It’s been so long since I did these work wear posts. I am kind of embarrassed about outfit posts honestly, but I like sharing my work wear despite. So, I still continue with doing these. I understand many of the audience here are guys, I am sorry, feel free to skip this post. 🙂 (I know that Know-All WILL comment on this post no matter what. 😛 )
So, here’s what I wore for my five work days in Philippines:
[Day 1] I wore a black blazer-trousers combo with a lemon formal shirt. Basically, I could have said that I wore a pant suit but, here in India, somehow we don’t use that term a lot. I did not click a picture of my clothes that day. Sorry for that. 🙂
Black Blazer: Van Heusen, Black Trousers: Promod, Lemon Shirt: Bombay High
[Day 2] Blue Shirt: Van Heusen, Dark Blue Pants: Van Heusen, Tan Shoes: The Landmark, Makati, Philippines, Watch: Fastrack
[Day 3] Black Blazer: Van Heusen (Wore the same one as on day 1), White Top: Pantaloons, Peach Pencil Skirt: Dorothy Perkins (from Jabong), White Flat Shoes: Local Store, Rajouri Garden, Delhi
[Day 4] Red-Blue Dress: Van Heusen, Black Blazer: Same as above, Tan Shoes: Same as day 2
[Day 5] So I had decided while packing for Philippines that I’ll wear Indian formal to work one day. Although, I was apprehensive that they might not consider it formal since they don’t know what it is. Still, I really wanted to wear it and I did. I got lots of compliments that day. In fact, the security guard lady loved the outfit so much that I gave her the dupatta (stole) as a present while coming back. She was very happy. 🙂
Ok, I am cheating a bit. The picture below is not of day 5 because I forgot to click one. It is actually a picture I clicked in my office (here in India) long ago but I wore the same outfit on day 5. Only, the kurta (tunic) was not this pink one but a white one with stripes.
Black Dupatta: Street Shopping, Black Churidaars (Pants that I am wearing): Street Shopping, Pink Kurta: Aurelia (The white one that I actually wore was from Westside)
Now coming to my favorite part, my tips for formal work wear (and travel packing too 😀 ):
1. There’s a slight bias with me. I quite love formal work wear, both Indian and western. So, I am always excited to style it. Most people I know hate work wear. If that’s the case with you, I really can’t help much except that I hope this post makes you like it. 🙂 Also, I think people really hate it because they don’t feel like they have a lot of choices. Let me tell you that is not the case. Just keep an open eye and you can find work wear at quite a lot of places. (Some day I’ll do a full-fledged post on how to find work wear easily, do you like this idea?).
2. I know this post makes it look like I am endorsing Van Heusen. 😀 No, that is not the case. I like them and they have good clothes but the fact that I am mostly wearing their clothes in this post is a coincidence. Coming to Van Heusen as a work wear clothing brand, the good thing is that they have a good variety and very nice quality clothes. The bad thing is that it is one of the very few formal wear brands available in India for women and hence the clothes are so common that you can always spot people wearing the same clothes. #truestory 
(I am not going to count the point that they are pricey since I feel that all of these retail brands are overpriced as they charge us so much more than their manufacturing cost, so no point writing same thing repeatedly for all brands).
3. A good brand for Indian clothes that you can wear to work is Aurelia. Their kurtas (tunics) are very good quality and not shady overpriced. You can find their stuff on many online shopping websites.
4. As some of you would know, Dorothy Perkins recently started selling in India through the e-commerce website Jabong. Design and variety wise, they have a very nice collection. But I think the price is just not justified at all for the quality. Also, the clothes on the website look slightly different from reality. One reason for them being pricey is the currency difference too. Whatever be the reason, I would advice to buy them only during huge Jabong sales. 🙂
5. A very good brand to find trousers is Promod. I have praised them here too. They don’t have a lot of variety but they have clothes with perfect fit (at least for me).
6. You can also find Indian formal wear at Westside and sometimes, even Western work wear too. Oh, and, they have a large variety of shoes. They have a good collection but the quality is usually poor, so I only buy them during sales. Paying a lot for bad quality things is just not done. 🙂
7. Other brands that I have tried for work wear and liked include Bombay High and Cantabil. I have not tried anything from Allen Solly and Wills Lifestyle but I have always felt that they have good quality and nice variety (and pricey! 😛 ).
8. Last but the most important, if you think you can find work wear only in big retail giants, then you are wrong. I and my sisters have bought very nice formal dresses and blouses while street shopping. I have done work wear posts before and if you check them out, you can see that I have a lot of clothes and shoes from local stores (you can check those posts under the personal style section).
9. Whenever you are on a business trip, ALWAYS carry at least one blazer. You have to make space for it in your luggage. It’s very easy to transform any outfit to a formal one with a blazer. 🙂
10. When you are on a business trip and trying to save space in your luggage, don’t carry a lot of shoes. Some basic ones can work with almost all the outfits and if they are good ones, you don’t have to worry about wearing the same ones day after day. Relax, everyone in the office knows that you are on a trip. 🙂
That’s it, guys. Thanks for reading, really. 🙂
Life of Srish 
Loved the blazer :’)
Thank you 🙂 :* but aankho mei aansu aa gye itna pasand?
