What I Wear To Work
- erinbrown4230
- Dec 20, 2021
- 3 min read
Photo byMarkus WinkleronUnsplash
I work at a crystal store. Typically, My day's split between working in the backroom and interacting with customers. I'm on my feet for most of it, so here is what I wear to work.
Shoes
Most places that have sales floors require their employees to wear black shoes and pants. There's a reason for that. It's distracting when you wear any other color. I balance this by wearing Vans with sole inserts to help support my knees while standing all day. Black socks are also a must, and you can find those in packs.
Pants
Luckily, my manager is okay with black jeans. I found a pair at Target for a pretty good price compared to business casual pants. American Eagle also has some once-in-a-blue-moon sales where you can get jeans for a steal. If I can find black jeans with no holes on sale, I'm jumping at that opportunity. The jeans I bought six years ago still hold up and fit pretty well, so it's a good investment. If the pant legs are too distracting, you can always roll them up.
Shirts
It's hard to discern what's causally dressy or business casual. I strive to reach the middle of this spectrum. Of course, I don't wear graphic t-shirts or any tank top. I try to wear solid-color shirts, for the same reason I wear black pants. To limit how distracting the pattern can be. Having some texture is helpful, so I don't look like a column of fabric. Fitted shirts are my mortal enemy, but I stay away from baggy clothes. If I wear any shirts with patterns on them, I make sure that they're collared and match the aesthetic of the store.
Scrunchies
If you read my post wear or tear,
then you know that I detested scrunchies for a long time. I found a pack on sale for like, three dollars, and I caved. It's nice to have some accessories that won't bother me throughout the day. They match my outfits pretty well, and they do their job of keeping my hair out of my face.
Some housekeeping when it comes to scrunchies. Wash before you wear! A previously ten-dollar item marked down means that it was probably returned. I wash mine with my clothes and cold water. Keep in mind that if there's a ribbon attached to the scrunchie, it may fall off. Just retie it, and it should be fine.
Nail Polish
I only ever do my nails if I can't justify the time spent doing them. That being said, there are times where I might have to hold a crystal for a picture or show it off to a customer. This comes with the territory, but no glitter polish or distracting colors. The last color I wore was Essie's In Plane View (728), but that felt a little too dark. When I paint my nails, I'll strive for a nude polish with a matte topcoat.
I'm still working on what exactly to wear to work. The most helpful thing has been talking to my manager and understanding what her expectations are. There are some loose takeaways from my experience.
Keep an eye out for sales on things like pants. You'll be wearing those a lot, and you don't want to compromise on those. Find shoe inserts if you think you might be on your feet for long periods. Shirts should have some texture to them but a minimal pattern. Having a solid color cuts the confusion in half. Try to stray away from baggy clothes. Having some extra accessories and some nail polish can help tie your look together. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my post.
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