Nine-to-five glam

There are two rules to follow when making investments: Take a chance and diversify your money. The same can be said of buying workwear. Though corporate clothing is not given much glorification on the catwalk, it is one of the biggest-selling markets in the fashion scene. Women invest a ton of money just to get the right working girl look. But money spent is not money wisely invested if it only goes to the usual black or beige pantsuit. If you’re going to spend on clothing you’ll be wearing for more than 40 hours a week, do so as if Fashion Week and not the Stock Exchange were egging you on.

New women’s boutique Wallis gives you an investment edge with pieces that dither between chic and classic, hip and honorable. The biggest international brand under UK retail group Arcadia, the same conglomerate that produces Topshop, Topman, and Dorothy Perkins, Wallis’ high street appeal mixes ageless glamorous lines with smart and modern details. With price points and styles targeted to a more mature audience, Wallis has become a haven for yuppies and working women who are trying to take corporate wear to an entirely different level. The brand has injected stylish details into corporate staples such as frills on button-down shirts, sailor buttons on flat-front pants, and brass buckles on suit jackets.

Wallis understands that workplace dress codes may be strict and standardized, but it also knows that there are still certain ways to get noticed. Here are some tips on a how to put the glam into the nine-to-five scene:

• Ruffle your feathers. Pair straight lines (a tailored vest or mannish pants) with flouncier details (ruffles, a lace-edged shirt).

• Mix media. Put together stiffer fabric such as tweed or thick cotton with softer material such as chiffon, jersey, and satin. Softer fabric will lessen the severity of the ubiquitous corporate suit.

• Don’t solidify. Dark solid colors can make you look blah but dark solid black will make you look deathly. But if you still think browns, grays, and black add points in the respectability department, go for pieces with subtle prints such as pinstripes, plaids, and houndstooth. These details add depth to your wardrobe, and allow for more creative pairing.

• Substitute. Try wearing a pretty bolero instead of a cumbersome suit jacket, or a flirty bias-cut skirt instead of a pencil cut. These pieces will not only liven up your workload, but will also expand your wardrobe possibilities.

• Boost up on the bling. Heavy chains and diamond-studded brass knuckles are more cutthroat than corporate, but daintier accessories may just be the domain of the working girl. Layer beaded necklaces of different lengths, or swap the pearl studs with a pair of dainty hoop earrings.

• Waisted, not wasted. Today’s trendiest accessory is the wide, waisted belt. A cinched waist not only flatters your figure; it also jazzes up a blah pantsuit look. Wear over a crisp button-down shirt or wear underneath a blazer.

Wallis is exclusively distributed in the Philippines by Robinsons Specialty Stores, and is located at the 3rd Level of Shangri-la Plaza mall.