nick bell dt 21 sept 2015

24 MONDAY SEPTEMBER 21 2015 DAILYTELEGRAPH.COM.AU

TELE01Z02MA - V1

ROSANNA ROSENDALE, 50, SENIOR MARKETING MANAGER Silk shirt, $169, gingham print skinny jeans, $149, and belt, $49, all Marcs, Tony Bianco sandals, $179

IF your workplace has a casualdress code or relaxes the rules ona dress-down Friday, it doesn’tmean turning up to the office inyour boardies and thongs.

Dressing in a corporateenvironment is easy, but choosing an outfit for casual

Friday can be an exercise fraught with fashion faux-pas — and even change the way you are seen professionally.

Stylist Caitlin Stewart says dressingcasually for work is the most difficult look to get right.

“Many people don’t know what towear because they don’t want to look “too weekend” but they still need to appear polished and professional,” she says.

Smart/casual can have different meanings depending on how formal or relaxed the workplace attire is.

“Wearing ‘corporate’ is easy — it’sslimming and attractive on everybody but casual clothing is less structured and more relaxed, and many women worry it’s not as flattering or smart,” Stewart says.

Her tip is to team a formal item with one less so.

“A blazer with a pair of jeans or pencil skirt and striped T-shirt is almost foolproof,” she says.

We asked Stewart to style three women in their 20s to 50s for a successful smart-casual look.

SAMANTHA CAREY, 25, PRODUCT MANAGER David Lawrence top, $129, Karen Millen black pants, $295, Tony Bianco Dilla loafers, $159.95, necklace, $25, from empayah.com.au

“My office is not extremely corporate so I usually wear cigarette pants with brogues or ballet flats and a cropped blazer always,” she says.

“I struggle with casual clothes because my personal style is very laid- back so I can’t wear a lot of my weekend wardrobe into the office — ripped jeans, singlet and Converse sneakers are just not appropriate!

“If you are going to go out after work you don’t want to look too corporate, but you still need to look respectable in the office so it’s hard finding that balance.

“I love this casual outfit because I’m not very girlie so I like the man-style shoes, culottes and the top is a great fabric.”

ALICE POWYER, 36, MANAGING DIRECTORMarcs dress, $199, and animal print belt, $49, Karen Millen pumps, $245

“The biggest mistake women makeis looking like they’re either going to the club or to the shopping centre,” she says. “It still needs to be corporate casual, not just what you wear to the footy on the weekend.

“I always wear dark or coloured jeans on casual Friday and try to mix it up with my work clothes because I find if you buy a ‘Friday’ outfit, you can only wear it a couple of times.

“I wouldn’t normally wear a shirtdress as I go for pencil styles because I’m curvy. But I love the heels.”

“I struggle with casual wear because it’s too easy to go very casual and I work in IT, which has the reputation of being the worst dressed as an industry,” she says. “Jeans are my fallback ... I almost always wear jeans with either a ‘work’ blouse/T-shirt/sweater and jacket, and heels.

“It’s a good way to ensure your outfit doesn’t look like something you’d wear around the house.

“I really like my outfit — I love thecolours and patterned jeans teamed with heels work well for a professional casual look.”

daniela.ongaro@news.com.au

Why your casual clothes could cost you a promotion

5 things I’ve learned

1Network. Starting my first

business in Asia at 24 years of age, I quickly learned the cultural importance of strong relationships. Building these takes patience. It wasn’t one of my strengths, but 10 years on, my strongest business and personal relationships are in Asia. Networking is essential. Do it right and it will pay off.

2Employ the best. Hire people based on

smarts and talent rather than cost. If you surround yourself with hardworking, intelligent people, then your business will prosper.

3Play to your strengths. If you are great at

sales and marketing but are not technically minded, then hire a tech guru. That way you can focus your energy where it most benefits the company.

4Back the person — notthe idea. Always invest in the

person driving the business. My two biggest investment failures resulted from poor management.

5Keep looking ahead.Always reinvest,

otherwise you will be left behind your competitors. Play the long game to ensure you are still successful in business in the years to come.

From left: AlicePowyer, Rosanna

Rosendale andSam Carey.

Hair: NickWhiticker Double

Bay. Make-up:Tannia Tiropanis,

from NapoleonPerdis. Clothes:Westfield Bondi

Junction.Get the look:

Long Blackmascara; Nude Upalette for eyes,

cheeks and brow;Off Duty tinted

moisturiser; TheOne concealer

base; Minimal Lipsin Sleek, all by

Napoleon Perdis.

If you have a laid-back workplace, or dress-down Fridays, beware taking it too literally. Here’s how to dress with success every day of the week. By Daniela Ongaro

work life

Begin on hands and knees in a tabletop position. Extend the right arm out at shoulder level then thread the arm through, under the left arm so that the back of the hand, right ear and right shoulder rest on the ground.

Hold for 8 breaths theninhale to release.

Repeat on the opposite side.

& relaxThis pose stretches the

shoulders, arms and upper back.

THREAD THE NEEDLE

PROVIDED BY NATALIE STANLEY, ZENINTHECITY.COM.AU

dailytelegraph.com.au/entertainment/arts

NICK BELLEntrepreneur and founder of WME Group

■ No cleavage or micro-minis.■ Avoid sheer fabrics.■ No sneakers.■ Avoid prominent brands and logos.■ Don’t wear anything you would wear to the beach, a BBQ, nightclub or the park.

OFFICE DRESS RULES