How do I look professional yet feminine?

[Newname14]

I've been given a new job in managment but don't have a clue what to wear

Mainly male environment all in suits

Any ideas how a 28 year old size 10 should dress to look professional yet feminine genuinely have no idea !

Agree on heels - even if you wear flats to and from the office.

Lots of good suggestions already here. Would say that dresses + jacket or cardi are easier and a bit more modern than a matching suit. Mind the hemline - not too short (nothing wrong with shorter things but I would say to look professional you should consider that)

Oasis often have good work dresses I find, also given your size Zara is worth a good look. I like Me&EM too but find they need to be smartened up with a good jacket for meetings.

I would consider having your colours done, so that you know which ones flatter you the most.

I used to work in the PC industry in my 20s and dressed quite business like ( not sexy), mostly in a knee length skirt and fitted jacket, a nice shirt. Smart dress. Flats or small heel fine.

I found that women who dressed very flirty and girly or sexy were not taken serious at times.

Zara does some good stuff, usually.

I think cardi 's are too " soft/girly" if everyone in suits TBH.

Lots of dresses in the sales - try John Lewis.

Oasis does some nice dresses but they are really short. Hobbs and Jigsaw are good for suits.

Think about what the men do in the mowrning, they get up, shower, shave and put on a well fitting suit, ironed shirt, tie and polished leather Oxfords. I personally aspire to that level of lack of thought in my daily dressing (even less in fact, as I can get away with no-ironing knitted tops). Doesn't stop me looking feminine, because I buy the suits carefully in the first place and get them altered to fit perfectly if necessary.

If you're used to dressing casually you'll feel a bit "fancy dress" at first, but everyone else will be used to women in suits and you'll fit right in.

Oh and if you do go down the dress route, always check that they're machine-washable. Most places have now worked out that they should be, but a few shops still make dry-clean only, which is mad for a day dress.

M&S do some good washable dresses - just have to be selective!

What sector are you in?

Thinking of the women on my Senior Management team (LA) they all dress quite differently. I dont think you have to be TOO conservative (no long nails? Really?!). And it is still about dressing to suit your shape, style, personality, no matter what level youre at.

I have a Senior Manager who is pure Essex Glam - piles of make up, big hair, sky scraper shiny heels and wafts of perfume - and another who has a tall, waifish figure and wears no make-up, flats and very simple dresses. Both very attractive and (more importantly!) effective women.

I'm a middle manager and wear fitted, structured dresses (occasionally the odd smarter jersey dress) with heels or high heeled boots. I have a couple of blazers, but tend to prefer good quality, cropped cardis unless I have a formal meeting. I wear make-up, any jewellery I feel like, perfume and have long layered hair that I either wear down and blow dried with volume, or in some sort of simple up-do (chignon, twist etc). Hair is so important! Its got to be smart, not little-girlish and relatively easy for you to style in the morning.

I would like to say that you should do what the men do, and continue to look like an unmade bed while feeling free to grow a beer gut. Sadly, not going to work. Sexism in management is rife. They slightly resent you for being so competent. You can however bypass some of that by how you dress, though more of it will about how you manage.

Spend good money on your haircut. Have a manicure. Wear expensive makeup.

Then I suggest you need a wardrobe of stuff that doesn't run out by Wednesday. That means things that can be mixed up so you don't need the miracle of all the right things being simultaneously clean. It means backing away, hissing, when the label says dry clean only. It means lots of spare tights.

One very good bag that you can get your iPad into, and use your iPad for all your documents. Avoids that briefcase kiss of death to any outfit.

Older people like me spend increasing sums on suits etc but I think you have age on your side. Slim cut dresses with soft jackets or cashmere cardigans is a very flexible and elegant look. One very good black trouser suit will knock them out.

Your shoes need to be in perfect nick. Heels are good for making a statement at a meeting and they will have more impact if you wear something else every day. Boots are your friend but there is nothing wrong with flats.

Remember to be nice. Beautifully dressed manager who is nice = charismatic leader. Beautifully dressed manager who is aggressive = overpaid bitch. Firm, but nice.

