Miss Lumpy

Work-lita: Guidelines

This is really just a mini-post (I have much more to say on this topic!), and it’s something that I’m looking forward to going into more in the future: tying your favorite lolita pieces into your everyday wardrobe. I mentioned this way way back in reference to high/middle school specifically but I’m going to expand more on lolita in the workplace in the future. Today, I give you guidelines of work-lita.

Please note, everyone, that I have a rather unique job in a kitchen showroom, in which most of my rules are rather lax as long as I answer my phones and finish my paperwork – beyond that, it’s not very high-pressure, so this outfit may not fly in some professional atmospheres. However!

5/19/09 work outfit!

The more astute of you may notice that this was from my birthday in May – exactly a month ago today! – so I gave myself a bit more leeway than I normally would. Also, even the less-astute of you will probably notice that I got photoshop. I have no apologies!!

Guidelines for successful use of lolita in the office:

• Cutesy but not over-the-top cutsew: This  BABY top could easily be OTT for some office jobs, but just make sure it’s not dripping in lace & bows – before you ask, AatP’s “Flying Fuck” cutsew is also out of the question!
• Girly, funky accessories like the star necklace enhance the feminine nature of the outfit, without being unprofessional.
• Updo’s look very professional, but keep it simple. Here I used a simple white claw clip around a loose bun, but other acceptable do’s are chignons, a single braid, or a low ponytail. Keep it simple & elegant!
• Flattering pants – here I wear jean-style khaki’s, but an even more acceptable choice is, of course, a standard wide-leg trouser in a neutral color like grey or black.
• Another note- the belt draws the attention to the line of the pant, as opposed to the slightly overly-loli cutsew. The dark color also helps achieve this, as it draws the attention since the color pallete is so light otherwise. Also… it’s the only belt I own. Ahem.
• You can’t see in this picture, but I paired this with plain flats, in brown, matching my belt. This is something I’ve learned from the guys – in men’s fashion, the belt stereotypically matches the shoes, because it makes the outfit look more united and provides movement (think back to your high school art class – movement means it keeps your eye circulating through the entire piece without pausing for too long on one area, which is especially helpful in fashion if you have a problem area you’d like to cover up).

I’ve also worn skirts to work, & I’ll have to rebuild the outfit for photographing, but know that it can be done! Choose a skirt with very little embellishment – mine was the Alice in Funfair in pink – then dress it down more with cute leggings or tights, a nice shirt, and a pair of good flats or wedges (my selection of all of the above was brown, to bring out the darker colors in the skirt print).

I’m lucky to have a job I adore that leads to all sorts of hijinks, but I know that a lot of people don’t, and need something to spice up their work lives a bit. I hope that for those of you in this situation, these tips give you a starting point to adding your favorite lolita pieces to your everyday work wardrobe. Good luck, & I better see lots of work-lita in the future from all of you!