By NASA MARIA ENTABAN
alltherage@thestar.com.my

EVERY week for almost three years, I’ve had my little corner in R.AGE to write about fashion and beauty events, personalities, shows and trends, and also to run giveaways and get your feedback on what’s hot in the world of fashion.

In the six years that I’ve worked here, I’ve woken up every day and pieced my outfit for the day together, asking myself questions like ‘How do I want to feel today?’, ‘What do I want people to notice about me (Or what do I not want people to notice about me)?’, ‘Am I going to an event after work?’ and ‘Do I need to run around a lot and be comfortable?’ before I decide on a look.

Six years and many outfits later, it’s come to this – my very last week at R.AGE, and also my last ever Nasassistic column, as I’ll be moving on to Clove (which comes out every Sunday) to continue writing about fashion and beauty events, personalities, shows and trends.

So as a tribute to all the thought I’ve put into my daily work outfits all these years, and all the wonderful work outfits I’ve seen on other people, this week’s article will be about just that – work clothes!

Here’s a few ideas that have worked for me in the past, and are still very current today.

The bright stuff

Loud prints, florals and bright colours may seem like the thing to wear on weekends or during vacation but with the right mixing and matching you can make this look work for the office.

The only thing you might want to avoid is wearing a full floral maxi dress to work, except if its to a casual work event.

Florals and print can be worn to work.

Pair floral dresses and blouses with neutral-coloured blazers, pants and vests – darker colours can also help balance out the ‘girliness’ of colourful prints.

A punch of colour here and there is a great way to brighten up an outfit, and yes, neon is acceptable so long as its limited to an accessory or a pair of shoes, perhaps.

One piece wonders

There are so many things you can do with chic, one-coloured form-fitting work dresses, that you should stock up on more of these.

Any plain black, white or grey dress – with creative use of accessories, outerwear and shoes – you can transform any simple dress into a fabulous (but work-friendly) ensemble.

Form-flattering work dresses are a great investment.

To economise, look out for classic pieces that are form-fitting, flattering and well-made. As long as your size doesn’t change too much, you can wear them for years to come.

Dressing down

Not everyone has the luxury of wearing jeans to work, but there are many ways to dress down and still abide by the rules.

One great look that works for offices is pairing a cardigan over pants and a t-shirt or a casual blouse with flats or wedges, and I’ve always loved the oversized shirt, belt and tights combo.

A combo like this is office-friendly.

Pairing a plaid shirt and khakis is another chic casual look, topped off with a pair of ballerina flats.