shy at work

So we all know the post-Labor Day rule on wearing white, but let’s be real- September/early October in DC still felt as hot as July/early August, and the brisk temperatures hadn’t quite hit. Below is what I wore in the past few weeks when it was warmer- more cool-weather appropriate outfits are coming I promise...this is just what I’ve been able to create so far.

Friday: IT’S A JEANS DAY, B!!

Finally it’s Friday! My office allows more casual wear on Fridays, including jeans. This final fit I actually wore over the weekend, but I have paired this top with regular jeans to the office as well. It’s not a super amazing outfit, but it’s comfortable and cute enough to wear to other plans once you get out of work.

The top is from BluePops, another Korean shopping mall with exceptionally fast shipping (slower than Chuu but Chuu is like crazy fast). I actually bought it at the peak of summer after seeing Youtuber Hanbyul wearing it in one of her videos, but I think it fits fall best because of the off-peach shade and dark outlines of its lavender design. It has a dreamier, vintage vibe that looks a bit hot for summer, even with the light material and mid-sleeve cut.

(FYI, this top is slightly see-through, and I decided to wear a white bra for some reason…when I wear a nude bra it’s perfectly undetectable.)

The bib-like front and ribbon are an example of the rising “large upper torso” / “shoulder accent” trend. It may not feel super flattering at first, but the way that the blouse focuses your vision naturally makes your waist and legs seem thinner. For this reason, the top pairs very well when front-tucked into skinny jeans, but you have to be careful with the wash, as to prevent your outfit from looking too high school.

Washes like the medium-light of the UNIQLO jean skirt work well, especially because the skirt doesn’t have loud stitching. To finish off the top, I’ll give it a 65% reliability because floral patterns are easy to get tired of, the thin elastic band around your upper arm can be uncomfortable, and the shirt’s cut (loose bottom that can make you look bloated unless you wear a tighter, tapered bottom).

This skirt I actually bought in Paris when I was on my high school trip to France- it was before UNIQLO was easily accessible across the States, and I was stoked to have the staple piece. Like most jean skirts, it’s not super flattering because it’s cut straight, meaning your thighs can look a little thick. But, I find myself wearing it again and again because of how easy it is to style. I give it a 75% reliability, mainly because you have to wear a shirt that’s tucked into the skirt for it to be flattering.

This day I wore my Nike Air Max 95s - I’ll usually wear sneakers around the office on Fridays. Being a 95 baby, I had to get this pair. I love that it has a more industrial/formal feel with the khaki beige and shiny silver lining. I got them from FarFetch which is lit because they have a lot of limited edition color ways and styles.

Thursday: A la Meghan Markle

She didn’t invent wearing loose, wide-legged white pants with a smart shirt, but when I frantically pulled this combo out of my + Daniel’s respective closets, I was reminded of her outfit (https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/style/988785/meghan-markle-kate-middleton-news-pictures-latest-wimbledon).

On a Thursday morning, for me, finding inspo is a bit harder: already 3 outfits in, looking forward to the more casual Fridays, and maybe even having plans to meet up with friends for happy at that one spot you’ve been craving for forever. I’m usually craving comfort, but obviously still have to adhere to the dress code.

I made the commitment to wearing these pants that morning and had to dig through my options to make it work. Bought in the basement of Shibuya 109 in Fall 2016, these off-white, slightly-cropped, slightly-flared knit pants have a more casual vibe, mainly due to the thick, elastic waistband. To prevent any see-through accidents, they have an inner layer of bright white, opaque satin.

I bought these for ~$25-35 dollars, and would recommend finding a pair to add as a 83% reliable piece in your wardrobe. The 17% discount comes from the fact that it’s a bit harder to style. The loose shape is what makes it attractive, but you have to be careful when wearing it to work to not look like you were desperate to pull on some sweatpant alternative.

With these pants I almost always wear a cropped top, or at least something that has been functioned into one through twists and ties, as I did for the periwinkle striped shirt from Pierre Balmain that I borrowed from Daniel. It’s just loose and flexible enough that it went along with the outfit’s comfortable and casual vibe, but the tight tie and shirt’s structure made it look put-together enough for the office.

