Does your work capsule have a different 'style persona' to the rest of your wardrobe? - YouLookFab Forum

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Does your work capsule have a different 'style persona' to the rest of your wardrobe?

shipskitty

Veteran

Some comments on another thread about casual fridays, in summer, at the office started me thinking about whether different capsules in my wardrobe have different 'style personas'.

Deborah made the observation that she struggles with casual fridays because her 'natural bent is dressy'. And that articulated part of my problem which is that my natural bent, at least in my work wardrobe, is dressy and fairly classic. I try to give it a bit of an edge with statement necklaces. But I'm not convinced that translates the same way through other capsules in my wardrobe like MOTG where I'm happy to wear converse, top, jeans, a leather cuff and lug sole boots. Of course maybe I'm in denial...

Does anyone else have different 'style personas' in their work and play capsules?

Dressing

21 replies

Latest reply was from trekkiegirl

rute

Veteran

For me is the same, my current job has a business casual code, so I don't feel the need to have different capsules for work and weekends.

Staysfit

Veteran

My style is the same at work and on weekends. I only change it up and go extra slouchy if I'm sick or if I'm doing messy chores. I think I would describe my attire as smart casual the rest of the time.

Joyce B

Veteran

For me it's business casual but no jeans at work and more of tomboy on weekends. I don't think we have to stick to just one style persona.

Summer

Veteran

I don't have a work capsule, but I certainly have two distinct style personas for my life-style. At home, I'm what I think of as "basic casual" - jeans, tees, sweaters, that sort of thing, because I don't want to fuss about my clothes while working in the house or garden or walking the dog (though I still aim to look presentable). For all other occasions, I upgrade to "smart-casual" - better-quality jeans, smarter tops and footwear, plus accessories etc.. The two never mix.

Deborah

Veteran

My style persona is consistent throughout. Work, volunteering, casual, church, MOTG etc, I have one big capsule with pieces that mix well and dress up or down as required. And once I acknowledged that I naturally skew dressy, I just accepted it and embraced that's who I am

approprio

(website)

Veteran

I seem to have a few personae which vary through work and play and also across seasons and I'm trying to pick them apart a bit. Rule of thumb is businesslike tends towards classic tailoring, creative professional is somewhat more avant-garde modernist and off-duty is urban eclectic, although the three bleed into each other a bit. I also notice that things become altogether more casual when I have my glasses on.

I'm very much in awe of Deborah's style, which seems like it would go anywhere. I don't see why anyone should feel pressured dress down for a casual code if they feel more comfortable dressed up, because what could be more casual than being true to yourself?

viva

Veteran

I'm struggling to integrate. I was recently talking to someone about how I am able to handle stressful situations so much better in work than in my "real life," and she looked at me and said: your work life is your real life. Um, yes.

Same with clothing, I think. I have one wardrobe that has very little in it that is seasonally specific or must be kept separate for business. Most of what I own I could wear on any day of any month, layered with a wool sweater or blazer in winter, or on its own in summer. All of my clothing adheres to my style persona, it's pretty true to my nature and signature look. But the difference is my own attitude about what I am dressing for.

I definitely take more care when I am traveling for work -- even if it just putting together the outfit for the airport. I am more pulled together, more creative in my styling .... it's as if my "sophisticated tomboy" (or whatever we are calling her) is only truly awake when I am headed out of town. It's not so much that the pieces are different, but the energy and the style are definitely amped up.

This is something I really need to address. Excuse me now while I go get out of my pajamas.

Anonymous

I don't have a work capsule. My office and weekend clothing is the same. I do, however, dress differently for dressy or professional occasions. For those events, out come dresses and heels and appropriate accessories. I wouldn't mind wearing a dress or skirt to work, but it's just not the place for it, so I don't.

anne

Veteran

I have 2 separate styles. For work I tend towards quite structured clothes with tailored fit. When I come home at night (even if going out very casually or having friends over) I like very soft, drapy comfortable clothes. But sometimes there is an overlap - eg if it is TOM, I might go with comfy and drapy for work as well - and I do have a couple of outfits that are both comfy and work appropriate.

Anonymous

I have two separate capsules. They are distinctly different with no overlap.

trekkiegirl

Veteran

I used to have completely separate wardrobes: Business casual with a few semi-formal pieces thrown in, fairly conservative, for work; and totally casual for weekends - jeans or leggings with a t-shirt and hoodie.

Since starting my new job and YLF I've definitely found myself mixing the two more.

MuseumGal

Veteran

I'm still trying to find my work style persona. After 8 years as a grad student with very boho leanings, I'm now in an office full time, and working to incorporate boho but still seem adult and professional and responsible - but a professional with a gypsy in her soul ...

Elizabeth P

Veteran

I'm so glad you asked this question, it's actually something I've been pondering lately. So it's great to add others experiences to the thought pocess.