Haha aisa bhi hota hai? :p
Actually,even I love formals. Isliye this post made me extra happy. 😀
Lol! Bas kar pagli, rulayegi kya. 😛
😛 haan
Van Heusan is a paradise of stylish clothes; Once you go to their shop, you always go again..
True that.
Loved your red dress… and that salwar kameez colour and fitting looks great for work!
Thank you, it hardly happens that kurtas fit me nicely but this one does. 😀 That red dress is my birthday gift. 🙂
I totally loved day 2 and 3 and even day 5 even if you did cheat !!! I hope Van Heusen and Promod drops by !!! 😉
Thank you so much. 😀 and that is so sweet of you to wish for that. 🙂 Thank youuu 😀
I think there is a Central in Delhi and I am a total Central freak. I got these amazing tulip pants last time from there and I get tons of compliments. I think they were Park Avenue. I have shirts from Van Heusen, Annabelle, Wills Lifestyle and Ginger. But they really are pricey. I like blouses and dresses much more and I wear those to work here when I know I don’t have to go to the testpad. I agree about street shopping. The xBF had gotten me such pretty shirts from a store near his building in South B’bay.
I will also suggest keeping a slim pale belt cuz it adds style to black pants specially if you tuck the shirt in. Also helps with shift dresses to cinch the waist.
Do check Central. Love love that place.
There is a Central in Gurgaon. I have never visited it but I want to. 🙂 And yes, I really find all these brands pricey for their quality, especially Ginger, but it does have cute stuff 😛 oh,that’s so cool, I love street shopping, you find stuff that nobody else has. But when I am actually street shopping, I feel everything is so dirty. Still, I have got really, really amazing deals. My cousin sister recently bought a dress for 95 rupees! :O I always wear belts with my trousers. 🙂 But I avoid wearing contrast ones because I want to look extra formal. I am always rushing towards extra formal because I hate it when in offices (where formal is mandatory I mean), men make fun of the fact that girls can get away with wearing anything (it is true, I wish women did not give men a chance to take them less seriously on this aspect).
On Mon, Sep 29, 2014 at 9:52 PM, Life of Srish wrote:
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and I like belts on dresses too, I just don’t have any that err, stays there, without getting loose.
Your cousin got a dress for 95 rupees? 😮
Yeah man, i once got a long overcoat for 150 bucks! Only problem in these markets is that i always have this at the back.of my mind what if the stuff is second hand? I am not cool with that. So i try sticking to stuff that is available in many pieces, meaning it’s not used, just surplus stuff
I wonder where the sellers get those clothes from!?!
Yaar export surplus ke bht bade bade bundles hote hain factories mei, huge amounts mei fir bundles ke bundles ye market wale log utha lete hain for selling
Ohkay…!!
These market sellers get their stuff from factories (or whatever are the addas to buy factory surplus, there are many in delhi) by the kilo, like a big bundle sold off to these market sellers in terms of weight,
Aapko itna sab kaise pata unke bare main? 😛
Research :D, i had shared an article kuch time pehle on FB, it was very informative, dekh trko mile toh. wrna ill share with you later.
On Tue, Oct 7, 2014 at 12:30 PM, Life of Srish wrote:
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LOL
Office main baith ke ye sab karte ho? 😛
Yep. Will search in sometime and if I don’t get I will let you know 🙂
Haan. Le bol :O 😛
Well…now you are plain intimidating me!!! I love the clothes…much respect…but, I am having trouble visualising how good I will look in them…even with my “unreasonably good looks”!!! 😀 😛
After this comment, faith in know-all restored 😛
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Useful tips, Srishty!
I always try to make my work-wear interesting by using accessories, scarves, statement necklace etc. go a long way in breaking the monotony of regular/boring work attire.
And I agree, street shops and flea markets can serve as a great source of office clothes- I’ve picked up some tops (that I pair with nice trousers and I’m good to go to work) and no one can tell that I picked them up from a street market).
Also, Allen Solly has some great trousers. I’ve got a couple from there that have lasted me a few years.
Thank you so much for visiting Anya di, and thank you sooo muchhh for such a meaningful comment. 🙂 That really made my day. I know you are totally a scarves person. 😀
On Mon, Oct 13, 2014 at 3:45 PM, Life of Srish wrote:
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Loved all! 😀
Thank you so much dear 🙂 hope to see you often here 😀
We’ve spoken before. I used to blog before on happyslate.wordpress.com. 🙂
oh my God sonia! It’s you! i tried reaching you but I never found your email on happyslate.
YES! 😀 I went off with personal blogging for a bit cause work went a little too overboard. 🙂 I’ll start that again sometime. Maybe in a few months.
How are you?
I am good, I really hope you get more time to blog whichever genre you choose 🙂
On Fri, Jan 9, 2015 at 10:29 AM, Life of Srish wrote:
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