Wearing an oversized blouse to the office seems like a daring move, but it’s actually not as adventurous as it seems. There are so many tricks for transforming pieces and these days at the office, people are embracing style instead of the drab traditional pieces. It is becoming more and more acceptable to rock your true style at the office as long as you can keep it professional. That being said, this is a particularly difficult post for me to write. Can you guess why? Oversized blouses are just one of those pieces that should be assessed on a case by case basis when it comes to making it office-appropriate. Don’t worry; today I’m going to take the guesswork out for all of us!

Here’s how to wear an oversized blouse to the office and your checklist for determining whether a particular blouse is a good fit for a professional environment.

photo credits: Shelby & Co. Photography

How To Wear An Oversized Blouse to the Office

TUCKED IN OR OUT?
My first instinct when wearing an oversized blouse to the office is to tuck it in. It’s important to look professional at work and I do love that tucked in look. It seems to create a pulled together look every time! But when it comes to making the most out of our wardrobes, it really helps to take a step back and look at each piece with a new perspective. With the right blouse, you can rock it untucked and still look great!

BALANCE OR CONTRAST?
When it comes to wearing an oversized blouse, your silhouette is everything. This is what really holds the key to pulling your look off fabulously or riding it into a serious ditch! I know, I know; I’m dramatic but I can’t stress enough how important the silhouette is. When it comes to this, you can really choose balance or contrast but make sure you fully commit. Don’t let your outfit fall in the middle!
What do I mean? To create balance, you can wear your oversized blouse with flared trouser pants. This will appear sort of like an hourglass silhouette. For contrast, try wearing your oversized blouse with a pair of super skinny trouser pants. The trouser pants that I’m wearing have a slight wide-leg silhouette but I must stress, it only works in this case because of the high-low hem on the blouse.

photo credits: Shelby & Co. Photography

Your Ultimate ‘Does This Look Okay’ Checklist

. . . for determining if your oversized blouse has the potential to be professional.

Does your oversized blouse have what it takes to be professional? In many cases, you can take control of your look and make it professional but not every blouse carries the potential to be transformed. Sometimes no matter what you do, that blouse just won’t work! Here’s your ultimate checklist for assessing your oversized blouse so you never make that mistake, again.

1- DOES IT HAVE A COLLAR?
A collar can definitely give your blouse that classic, preppy style that really works well for the office. These days, there are a number of office blouses- and even blazers- that are collarless. In this case, it’s best to try one trend at a time.

2- IS IT A NEUTRAL COLOR?
As much as I love to preach ’embrace color and prints,’ it’s important to stick with neutral colors when trying a tricky trend or a questionable style. A black oversized blouse for the office can work but a hot pink one? Not so much. That might be just a little too bold.

3- IS IT A BUTTON UP?
Buttons can help give your blouse that classic professional look! It’s just another detail that we expect to see in work wear, so it really helps transform your oversized blouse by showing us what we’re used to.

Have you noticed a theme? Basically, we’re asking these questions to determine if your blouse has enough ‘traditional’ work wear qualities. Despite the unconventional silhouette, you can still make it work if your blouse has some classic elements that are unmistakably ‘professional.’

photo credits: Shelby & Co. Photography

THE LOOK
Express Button-Up Blouse (similar: Express Striped Oversized Blouse)  |  Express Wide-Leg Cropped Trouser Pants  |  Merona Pointed Toe D’Orsay Heels (similar: Guess Pointed Toe Pumps)  |  Forever 21 Crossbody Bag  |  Express Rose Gold Gem Studs  |  Kate Spade New York Rose Gold Bow Necklace

photo credits: Shelby & Co. Photography