I’m not sure if I’d recommend buying this kind of shirt, because it’s not something you can wear very often. It does come in clutch every once in a while, however, so I give it a 60% reliability. I’d rock it under a tighter vest with some jeans on Fridays in the fall, or maybe pull a slip dress on top of it for the weekends.

Paired with some heels, the outfit makes you look like you tried that morning. I would also wear this with Tuesday’s boots if it was cooler, and add a thick black cardigan. Either way, swishing the pants around my calves with black leather peeking out makes me feel womanly and great. It also softens the masculinity of the oversized shirt.

Wednesday: Black & Blue

This outfit is the epitome of summer to fall transition outfits for me- a cool-toned sleeveless top with an elastic circle skirt, capped off with smart black leather boots and a cross bag-tied cardigan…I love how it makes me feel like a character from Zelda, and is stylish without pushing the cards too much. Camping fairy vibes.

So this outfit has the most pieces out of this week: (1) A.P.C. top, (2) Korean street store skirt, (3) leather belt from a NYC thrift store, (4) Dan’s shrunken Theory cardigan, and (5) these lit ass MM6 Maison Margiela boots…yap.

Everyone loves to layer in the fall. This is exceptionally true for DC fall, because it can suddenly shift between upper 70s and lower 60s throughout the day. This outfit without the black cardigan and leather boots could very well be a summer fit, but on a closer look at the fabric of the pieces, you can see why they fit autumn so well.

Found in a NYC consignment store that stocks mainly modern pieces, I bought this A.P.C. top with a little resentment, because it was as if I chose practicality over picking out a swaggy item for myself. However, I quickly ate this regret after realizing how versatile and useful this blouse was: its perfect navy shade, interesting “vents”, and cute tie neck gave me a lot more to rely on than I expected. It has a normal length that goes a few inches or so below my hip and is just one of those tops that you can pull out and wear with basically anything. I give it at 89% reliability for the fact that it’s clearly well-made, but it’s not super exciting. Additionally, the velvety-look of the fabric does make it a bit more formal, so it’s okay with jeans, but better with a skirt or dressy pants….or a skirt!

This black, thinly-pleated, made out of some sort of super soft fabric that has pilled over the past 7+ years, lined with a black satin, and revived multiple times by replacing the inside elastic holding it in…skirt. My dad brought it home one day after one of his many business trips to Korea because I begged him to bring me back some clothes.

This skirt is an item that I think every single girl should have because it’s super comfortable, and can be easily dressed down (i.e., oversized sweatshirt + black pleats sticking out skirt + white sneakers) or up (like this outfit, but only to a certain extent). I’ll have to admit that its shape isn’t amazing, largely due to the fact that it’s only held together by an elastic band, making it a full-circle waist. But, it’s still lovable and 90% reliable for how easily it can be thrown on, and how comfortable it is. Your legs will feel very free.

To both assuage the skirt’s poofy effect and a layer of warmth and flair, I square-knotted this black cardigan around my shoulder/rib and stuck my stiff, black leather belt on top. The cardigan represents what I find so hit-or-miss about Theory - Daniel got this from the outlet store but it was still relatively expensive for a very basic piece. After just one wash and an accidental dry in the machine, it turned into this children’s felt-like material and is only really useful to me as a wraparound. Its cut is manly and makes my shoulders look large.

I recommend having a basic black cardigan, and this one serves all of my needs so I’ll give it a 83% reliability.

Also to make the skirt less bulky, I held it together with this stuff, black leather belt with a clean, rectangular, silver buckle. I picked it up at some random thrift store in New York in 2014 or 2015. In general, I think expensive belts are a scam, so I snatch up any belts I can find at a reasonable price. The rectangular buckle and worn black leather shade gives it a slightly retro vibe, but I don’t wear belts that often- this is one of two belts that I switch between. It’s definitely something I rely on 92%.

Finally!! The boots lol. 

I got them online at YOOX last fall when I was going through a crisis of not owning a pair of stylish black booties (that were flat and comfortable to walk in). YOOX is great for finding an item that you don’t want to settle for- they display lower prices than retail and often have additional discounts so you can get grrrrreat deals!

