From the Office to Date Night: 8 Small Changes That Can Transform Your Outfit

From men’s slacks to women’s pencil skirts, the bottoms that you would wear in the office are often very easily taken from desk to date — no adjustments needed. And with a teensy bit of effort and a little imagination, the top of our office ensembles is often just as easy to work with, as well!

So whether you’ve been planning this date for weeks but know what traffic will be like and you can confirm that you won’t have the time to run home, or somebody special has asked you on a spontaneous date and you don’t want to miss a moment of it and would rather leave right after work — we know what pieces to start with, what pieces to swap, what pieces to shed and what pieces to splurge on and keep handy if you want to transform your office attire into an exceptional date night outfit quickly and easily!

Start with: Basic Bottoms

The first small change that you can make to your outfits is not to transform them, but to make them easier TO transform. Luckily, as we mentioned above, your bottoms tend to be one of the easiest pieces of office attire to work with! So no matter if you’re rocking slacks or a skirt, just be sure that you keep them simple whether you’re trying to match up a cool new blouse or your all-time favorite cute ankle boots. This means subdued colors and patterns, nice fits and classic styles (even if they’re only classic in the sense that they’ve been a part of your wardrobe forever and you feel comfortable matching them and wearing them!).

Start with: Simple Undershirts

Combined with basic bottoms, a simple undershirt will not only make your ensemble incredibly easy to transform aesthetically but will make the execution incredibly quick and easy as well! So from a clean, crisp t-shirt under your button-down that you can use as a base to create a cool and casual slack t-shirt pairing to a simple and sophisticated camisole under your cardigan that can be used as a base for a romantic silk cami-skirt pairing — keep it simple for the best results!

Swap: The Blazer

If you’ve built your ensemble up from a good base, this may actually be the only item that you need to swap or shed at all! If your blazer is serving the purpose of actually keeping you warm and you need to do a swap, consider pieces that are fitted similarly, whether that be a leather jacket that sits around the same flattering length as your blazer or a peacoat that boasts a similar shape.

 Swap: Your Earrings

Chances are that the earrings you’re wearing at work aren’t exceptionally showy, seductive or you-inspired — and while that is exactly what you want at the office, we encourage you to show more of yourself and your style when it comes to after-shift occasions! A simple earring swap can make a significant difference to your outfit and your attitude, and couldn’t be any easier thanks to how quick they are to change and how small they are to carry!

Swap: Your Shoes

Any shoes that you wear for the office are surely fine for a date — but if your favorite comfortable work shoes for women just aren’t what you want for this special night and you want to step it up a notch, you should absolutely consider a simple switch!

For date night, something flirty, strappy or formal will serve you best when it comes to offsetting your office attire, so look for shoe styles that showcase your fun side like wedge sandals, strappy heels, sleek pumps or super cute kicks. If you are going for simple, though, you can easily accomplish flirty, formal or both through a pair of comfortable flats! Not only are they easy to pack into your purse, but will probably be a great change of pace if you’ve been bound in conservative and uncomfortable heels all day at the office!

Swap: Your Bag

Especially popular amongst office workers are tote bag style purses — and for good reason! It’s for these same good reasons that your tote bag will work great when it comes to date night… Just, not to take with you! While a nice tote bag is perfectly suitable for date night, swapping it out for a cute clutch is a great way to step up your style! The best part of this is that you can keep the clutch in your tote bag until it’s time to go, and store any clothes that you’ve shed in it when you do go!

Shed: The Perfectly Polished Hairdo/Perfectly Plain Makeup

A perfectly polished hairdo or perfectly natural looking makeup are sought-after and we acknowledge the skill behind it — but if you want to amplify your date night aesthetic straight from the office, you may want to consider addressing either (or even both) of these aspects! A little splash of red lipstick or taking out your bun and giving your hair a shake will go a long way when it comes to creating a fun and flirty look — so let your hair down in every sense!

Splurge on: A Packable Umbrella

Especially if your morning commute includes a lot of outdoor time, carrying a concealed umbrella will allow you to preserve your freshly prepared image better for the day and eliminate the need to “fix” yourself back up for the date. Instead, all you will have to do is change up your outfit a little — which, with our help, should be a breeze!

 Noteworthy (And No Worry) Transformations

It’s often the most simple things that make the most significant impact, so when it comes to shifting your ensemble from desk to date, remember that it’s not about the specific pieces as much as it’s about the simple things you’ve done to show your date your true self! From the silky texture of your camisole to the sweet smell of your cologne, the basic things that you both do for this date can make enough of an impact that they score you a second date easily!