How To Get Away Wearing Jeans at Work

I work in a typical office environment. It’s corporate retail so business casual is the official dress code meaning, jeans are allowed in some instances but frowned upon in others.

This post, of course, comes with a fairly large grain of salt. Meaning, there are some professions where you’ll probably never be able to wear jeans to work (shout out to all doctors and lawyers out there). But for those of you who work in a office environment like mine where business casual is the name of the game, keep on reading.

Dark Wash ONLY (aka black denim)

If you are wanting get away with wearing jeans to the office, you can go ahead and leave anything light wash or distressed at home. Those are not going to make the cut. Just say no.

You’re going to want to reach for anything black or super dark washed. This gives you more of a trouser look (aka work appropriate pants) plus isn’t blatantly obvious your wearing denim.

Skip the Skinny

Wearing flare, bootcut, or straight leg dark jeans once again minimizes the look that you’re wearing denim. Skinny jeans might be ok in a casual Friday situation but, just like anything light wash or distressed, leave your boyfriend jeans at home.

Structured Top

The next step in wearing denim to work is to minimize the casual look of jeans. This means pairing your dark denim with some structured pieces you’d normally see in an office environment. In my work, this means pairing it with more structured pieces like a crisp button up and blazer.

Tuck It In

Tucking in a layer is yet another step to looking more polished when wearing your jeans at the office. Any blouse or button up tends to have a more casual look when it’s left untucked and for this, we are giving all the casual points to our jeans, so tuck it in for added formalness. Plus it has the added benefit to accentuate your waist line and give you more of a shape.

Add Layers

I’ve talked about this simple style rule hundreds of times on here but adding a third piece can really make you look more dressed up without really trying. This is a must when wearing a casual staple like denim in a more formal environment. Simply by adding a blazer or vest or cardigan or statement necklace (the list goes on) you take your jeans and a tee and make it an outfit.

Want more details about how the Third Piece Rule works? Keep reading here!

What are the rules about jeans at your work place? Are they a no-go, totally allowed, or need to be styled into place? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time,
Ana Luiza

JEANS: Shopbop // SHIRT: Nordstrom // VEST: Asos // SHOES: Nine West (old, similar here) // BAG: YSL via Fashionphile (more affordable version here) // LIPS: MAC ‘D for Danger’ // SUNGLASSES: Celine look-a-like (more on that here)