Summer fashion picks for office wear

From relaxed casuals to strictly corporate, dress codes for office vary widely in today's time with changing work cultures. Ensure you have some right essentials, suggest experts.

Niharika Dubey, Stylist, PostFold, suggests:

* Frolic Formal: If you are someone who regularly meet executives, you might be asked to come dressed in business formals. A tailored suit in a solid, neutral colour like black, gray or navy can be paired with a white collared button-up shirt -- a classic pairing for men. Women can pair-up their well-cut pantsuit or skirt suit in a conservative neutral colour such as black, navy or brown with a collared white button-up.

* Smart semi-formal: Wearing casual to work is an art of adding personality to the workwear without looking unprofessional. Separates like skirt or trouser with a cardigan can be one choice for women. Pair it with solid coloured or muted patterns like checks or striped shirt. Men can pick a collared button-up in any colour to pair it with black dress pant or pressed khakis in the summer.

* Classic casual: For the ones allowed to wear casuals to work, remember not to go over the top with your dress-up. Casual dressing also leaves room for individuality and slight experiments. Men can pair up collared polos with casual slacks or dark denims. Choose muted patterned polos over novelty designs to be able to mix in while making a subtle statement.

Nicely fitted tops and blouses with cotton slacks or denims can be the option for women to wear to office. Dresses and skirts also add to the variety.

-*-

Harkirat Singh, Managing Director, Woodland, gives some tips on what footwear to wear and bags to carry to office:

* Footwear: Footwear adds the final touch to the outfit. For women, flats are more comfortable and functional than heels, while at work. Platform heels work the best for working women as they are stylish yet comfortable at the same time. Also, wedges look chic and glamorous without being over the top.

For men, Oxford, derby shoes and loafers are formal, classy and high on the style quotient. A brown shoe catches more attention and adds another layer to your outfit. Dark brown shoes are easier to pull off than light brown ones. However, a pair of classic black shoes goes with primarily everything that you wear and has been never out of vogue.

* Bag Options: Work bags often pull double duty - they need to be attractive and useful with enough space to carry all the things you need during the day.

For women, the classic tote bags are large enough to get you through a work day as they tend to swallow half your stuff. It can have a neoprene water bottle sleeve, a phone pocket, pen holder, padded laptop sleeve, notebook or tablet sleeve with magnetic closure, and interior side pocket.

For men, the classic backpack has the convenience of the open pocket design, such as the carryall, generally with a smaller outer pocket. It is multi-functional and serves the purpose, whether in the office or heading out for a meeting. Also, these days the market is full of stylish options for men's laptop bags crafted from leather, in different colours and designs.

--IANS

rb/ksk