I don't think I have two style personas (whatever mine is)... but I do think I have a different style for work. And no, I'm not being contradictory, I feel I have my style better honed for my casual life, than I do for my work life. Which sucks, because I dress for work far more. I seem to struggle to add the little bit of edge to my work style that I like to have. I think this is in part due to years of buying classic, safe pieces "to last". I end up looking just a bit more polished than I want to. But I do feel a shift is happening, which has been greatly inspired by the work wardrobes of a few people on here. And some thought provoking threads as well.

rachylou

Veteran

Well, I'm trying to keep a common thread and I'm pretty incurably quirky waif in all that I do, but I have delusions. I think I'm more utilitarian at work and that I drift into Real Simple magazine territory a little too much for style consistency on my part.

unfrumped

Veteran

Not a persona exactly , but work is professional and at home I'm happy to be very casual, need washable things.
What I did learn was kind of in reverse, I was wearing sloppy or frumpy fits (not just comfy, but not shaped right) for casual, when I like a lot of the same fits for both work and casual --how pants fit, how tops fit--and so I was just buying some of the wrong brands. The difference would usually be, casual is more colorful, obviously can look more casual (obvious T shirts and other casual knit shirts; button fronts in casual fabrications or prints, worn untucked ), washable knits and pants as opposed to wool.
Also I realized I had not done much "smart casual" for casual events, errands, dinner out--I tended to be super-casual and just roll out in that, but that I liked having some more polished casual outfit options. This led to both more of a jeans capsule than before and also trying to find some common ground with work items--ankle boots or loafers, some of my good sweaters, and a couple of jackets come to mind, or juxtaposing work pants with casual top or vice versa.

DonnaF

Veteran

Work (other than home office work) is more formal and conservative -- law, but not big law and I don't see clients. No jeans. I try to wear my DCO pencil skirts there since I won't/don't wear DCO stuff in the rest of my life although I will wear my washable pencil skirts for everything. The basic black and patent pumps only go to work since they don't stay on my feet very well and are very conservative.

Most of what I've purchased in the last couple of years can lead a cross-over life since I only need to dress up for the office once a week and I plan to retire in three to six years. I should probably dress a little more classically conservative for the office but I won't; it just isn't me and we are no longer in the Dressed for Success era. I even wore my pleather moto vest a couple of weeks ago, but my color palette was black and taupe.

citygirldc

(website)

Veteran

I try to incorporate some of my play pieces with my work pieces, but work clothes are bit more conservative and don't do well with play.

Aziraphale

Veteran

Years ago I had a colleague who insisted that 'you should not have two separate wardrobes for work and for leisure'. At the time I had no idea what she meant, because is a businesswoman going to wear a suit to her child's soccer game on Saturday morning? I think not. But now I think I know now. I think she was trying to say that your overall style should be cohesive. So, if you're the dressy type, then when you go to casual event, we should still be able to tell -- by your version of casual wear -- that you're the dressy type. If you're the arty type, that should still be noticeable when you're dressed for the office. Does that make sense? It's about establishing your unique personal style. On this forum, people have been coming up with 'style descriptors' , which are just adjectives that help them achieve their personal style -- you know, to narrow the choices when shopping and to help put together outfits.

So, if 'dressy' is one of your style descriptors, you apply that to casual wear. It doesn't mean that you can't wear shoes with lug soles. But you probably look a lot more polished than I do, even when you're in your casual jeans.

(My father-in-law is like this. He always looks immaculately groomed and put together, even in weekend wear).

Susie

Veteran

I would say that my style is basically the same, especially in the fall and winter. There are some pieces that aren't appropriate to wear to the office (shorts or a cocktail dress), but I'm fortunate to be able to wear pretty much whatever I want to work. I tend to dress fairly casualy so most of my wardrobe works just as well on the weekend as it does Mon-Fri.

Gaylene

Veteran

During my career as a university professor, I deliberately chose to have two distinct wardrobes to fit two personas: my academic professional side and my sports-oriented home side. Both personas were me, and I never felt the least desire to mix the two. I found it amusing that I could pass by students in a ski lodge without them recognizing their prof who had been in front of them only a few hours before.

I'm afraid that I don't subscribe to the idea that we have a single, unique style, and that it is somehow more "authentic" to always present ourselves in the same way. Now that I'm retired, my wardrobe is probably more cohesive, but I still like to dress to fit whatever role I'm currently inhabiting. When I'm outdoors, I'm happy to be in my fleece and gear; when I go to the theatre, I like to indulge my glitzy, dressy side; when I travel to a big city, I'll wear my designer duds and expensive accessories; and, when I'm volunteering at the food shelter, I wear an old shirt that belonged to my husband, my Gap jeans, and generic sneakers. All are me--but I'd feel ridiculous trying to bridge these personas with a single "look".

trekkiegirl

Veteran

Gaylene - I really like how you described your attire for different personas and situations and I can relate to that. What I wear to a basement punk show is definitely not what I woud wear to the office, and vice versa. But what I might wear shopping could potentially have pieces from either of those categories, depending on how I feel that day. In that sense, there is some cohesiveness, especially in my accessories as I find they transcend any "persona" or situation except perhaps very physical activities!