" Wear expensive makeup."

I don't think make up needs to be expensive. I agree with the haircut and having tidy nails.

Ok, expensive looking makeup :)

How does make up look expensive? I would say don't overdo the makeup. I think understated is the correct term here.

I am astonished that people think you need to wear heels to look professional and feminine. Not looking for an argument - it just makes me feel like I live in a parallel universe.

I always feel more polished, professional and feminine in heels. Wearing flats makes me feel a bit dowdy and although I'm tall, I also like the feeling of extra height in heels.

However if you feel feminine in flats, then go for it. I think it's just more important to wear what makes you feel good.

I find that when I'm in flats standing around talking with male colleagues then the conversation quite literally goes over my head. An extra couple of inches of heel raises me to somewhere within earshot of the conversation.

"I find that when I'm in flats standing around talking with male colleagues then the conversation quite literally goes over my head. An extra couple of inches of heel raises me to somewhere within earshot of the conversation."

I don't find that happens, but I am tall.

I'm between 6 and 9 inches shorter than all my colleagues, so I need all the help I can get.

Well yes, bunbaker, that makes a difference indeed!

At 6 ft 1 I only wear heels to meetings with difficult men, there is a psychological advantage when you tower over someone who is trying to bully you!

Watching with interest. Struggling to find fitted professional dresses ATM.

"At 6 ft 1 I only wear heels to meetings with difficult men, there is a psychological advantage when you tower over someone who is trying to bully you!"

Good ploy Fiscal

I work in quite a formal environment - no dress down Friday or anything - and wear

Dresses - jigsaw, lk Bennett, Boden workwear, M&S autograph, Pure

Add either smart cardigan or jacket (Boden, esprit, gap)

7/8 smart wool trousers or pencil skirt & blouse/top + jacket

I wear a suit every now and again but actually feel a bit frumpy

Decent tights, incl coloured or patterned
Light makeup

Always wear heels, have lots in different colours to match to outfits

Congratulations!

I second the point re suits, lots of suits look cheap, even if they're not. Bizarrely a nice jacket with non matching but toning dress / skirt / well cut trousers looks much better.

Dresses / skirts should finish on or just above your knee. More than an inch of thigh is not helpful if you want to be taken seriously.

Wear decent tights and think about your bra, no straps on show, smooth cups. In the summer, think carefully about wearing sleeveless dresses. Michelle Obama does it well, but in some offices it would be inappropriate. And definitely a no if the top / dress has deodorant marks.

Zara, Warehouse, Oasis and Boden all have good work stuff.

You should keep the following in your drawer: emergency new/clean tights, nail file, mouthwash, baby wipes, concealer and painkillers.

I also agree with the point re: iPad & keyboard in a big handbag. The LK Bennett Rosamund, Modalu Pippa or something of that size would work.

Well done. Now go show the men how it's done.

I'm same as you age and size. Office environment. I tend to wear skirts smart top and cardigan. Or trousers smart top cardigan.

Only wear suits if I have an important meeting (rare -most are fairly informal).

Wrap dresses are good.

I always wear heels in the office ( lk Bennett 3inch courts - or sometimes kitten heels with trousers. I'm 5'9in feet).

Look in oasis warehouse and Zara. H&m are good for basics for work.

I'm in a formal environment (the City) and my work "uniform" is dress, tights and heels. I'm client-facing (as a money manager) and have a couple of shift dresses and non-matching blazer combos for those days. I wear the same makeup every day and same watch, diamond pendant and stud earrings.

Don't buy any suits until you have spent a few weeks in the office. There are really very few offices outside of law and consulting that demand suiting.

The big thing with dresses is to allow a few pounds for a tailor. Very few women fit off-the-rack perfectly and it makes a huge difference to the look if it fits properly. The John Lewis and House of Fraser clearance sections can be relied on for work dresses - in my wardrobe currently I'm wearing LK Benett, Winser London, Pied a Terre, Jigsaw, Whistles etc.