Work Outfits for Women Who Hate Morning Decisions

Getting up early in the morning to go to work is already hard enough on most of us. We can make this easier for ourselves by having a work wardrobe that’s highly efficient, flattering, and easy to mix and match.

Feeling good in what you wear at work matters. You put a lot of effort into your job, and you want all of that effort to go toward the work. An outfit that doesn’t fit correctly or doesn’t send the message you want can distract from that.

Here are some work outfits that cover a variety of workplaces, types of offices, types of jobs, and types of weather.

1. Navy Blazer, Burgundy Blouse, and Tailored Trousers

The simple color palette here is interesting without being overstated. She has two rich colors that can definitely be incorporated into a capsule work wardrobe. I love the burgundy paired with the navy here. Even burgundy paired with burgundy, like a deep maroon with a deep maroon, is very beautiful. I could even see a maroon jacket rather than a navy one looking really good.

I also like the interest of the charcoal pants rather than a black pant here. However, a black pant would also work because of the color combination on top.

2. Forest Green Knit Dress with Knee-High Boots

The knee-high boots definitely add a little bit of polish to this already somewhat professional knit dress. This knit is a little bit more fitted, which can definitely work for some workplaces, depending on where you work. In others, a tighter fit may not be appropriate. I would encourage everyone to look around and take in the environment where you work to know if something very fitted is appropriate.

If not, a sweater dress is still a great option because of how forgiving the fabric is. You could size up or look for a style that’s not as fitted. It’s definitely at least a three season piece that will be hardworking in your wardrobe.

3. Chocolate Brown Suit with a Soft Blue Shirt

Blue and brown go really well together. This is a great color combination. I wouldn’t say it’s a classic, but it definitely works well, especially a light baby blue like this with a chocolate brown. Here the brown is almost a little bit more than chocolate brown, and it’s still working with the baby blue. Darker blue also works with chocolate brown.

This is another example of colors to have in your work wardrobe. I think we could definitely see a light blue like this with different colored pants or a different color blazer. This is more formal business wear because she’s wearing a matching suit. If it were more casual, she could have a blazer with maybe a khaki pant or a charcoal pant on the bottom.

4. Cobalt Cardigan, Black Midi Skirt, and Slingbacks

Cobalt is a brighter color than the navy we usually see in a capsule wardrobe, but it’s very flattering and gives a brighter, more fashion forward feel, something a little bit more bold than what we may often see in a limited sartorial repertoire. But here it makes sense with the black midi skirt. It’s a little bit more toned down with the simple colors on the bottom.

I love a midi skirt for work. I think it’s the perfect length. Maxi can sometimes feel like too much fabric, and mini can sometimes be too short. A midi skirt is usually a good in-between if you don’t know which length to choose.

5. Deep Brown Cardigan with a Printed Slip Skirt

This print here is bright while definitely still being workable. I could see her pairing this with an even lighter top, maybe a cream. I would definitely keep it simple on top, because we already have the pattern with the skirt.

Again, the skirt is a midi length. I find that’s also the most versatile length in terms of dressing for the seasons. She could have a pair of tights under this. She could wear this length in summer, or in spring. Even if she had a tall boot, she could throw it on under the midi skirt.

6. Charcoal Jumpsuit with a Slim Belt

A jumpsuit is a bold statement piece without actually taking more effort at all. You’re actually putting in less effort when you throw on a jumpsuit. It’s just one piece, almost like a dress, so you have less to think about, but it feels very trendy and fashion forward.

The belt that she’s chosen to cinch her waist definitely adds a little bit of femininity here. It’s more of a workwear belt, not a statement belt by any means, but just the act of cinching the jumpsuit at the waist gives it a more professional, polished look, rather than feeling like a safari outfit, which jumpsuits can sometimes do.

7. Plum Blouse with Gray Wide-Leg Pants

Plum is a very mature color. I don’t mean mature in a grandmotherly way, but it’s professional, chic, and mature, while still being rich like the burgundy and navy that we often see in workwear. It’s lightened up with these light gray pants. I like that it’s a wide leg pant, so it feels a little bit more modern.

The silver shoes also make it feel more modern. Silver is a really great color to incorporate into a wardrobe. I especially like silver shoes when they’re not a sneaker. I do like a silver sneaker, but I find silver flats and silver heels especially very flattering and easy to pair.

8. Olive Blazer, Black Tee, and Straight-Leg Pants

Here we have the classic black base: black top, black pants, black shoes. On top she has an olive blazer. Olive and black are a classic color combination. It feels like Kim Possible, but in a classic way, kind of like a safari color palette, but it just makes sense to the eye.

She’s obviously wearing workwear here, so it’s professional. It’s not as professional as it could be, although she’s wearing a blazer, because these are still casual pants and a t-shirt. A t-shirt should be reserved for the more casual, maybe creative, work settings, even with a blazer.