Also a quick note: I don’t give an f about “short people shouldn’t wear ankle boots,” or “ankle boots make your legs look fat/short.” If you’re smart about how you rock them, that won’t be a problem…and even if it was…you shouldn’t deny what you love. :-)

Anyways lmao I lovelovelove these boots for fall/winter. The touch of leather varies: soft and tight around my ankles, a patent “strap” across the foot, and a squared, sharp point that could bruise a shin…they’re great for both street wear and the office because of its defined shape and ability to taper your look. The skirt’s wider look is toned down by these boots that tell everyone that you aren’t just wearing a typical pair of shoes. These aren’t the most comfortable though, and run slightly small, so I give it a 91% reliability.

Tuesday: Grad School Girl

I would have worn this outfit with the long-sleeve version of this shirt for fall (I have the exact same style in both sleeve lengths…and also in blue but it’s not a great blue) but DC was just a little too hot for it this day. Either way- a formal, white button down with a plaid patterned skirt is like the work outfit for fall. There are a few details about these two pieces that make the fit especially flattering.

The oxford shirt is from Brooks Brothers- I bought it from an outlet store before my summer internship in 2016. It’s called the ”Non-Iron Fitted” dress shirt and works great both under suit jackets and on its own because of its opaque coloring, sharp collar, and fitted silhouette. As the name indicates, it doesn’t require ironing if you hang to dry, but sometimes I do so just to get the collar extra pointy.

I like to pair it with shorter skirts that would otherwise look too casual to balance out the structure. Unfortunately, the biggest negative of the shirt is also its greatest quality: the formality makes it awkward to wear casually. There’s a sternness to the look. Additionally, the way it holds its shape makes it not super comfortable. Because of this, I give it a 89% reliability for your closet.

The skirt is from Chuu, a Korean online shopping mall, which I recommend for its kind prices and surprisingly fast shipping to the States (sometimes arrives less than week). It’s made of a thicker material and has a satiny black lining, adding that extra bit of warmth for fall. I actually bought this skirt late last winter and didn’t have many opportunities to rock it, so I’m definitely going to rotate it a bunch this season.

I added the photo of another outfit with the skirt that I wore right after it arrived- it showcases the color and material a bit better. (The first few photos are filtered blue/green with worse lighting.)

The warmness of the pink-red paired with the cool blue match up in a houndstooth-like pattern. The skirt has a paneled top with zero stretch, with a slight flounce on the bottom. I love how the skirt pattern splits ⅔ around, and expands to a wider bottom that prevents the pattern from looking stuffy/casual, and also makes your legs look slimmer (respectively).

One negative about the skirt is that the tight fit can cause the skirt to bunch up when you sit down. I took the first photos after wearing the skirt all day in the office, and the wrinkles are pretty noticeable. I usually don’t mind, because that’s what happens when you wear clothes and sit down for a majority of your day…they will show wrinkles. Altogether, the skirt is an 85% reliable piece for your closet.

This fit would be cute with nude, open-toed, block heels, or dark gray flats…in my usual office stride I just pull out the same Stuart Weitzman black pumps for a little more formality.

Monday: Boss bitch

As overused as the term is, nothing makes me more ready for a week than rocking a fitted, formal dress that I know makes me look GREAT. I need it on a Monday when we have our team pipeline meeting and set the tone for the rest of the week. When I wear this dress I feel more mature, sexy, and ready to walk into any office to get at it.

Scrolling through Facebook I saw one of those “NowThis” videos, where Jennifer Palmieri’s advice was “People take their cue from you.” As in, if you act like you belong, people will believe you belong. I feel that way about this dress. If you dress like you are a boss ass bitch, people will believe you are a boss ass bitch.

I bought this piece on Black Friday at the Elie Tahari outlets last year- Elie Tahari will always be one of my favorite designers for formal dresses because somehow he just GETS IT. The fit, the fabric, and the design are truly flattering, at 99% dependability.

The dress is a lined, true black, sheath V-neck dress. The dress is split into 8 vertical panels, 4 on each side, which gives it that structured, tux-like feel and holds the dress together. It naturally cinches the waist in, without any obvious banding, paneling, or color-blocking, and gives my body a volume that is tasteful. My waist isn’t super curvy on its own, but Boss Bitch dress makes me look like I have hidden curves.

