Unhinged office attire
Hi People!!!!!
Welcome back to the full-length newsletter! How’d you like the miniletter last week? I haven’t heard any complaints so I’m going to forge ahead with that plan. The past two weeks or so I’ve been going into the office more regularly which, of course, has lead to lots of thoughts about getting dressed for work. I have the privilege of being able to wear basically anything I want to work, but in some ways all of those possibilities lead to greater indecision. You have to decide what you want to wear and who you want to be in the office without any outside pressure at all. At the end of the day, my coworkers probably care very little about what I’m wearing and more about whether or not I’m creating more work for them, but I do think arriving to the office in a good outfit sets the tone for the day. I also forgot how hard it is to get dressed for the same occasion over and over and over again though. So in an effort to inspire some new office attire ideas for myself and for you, this week’s newsletter is full of outfits inspired by the characters of Parks and Rec (the indisputably superior workplace comedy), all centered around the same blazer styled for different office environments. (I had a lot of office attire theme ideas that I kind of smashed into one here, so bear with me.)
Chris Traeger
Office appropriate for: fitness instructors, high school gym teachers, laidback tech startups, and Zoom meetings where only your top half will be featured.
Obviously I went with athleisure for the Chris Traeger inspired office attire, and if you’re the coworker who makes sure everyone knows you worked out before and/or after work, this look is for you. My initial thought was to go super bright for Chris since he can be painfully peppy, but I think his dedication to productivity and self-improvement would wind him up with an all-neutral capsule wardrobe (that he meticulously researched before purchasing), save for a bright gym/office bag, of course. This tonal color palette and advanced layering (vest over blazer) keeps the athleisure from looking sloppy, so that everyone knows you’re just as type A about your work as you are about your macros.
Ron Swanson
Office appropriate for: librarians, dog trainers, baristas at local coffee shops that pride themselves on not being trendy, and Etsy store owners specializing in delicate woodworking.
For the Ron-inspired look, I wanted to lean heavily into that rugged Americana feel. This outfit looks like you could be in a casual business meeting one minute and chopping wood somewhere far off the grid the next. Okay, maybe you don’t need to disappear into the forest or swing an axe for professional purposes, but the classic button down and straight leg jean are simple in a way that exudes confidence, something we could all use in and out of the office. You might not necessarily associate bows with the manliest manly man to ever man, but scrunchies are extremely functional which I think Ron would appreciate. There’s also that one scene where he plays princesses with Diane’s daughters that I love, so consider the bow an ode to his softer side.
Tom & Donna
Office appropriate for: judgey sales associates at trendy boutiques, magazine editors, female-founded tech start ups in New York (very different from the bros of San Francisco referenced in Chris’s outfit), and dermatologists trying to get the youngest demographics hooked on Botox.
The Tom and Donna look is for those of us who want to work to live, not live to work. Or vice versa? Whatever the more fun version of that saying is. The “treat yo self” duo isn’t so much getting dressed for the office as for whatever they’re doing afterwards. “Have a day off” seems aligned with their life principles, but obviously a graphic tee is not sufficiently over the top for someone who enjoys the finer things in life as much as this pair. Layer a bright turtleneck underneath, then top with super glam earrings and bold boots, plus a giant bag filled with absolutely nothing work-related, and you’re ready to go happy hour, then to a dinner you can’t afford, then a nightcap you’ll regret in the morning, and back to work the next day to do it all again.
Leslie Knope
Office appropriate for: accountants, lawyers, financial advisors, and anyone else who would normally have to wear a frumpy suit to be taken seriously. Let’s get over that whole idea, please and thank you.
And last but not least, the most professional look for by far the most ambitious character. To be completely honest, I’ve never had to dress for any formal office environment. I’m sure there are many offices where this is too fun to be allowed, but I wasn’t going to spotlight a boring ass Ann Taylor suit in the newsletter. Even if you have to tone down the prints and the nerdy-chic details, the looser, longer pant is a million times cooler than the cropped tailored pants you see in the stock image results for “business casual.” The chunky loafer also helps keep this modern, and I can’t imagine there’s a rule against loafers, right!?!?!? Regardless, this is exactly how I’d like to see my city councilwoman dress.
Even if you couldn’t wear any of these outfits to your own office, I hope you at least learned this: WHEN IN DOUBT, ADD A BLAZER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Invest in a neutral printed one like the one I used here or even a solid black or brown or navy, and you will absolutely get your money’s worth. And even if you can only add your personality to your office looks in small ways like an optimism necklace or a bright sock, I hope you commit these tiny acts of rebellion. I have absolutely no data to back this up, but I’m pretty sure it makes you better at your job.
That’s all for this week!! I hope you enjoyed this edition of the newsletter and that it inspires you to think outside the box a little bit for your office attire this week. I want to make this newsletter as helpful and entertaining for you as possible, so feel free to respond with any questions or topic suggestions or submit them to the Google form below. Thanks so much for reading!!!!!!!! LOVE YOU BYEEEEEE!
Cheers,
Maddy