For office-appropriate wardrobe space, a white bardot top must earn its keep. The key is letting the neckline do the tailoring that you might otherwise get from a jacket. To avoid looking frankly indecent, the off-shoulder or slash neck cut requires structure to stay put all day; think a hefty, slightly stiff cotton or cotton-blend that stands across your collarbones rather than a soft jersey that slides and needs constant tugging. Bodice lining, boning (literally, that inner elastic thing that holdsshapes in some clothes), or a tailored underlayer to cup the bust are what will differentiate clothes-searching from nightmares. Sheer or too-stretchy materials are out; you want office crisp, not see-through cling.
As with all office wear, fit is everything.
And that means through the torso as well as up top. Flowy, cropped tops will look more offensive with tailoring, so if your bardot top has shape to it at the waist – either through a dipped seam or a heavier fabric that hangs cleanly – you’re good.
Likewise, if it comes with sleeves, they should rest at your shoulder or barely below, not halfway down your arm where they’ll compete with your blazer.
Speaking of blazers, that is really the secret to styling your bardot for work. Since you’re exposing shoulders the top removes, re-establish that line with a sharp blazer – structured, somewhere in the single breasted range – worn open or with just one button secured. It instantly looks more ‘office’. Pair with tailored trousers – straight or slightly wider leg is more convincing than skinny – or if you insist on a skirt, keep it tailored too with a pencil cut and keep your top simple rather than something fancy-cut.
Likewise, keep jewellery streamlined; a white bardot top is statement enough on its own. One pair of earrings or a thin necklace will do. Heels should be low, or give loafer a try. Closed-toe, of course.
You’ll wear this after hours far more than you think. client meetings, presentation days, that last glass of wine at the office bar after Friday morning meetings. It photographs well under fluorescent lighting, which is worth more than anyone wants to admit, and offers a tailored ensemble an elevation of interest without sending you home at the end of the day for a change of clothes. Avoid: thinking of the white bardot as a going out top and throwing a blazer over it as an afterthought. Remember: it was built from the ground up to survive daylight.
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