Walking
If your walk to work is longer than 10 minutes, you’ll be moving around quite a bit. Here’s how you can make simple tweaks to your outfit.
- Pop on a wrinkle-free or non-iron top. That way, you avoid showing up in a creased shirt.
- While your dress pants might hold up during a long walk, you don’t want them getting dirty before a client meeting. Wear stretchy pants while you walk and then swap them for well-pressed dress pants at the office. If you’re going to carry your dress pants, fold along the seams and then roll them so they won’t get wrinkled in your bag.
- Avoid sore feet by wearing sneakers or athletic shoes. You can store your work shoes under your office desk so you don’t need to carry them every day.
- Depending on your city, you might encounter some rain along the way: a light rain jacket and an umbrella stored in your bag will help keep you warm and dry.
Biking
While biking is an environmentally friendly travel option—and a great way to stay in shape—it’s not so friendly to your work clothes. You might endure a bit (or a lot) of sweat or rain on your way to work so try these suggestions on for size.
- Opt for moisture-wicking and wind-resistant tops. You can try quick-drying fabrics, but stay away from polyester shirts with coated sprays—they’ll make you sweat.
- Merino wool sweaters are handy for chillier or wet days because the material is breathable. They’re a better option than raincoats, which can also cause you to sweat more.
- If your office dress code is on the fancier side, bike in an undershirt or tank top and put your blazer on once you arrive at the office.
- Pair your top with slim, stretchy pants so you’ll have better mobility as you work those pedals. For warmer days, capris and ankle-length pants can keep you cool (and they won’t get caught in the chain).
- If you think you can’t bike to work in a skirt or dress, think again! Just wear a pair of bike shorts underneath.
- Wear tennis shoes or flats, which will make it easier for you to cycle.
- Store your bag in a basket or pannier so you won’t have to deal with a sweaty back.
Taking the bus or train
You might think that you can wear your work clothes on public transit without any problem, but keep in mind that the vehicle might be a lot more warmer or colder than the office.
- Wear a sweater, jacket or blazer over your top. That extra layer will be easy to remove when you’re getting in and out of an air conditioned or heated bus/train.
- Do you have a long walk from your stop? As we’ve mentioned, sneakers are your friend.
- Wearing flats instead of heels will also help deal with unwanted foot pain when you’re going up and down the steps to the train platform.
Driving
Fortunately, you have more control over the temperature in your car, but there are other conditions to keep in mind when you’re driving.
- Wearing a seatbelt for a half hour might leave your button-down shirt looking dishevelled. Don a breathable top like a cotton shirt while you’re in the car. Once you get to the office, you can easily switch shirts or layer something else on top.
- If a suit is standard for the office, choose a high quality material like merino wool that won’t wrinkle when you’re driving.
- Keep a portable steamer at the office to handle any unexpected wrinkles.
By following these style hacks, you can walk through the office door with style and confidence each morning, and focus on more important things at work—like impressing a new client or earning that promotion.
Photo Credit: Shutterstock.com, Redd Angelo, Matthew Wiebe, Unsplash.com
