For the past few months, I’ve been working in an office doing marketing work. Now, this office is relatively relaxed with dress codes, and I thought I’d share my outfits that I have been wearing in the last week.
As I’ve said before, I am a curvy girl. And, in my opinion, being heavier and curvy in the summer is quite difficult, as things can get warmer, thighs can rub and wearing tights and leggings can just be too hot. So, it’s key to remain cool, tidy and relatively smart. Now, as I said, my office’s rules are relaxed. If I wanted too, I could easily come in jeans and a t-shirt with some converses. But the ratio to me wearing jeans over skirts and dresses is nearly not even 1% of my time. I find dresses and skirts to be a lot more flattering on me, and a lot easier to wear and accessorize with.
As you can probably tell, I don’t wear makeup when I’m going to work, and I always wear my Pandora and gold rings. My hair isn’t anything usually to shout about either, just clean and away from my face.
So, my outfit for Monday: 
Dark red chiffon owl-printed dress – Peacocks
Black tights – Calvin Klein
Leather Boots – Clarks
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The good think about this dress is that with the tie-waist, you can either wrap it around and it’s fairly loose, or you can double- wrap and make it more waist defining. Also, with the translucent chiffon sleeves, it can hide a multitude of upper-arm problems, yet not be too hot in the summer. The underneath is a satin slip, so it offers a degree of modesty, as well as it being knee-length and despite not really liking owls, the print isn’t too obvious. For me, this is a good office outfit as it’s clearly casual enough to wear outside, fairly airy, so it’s not restricting in a warm room but can appear modest enough for stricter dress codes. This is a really versatile outfit for all seasons too, as the colours are very autumnal/winter , yet the owl motif can be seen in spring and summer too.
Tuesday:
Grey side split dress -New Look
Leggings – Primark
Nude and black pumps – New Look
Necklace – New Look
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Now this is quite a risky outfit for work. Despite it being neutral colours, the maxi dress is split on both sides up to the waist, and does offer a lot of skin showing, and an awful lot of my fabulous curves. The dress is perfect for curvy girls like myself, because it shows off your small waist, and hourglass hips. Plus, in the summer, with the splits, it gives room for it to be airy, and the cotton fabric helps. And thanks to that, you could also wear it with the flaps tied together and make it into a tie-up crop top and leggings.
I love this look because it’s unusual to look at, and the neutral colour scheme makes it look quite chic. Plus, it’s so super quick to slip on and accessorise with.
Also – these shoes are a godsend, as they have elasticated sides, so you could store them in a bag for night out, and they are comfortable and look more expensive than they actually were.
Wednesday
White shirt – Primark
Elasticated blue maxi skirt – Peacocks.
Nude Bandelettes (Not pictured) – Bandelettes.com
White lace shoes (Not pictured) – Primark
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Now this is probably one of my most conservative outfits. But it’s equally as comfortable for the summer. On a hot summer day, this white cotton shirt provides a ready office look, and the white fabric reflects light and isn’t necessarily too hot. However! Be warned to all my readers who may get sweaty during this sweltering weather. Fitted cotton shirts can be horrible under the arms for a particularly warm day, so perhaps, if you’re going out afterwards, pack a vest or just loads of deodorant. And for bigger-busted girls, it’s always better to get shirts from websites that cater to plussize ladies – as they can have them ready-tailored for your figure, or just go up a size so it may be loose everywhere else, but comfortable around your cleavage. You don’t want to be worrying about accidental flashing when you’re at work. Also, always wear a nude-coloured bra underneath – just for that extra touch of classiness. It’s not the best look to wear black under white, unless you really want to rock the monochrome look.
The dark blue skirt not only protects your legs against the sun’s rays (But always wear suncream too), but it’s heavy enough not to swing up in the wind, yet light enough to cool your legs down. I particularly liked the colour of this skirt, as blue compliments me, and the elasticated waist highlighted my better parts. The skirt also adds a pop of colour to my quite plain outfit, and the belt draws me in and just gives a break from the white to the blue.
Now, underneath this outfit I was wearing my trusty Bandelettes, which are basically anti-chafing lace bands, which are surrounded by non-slip silicone. For ladies with a bit of thigh-chub, I’d thoroughly recommend them. Summer + sweaty thighs + chafing = a lot of pain.
And despite my shoes not being featured, they are strappy white lace ballet pumps, that are not only extremely comfy, but also provide that extra bit of sweetness into my Heidi-from-the-mountains vibe.
Thursday 
Pale pink sleeveless blazer – New Look
Logo tshirt – Primark
Silk skirt – TK Maxx
Tights – Peacocks
Leather Oxfords – New Look
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This is definitely one of my favourite outfits of the week. Despite it being mismatched, different colours and not necessarily summer-fit, it is incredibly cool. The sleeveless blazer is definitely my autumn-winter staple, as it’s not only fashionable at this moment. but it skims all the lumps and bumps, and adds to the professionalism of the outfit. And as it’s sleeveless, it doesn’t get hot in the summer, or weigh me down. My only problem with it is that it has faux-pockets, which are my biggest gripe in women’s clothing.
The pairing of the cotton logo tshirt, and more adult-looking skirt does give the outfit a smart-casual vibe, and as the skirt is 100% silk, it doesn’t feel heavy in the summer months. The tshirt is also lightweight, and not restrictive under my arms, therefore I have movement and free arms during the day. And with the tights, and leather Oxford shoes, they tie the outfit into together to appear professional, but also add to a casual air. And the tights prevent that awful chub-rub that I’ve mentioned before.
Friday 
Oxblood lace skater dress – New Look
Oversized pale pink hair-bow – New Look
Tights – Zac Posen
Leather boots – Clarks.
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My final outfit of the day was one that I wore for work, but also needed to go out for dinner later. The mixture of a lace dress overlaying a silk slip gives me movement, and the skater feel of the dress is perfect for curvy girls as once again, it shows off my best assets, yet skims the waist and the problem areas. And it is perfect for going between work and dinner, as it doesn’t appear too office-y but smart enough for a restaurant.
The oversized pink hair bow was an accessory that I attached to the back of my hair, and not only added a pale pop of colour to my hair, but also added a fun little detail that I appreciated. And having hair accessories also add the feel of a little effort being put in, without going too overboard.
The tights – a steal at £3 from TK Maxx – are high quality, so they are both cooling when the sun beats down, but warm in the winter, and the leather boots are my utter, utter staple as they are durable, go with everything and can be worn in both wet and dry weather.
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So this is my week in outfits. I will be doing more of these if you like them, as I enjoy pairing my clothes together. And if you have any questions about anything in particular, don’t hesitate to leave me a comment or send me a message.
-Alice x
Alice's World 