Hi, I am Francesca (Frankie) from Styled by Francesca. I have been a stylist for almost 10 years and have loved every minute of it. I am not your typical stylist; I like to think out of the box and follow no rules when it comes to styling. The reason being is that there is not a one size rule that fits all. I believe everyone is different!
Who’s sick of the boring 9- 5 attire? Great! – because rules are meant to be broken. Gone of the days of the boring suit and the white shirt.
The definition of ‘corporate’ these days has changed. It’s about having personality and embracing one’s self. It doesn’t have to be the standard black, white, grey and navy; it can be bold colours, fun prints and dressing to feel good, not dressing for the ‘job’.
Style is different for everyone; it means different things. As long as you dress to suit you and your body you can never go wrong.
For the female Executive Assistant:
Adding items into the wardrobe that have personality is an effective way to create simple and fun outfits for the office.
Like a leopard shirt, so easy to wear and creates a statement with minimal effort. Paired back with a black pant, you can never go wrong.
If leopard isn’t your ‘thang’ then try a stripe. I know what your thinking, stripes make you look bigger. Wrong! It’s a myth. For example, if you are naturally bigger around the hips and you wear a stripe skirt, it’s not actually the stripes – it’s the fact you have brought attention to your hips that’s making your hips look bigger. You could wear a floral or bright colour skirt – your hips would still look bigger because they are bigger! Instead, wear the statement on the part of your figure that you want to accentuate, so the eyes are drawn to where you want them.
An EA’s wardrobe doesn’t have to be boring. Even if you are not as willing to be as out there as I am, adding a statement shoe to an all back outfit creates a great fun statement.
Just remember if you are an all-black wearer, add a bit of colour and use different textures. Accessories are a great place to add some personal flavour.
Now, let’s talk about the POWER SUIT. This is a huge trend this season. To be honest, even though I am not a huge trend follower, I have always been a fan of the power suit, for many reasons. The first being that it is a statement. The next is the feeling – when you have a suit on, you feel smart, sophisticated and well put together. The power suit is also great for mixing and matching, and you can create so many different looks.
For the male Executive Assistant:
The same principals are followed when it comes to styling for men. One suit and so many different combinations. For men, I would invest in a 3 piece suit (a matching suit jacket, pant and vest). For me there is nothing classier than a man in a 3 piece suit. Remember the shoe will make or break your outfit. I will always say , “you can tell a lot from a man’s shoe”. You should always have a black and brown in the wardrobe and in the summer don’t be afraid to experiment with a slip-on like a loafer. Oh, and don’t forget to ALWAYS match your belt with your shoes.
Adding accessories is a great way for men to change up their look. Printed socks are in and are such a great way to add a bit of funk to your suit. Also opt for pocket squares and don’t be afraid to add some clash print.
Taking the Executive Assistant wardrobe to casual Fridays:
Lets’s not forget about the blazer – I have always told my clients, ‘you can never have enough blazers!’. With a blazer, you can create so many different looks – from corporate to casual and anything in between.
Adding a blazer to jeans creates a great casual Friday look and be converted into after work drinks just by adding a different heel or a pair of statement earrings and you can go straight from work to bar.
If you’re not one for jeans, adding a T-shirt with your blazer to a corporate pant can also be a great way to do casual Friday.
At the end of the day, style is about expressing yourself. Don’t be afraid to play around with different textures and colours.
Like I always say, “if you feel good you’ll look good!”.
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