9. Tomato Red Sheath Dress with Neutral Pumps

The tomato red dress is definitely a bold pop of color. It’s noticeable and it grabs attention. This is a very flattering dress. It’s still modest while being fitted, and I like that it has a higher neckline.

Usually with a bold color like this tomato red, I would reach for a black shoe, but if you have a nude shoe like this in your closet, it’s a great option. It’s almost unexpected. This feels like more of a warmer weather look, obviously, with the dress being sleeveless and her not wearing tights. It could go into cooler weather with a sheer black tight and black pumps instead, but I like the neutral pump here a lot.

10. Slate Blue Blazer with a Printed Midi Skirt

Another printed midi skirt. A midi skirt is a great place to throw some pattern into a more capsule or limited workwear wardrobe. We obviously have many ways to throw pattern into our tops, but putting it in a midi skirt is a nice way to make use of the more solid color, non-printed tops that you may have.

A printed midi skirt should be paired with a solid color top, and if you feel like you’re not getting enough pattern into your wardrobe, throw it into a midi skirt.

11. Marigold Sweater with Dark Brown Trousers

The marigold and the light leather loafers that she’s wearing are very complementary, and it sets off her hair nicely. Overall, this is a pretty limited color palette. It’s cozy while still being light enough to wear on a warmer fall day.

She could have a white button up shirt underneath this for another pop of color if she wanted, but this is definitely working as is.

12. Black Wrap Dress with Patent Loafers

The patent loafers are a little shinier spin on the classic leather loafers that we’ve been seeing. A wrap dress, again in a midi length, in this plain black color is a staple if you have it.

There are ways to incorporate a wrap dress into other seasons. She could have a tight underneath this. She could put a sweater on top and almost wear the wrap dress as a skirt. This is definitely a warmer weather look, maybe for a warmer spring or summer day, but it’s simple and it’s chic. All black is always chic.

13. Pine Green Trousers with a Striped Knit Top

The color combination here is a little bit bolder. The knit top is one of the few patterns that work easily in workwear. I think knits can sometimes read casual, and stripes can also sometimes read casual.

If this were a thicker knit, and less of a t-shirt type of knit, it could work in more professional work settings. That’s one thing I would try to be aware of, making sure that it doesn’t look like a t-shirt if it’s a simple stripe.

14. Lavender Button-Down with a Charcoal Pencil Skirt

Charcoal, again, is a classic workwear color. The charcoal heels that she has are a little bit more unexpected.

Gray works really well with lighter pastel colors. If you don’t know how to pair it in a hurry, I would go for something like a light blue or a light purple. It can get a little bit harder to incorporate with darker colors. That can definitely still be done, but gray with lighter, brighter colors works most of the time.

15. Camel Blazer with a Black Column Outfit

Here’s another column outfit. The holy grail is a black column paired with a long camel coat, or maybe a trench coat. Here it’s a blazer. We also often see a camel wool jacket. Black and camel together look intentional and put together.

The blazer here is definitely doing the work of elevating the outfit. She’s wearing a t-shirt underneath. I could see this being a turtleneck, or maybe even a button down, something simple. I could see a white button down here if a t-shirt doesn’t feel appropriate, maybe on a meeting day rather than a casual Friday.

16. Raspberry Knit Top with Navy Trousers

This is a big pop of color that’s very flattering, and almost nonchalant, because they’re both solid colors. Having quality solid colored basics in your wardrobe makes them very easy to combine, even in bolder instances like this.

Here she has the black block heel, which is very easy to pair with other outfits, but still goes with this colorful one.

17. Ink Navy Suit with a Soft Print Blouse

This is our first instance of a printed blouse versus a printed midi skirt. A printed blouse is a classic. It’s feminine and it’s soft, and it adds a little bit of interest without overpowering in any way. I feel like the printed blouse plays the same role as a printed tie. Your eye catches it, but it’s not overpowering.

This suit is very flattering and well fitting. She could wear these pants without the jacket on days when the jacket isn’t required. She could wear this top and jacket combination with a different set of pants, maybe even a cigarette black pant, something that’s not necessarily matching, if it were more casual. If it were more formal, she could throw a solid colored button-up shirt underneath this and it would feel more formal.

18. Terracotta Shirtdress with a Woven Belt

This is a great summery look. It feels creative and warm. The woven belt is definitely a statement. I love a belt that’s not functional, but rather just decorative. It feels very intentional, while she really only had to pick out one piece of clothing and accessorize minimally.

She’s wearing open-toed shoes here, which is something to keep in mind. It may not always be appropriate, depending on where you work.

19. Fuchsia Button-Down with Black Tailored Shorts

These shorts are one of the only kinds that you can get away with in workwear. They’re a longer length. Any shorter than this and I would say it’s not appropriate for work, but this is definitely longer than a Bermuda length, which has also been trendy in recent summers.

