and heavy. They don’t wrinkle from being sat in meetings all day and they somehow maintain their shape! Closure: Buttons.
Zippers. PULLS! I learned the hard way that tiny buttons snap in half when you’re trying to button them up quickly in the morning and hidden zips ALSO BREAK.
When picking out your work dress pay attention to construction details. Will these hugs scream at me when I sit down? Do these arm holes gape when I lift my arms?
Invisible zips? Sign me up. As long as they can survive daily wear and tear I can guarantee you they made the cut.
Colour: Here I actually was trying to create a capsule so these all speak to at least a few others on this list. I also stayed away from pieces that looked great on their own but I know I would never wear otherwise. I started with basics I knew I needed; navy, black, grey.
You Might Also Like
Then I chose a couple pieces in colours that make me feel like me without being too bright or loud for some of the more conservative places I have worked. Style: My number one goal was versatility. These needed to take me from day to night.
I didn’t want anything too casual (no jersey dresses that look like you raided your boyfriend’s closet) or too formal (no heavy fabrics that require dry cleaning). I wanted these dresses to understand that sometimes you have long days with lots of movement. Length: Self explanatory if you’ve read this far.
Nothing too short that you have to worry about every little bump in the road. Nothing too long that you’ll worry about setting them off with every step you take. Fit: This was kind of a given if you picked up on my above rant about movement.
I didn’t want any clothes that made me want to suck in my stomach all day or(that adorable little baby bump you’ve grown in your pregnancy wore me through– LOL) none that made me feel like I couldn’t breathe by 2pm. I will not be putting together a work wardrobe with crazy restrictive waists. These all have some stretch where it counts but still maintain their shape.
Pockets: BOY DO I BEGMORE ABOUT POCKETS. I loathe clothing with pockets that are inevitably going to dig into you when you put your phone and keys in them. These ones all have either realistically placed pockets OR don’t have them at all.
No cute little embroidery “pockets” that just add bulk and aren’t actually functional. Mood: Confidence. Confidence that you can make it through the day without your outfit feeling like it’s fighting against you.
These dresses help me focus on my work and not my wardrobe. They feel office appropriate but aren’t stiff or uncomfortable. They’re made for real women with curves in real clothes that do actual work, not PhotoShopped model versions of that.
ALSO they all can be worn multiple times a week.
Because let’s be real, who has time to wait and dry clean something you want to wear that often? Occasion: Client meetings, weekday work events, and yes, even casual Friday.
Throw on a blazer for more conservative offices or after work drinks when you need to dress it up. They’re versatile enough to get you through everything. Plus every week isn’t stylish shirt and jeans Friday.
Don’t believe me? Here are some outfits. Care: Life’s too short to hand wash and air dry everything.
I eliminated quite a few that were “machine washable” but were really more delicate. I needed these dresses to be able to survive normal washing and either hang wrinkle free or be able to be steamed into submission. Dry cleaning every week is not something I’m willing to do for dresses I’ll wear multiple times a week.