This dress could fit someone of any height, but for me it hits a little below my knees. One thing to note is that the bottom has a relatively tight opening for the legs. There’s absolutely no stretch with this material, so when you’re walking you’ll have to take small steps. This tight hem can feel really frustrating if you’re trying to get somewhere quickly, so I usually slide the bottom of the dress upwards for more space. I also do this when I’m sitting, to prevent creases. (As pictured above)

The creases don’t hold too badly, so you can get at least 4 wears before needing to get the dress dry cleaned! Overall, if there’s one dress I think every woman should own….it’s this one. FYI, I wear these with my Stuart Weitzman pointy-toed, of course closed-toed, black leather pumps. It calls for a formal shoe.  

Dress: ~$140

What is my reasoning behind shy@work/SHY @Work/s.ophia h.aesoo y.ang @ work???

When I think about my summer internship at Citi, I remember feeling distraught, stuffy (no proper translation for 답답해), and small. One of the main reasons I felt that heart-squeezing pain was because of what I was wearing.

It may sound silly, but losing autonomy over what I put onto my body, what I put on for 12+ hours and showed to everyone around me, what I shared with my surroundings - it depressed me. It made me feel like I was less of myself. I had less joy in my life.

To say I looked forward to the end of my internship is an understatement...I had a desperate longing for it to be over so I could fully be myself again. My internship showed me how much of my identity is rooted in what I wear.

The history of me has a lot to do with what I’ve worn, how I’ve worn it, where I’ve worn it to. I’ll never forget the two-piece LimitedToo blue and green plaid skirt and sleeveless top that I got in 4th grade - I tried to savor it by wearing it “special events” like birthday parties. I remember how Camille asked me why I rewore it so often.

Though I was embarrassed to answer then, I can now: it’s because it made me feel amazing and ready for a celebration! Starting in 6th grade, I hacked at pages from Vogue magazines, sticking them to my bedroom walls, layering couture and high fashion with Scotchtape. I began memorizing names, figuring out which designers I liked and disliked. I used to have my own “wacky tacky” days once a month throughout 7th and 8th grade. Obsessed with Harajuku looks, I would wear absurd outfits, just to prove that I didn’t care, that I would wear whatever I liked.

Growing up, my dad would take business trips to Korea every few months. When he returned, I’d run first for his suitcase, to dig for the presents I’d anticipated for weeks: a classic black pleated skirt that I still wear today, Korean-style tops with fabrics you couldn’t find in Forever21, and of course a knit, taupe, U-neck dress that I stole from my mom. In high school I cut up my clothes and experimented with hand-sewing, changing seams to see the different silhouettes I could shape. I graduated from matching prints to experimenting with new fits and new cuts.

With my first job I ”invested” into Jeffrey Campbells, StyleNanda fast fashion bits, and Rag & Bone. In college was when I bloomed into oversized camo and funky one-of-one t-shirts, lifetime vintage pieces from New York, Tokyo, Seoul, Osaka, Kobe, Beijing, and went through a phase where I wore a different hat literally every single day.

And now I’m a career woman. I graduated, and like most Georgetown students, have focused my ambitions into an office job. The part of me that loves to wear tie-dye long sleeves and bright purple sweatpants with baby pink Timbs is still alive and well, but reality is that “adult” SHY takes center stage for 5/7 days, 40+/168 hours.

Reality is, I love my professional side as well, and I have real goals I’d like to achieve, tangible changes I’d like to make in the world. Establishing myself as a power woman in my industry is important, and a large step of doing so is being wise with how I present myself, how I dress. At the same time, I refuse to compromise the individuality that defines and drives me, and I want to explore work fashion in a deeper, more intimate manner.

So what does that have to do with you? And this page?

I’m not solely writing for myself. I don’t want this to be a personal blog. I do want this to be a real, helpful resource when you are synthesizing, recreating, or supplementing your “adult” wardrobe. I bought this domain because I don’t want to be alone in this struggle of finding myself in work fashion. I have asked or Googled “Where to get work clothes” over and over again, only to receive dissatisfactory and frustrating results every single time. Maybe shy@work can be one of the online results that actually provides inspiration beyond “Ann Taylor shirts!” and “Theory suits!” or “Get some work dresses!” Maybe this time, things can be different.

Because this time, I’ve decided to take control over having limitations. I’m respecting them, working them and I’m owning them and I’m rocking them. I’m in a new phase and new stage in my life and would love to share the journey as I go. Work Fashion is something I’m still learning about, and would love for my page to be a resource for your own approach.