This is definitely not feeling like your middle school dress code requirement anymore. It feels trendy and modern because of the length, and if it’s appropriate for your work, it’s a nice way to keep cool.

20. Emerald Blouse with Black Culottes

This emerald blouse could be in a very fine, delicate material like silk. Having a high quality material paired with flowy pants like this looks very polished and put together. The wider leg pants with a simple, classic heel, a block heel like this, look very comfortable.

Nothing is too fitted, while the silk or satin emerald blouse is definitely very flattering and fitted because it’s tucked in.

21. Dark Indigo Jeans with a Tweed Jacket

The indigo jeans can very much be appropriate, depending on the day and depending on your workplace. Here she’s allowed to wear jeans to the office. However, she’s still clearly cognizant that she’s at work. This is not a bar outfit, and it’s not a going to the hardware store outfit.

She has loafers on, and she has a tweed jacket. These aspects are dressing it up. However, if she removes the tweed jacket, maybe it could be a drinks after work outfit.

22. Aubergine Trousers with a Cream Shell

Here’s another rich color, a dark aubergine, with a sleeveless cream shell blouse. This could also be in a silk, and it would feel very high end, not at all simple.

With a collar like this, I could see a longer necklace, or even a short necklace. She has a simple watch right now, but with a simple neckline, I could see a little bit more flair if she wanted to.

23. Coral Blazer with Navy Ankle Pants

Sometimes in workwear, it’s okay to tone things down in a way that you wouldn’t normally outside of work. Here her coral blazer matches the colors in her blouse exactly, and the navy in her pants also matches the navy in her blouse exactly. It’s a little bit more matchy than we would use in normal life.

However, at work it almost feels respectful to the environment that she’s working in. Nothing is trying to distract us from what she’s saying. It’s professional. It has a little bit of personality, but it’s not screaming at us. The same goes for her nude camel flats or black heels. They’re not adding any more noise to the outfit.

24. Moss Green Sweater with a Plaid Midi Skirt

The midi skirt here is in a warm material. This would be a great one for cooler weather. The moss green sweater has a great neckline that we often see in capsule wardrobes.

This is a great one to layer, maybe with a t-shirt underneath. You could have a silk camisole underneath, or a button down popping out of the collar of the sweater. The simple brown booties could have a tight underneath or be left as is.

25. Burgundy Suit with a Blush Knit Top

This is an unexpected color combination that definitely works with a suit that fits as well as this one. With such a bold color, it’s almost expected to pair it with a white, or more of a neutral. I like that she went with the more feminine side by pairing it with a pink.

It’s a suit, which feels powerful and very structured. It’s almost playful the way that she paired it with a pink.

26. Sky Blue Poplin Shirt with Olive Wide-Leg Pants

Olive is a capsule wardrobe color, and a good color to incorporate into our color palette. We already have the sky blue. Sky blue with gray and sky blue with chocolate look great. Sage or olive green is most often seen with black, I believe. However, this is a less used but just as worthy color combination, especially with brown leather accents like this.

Any sort of button down tucked into a wider leg pant usually gives a great silhouette. It almost doesn’t matter what your body is doing underneath, because you have a natural cinch at the waist because of the wide leg pant.

27. Mustard Blazer with a Denim-Blue Dress

A denim dress can work as workwear in some cases, like this one. Because it’s denim, it needs to be dressed up, since denim isn’t appropriate for most workplaces. This might suit a more creative office or a casual day. She dresses it up with a blazer, and the blazer’s color keeps the outfit playful.

Denim is almost like a neutral because of its material. It doesn’t feel like she’s necessarily pairing it with a blue. It feels a little bit different than if she were to pair this with a blue dress. Mustard with a blue dress wouldn’t feel the same as mustard with a denim dress.

28. Charcoal Sweater Dress with a Longline Vest

This dress is borderline too short for work. It’s not too short, but it could be depending on how she wore it. The long, calf length boot that she’s wearing covers a little bit more skin, so it feels less short. If this were a heel, heels generally make us pay more attention to the length of our hem. Having just a little bit of knee showing looks okay here. If she wanted to, she could put a tight underneath the dress, depending on the workplace.

The long line vest is definitely a statement piece, and a great one to use in this situation, since it’s longer, and that’s the interesting aspect of it, matching perfectly with the length of the dress. Long line cardigans, long line vests, long line jackets: it’s so nice when they match up perfectly with the hem of a dress.

The Building Blocks

Neutral basics that make these colorful work outfits easy.

• PRETTYGARDEN Open Front Oversized Cardigan. A layer for cold offices, over the plum blouse in #7 or the emerald blouse in #20.
• Amazon Essentials Low Heel Ankle Boots. A comfortable low heel for the straight-leg trousers in #8 or the culottes in #20.
• Oversized Boyfriend Blazer. A relaxed blazer like the camel one in #15, over a black column.