Style Dilemma: What to Wear with the Corporate Polo Shirt, Rehashed

A friend messaged me today:

Help! I need your fashion advice! We are going on a business trip and must wear the [unfitted, cream-colored corporate polo shirt] for one of the sessions! Advice to make this cute? Black capris and a belt? I'm super curvy - top heavy, tiny waist, ample hips! Help!

[cue Superman theme music]

DC Celine to the rescue. I responded.

I actually had the same dilemma last year (and again this year). I did exactly that, and paired with interesting ankle-length pants and pencil skirts. Unless you're under corporate color restrictions, I'd say pick some colorful bottoms, patterned even (since the polo is cream), and belt away - it's a great solution!

I also went unbuttoned as much as I dared, and wore a single-color or seriously glam crystal statement necklace.

I was so thankful when our polo turned out to have a women's option that was fitted, and had a nice, longer placket with a higher standing collar. So much better.

Her response, which had me rolling:

You were lucky. Mine was ordered for me by the office and without consulting at all. Honestly, I'm not even sure it will fit - I haven't tried it on. Now wouldn't that be just awful? That might just solve my dilemma.

I think in my next life, I will own a company that makes t-shirts and polos for company conferences and then likely be able to retire by 40.

Truth be told, readers, this is one of the most perplexing dilemmas out there. It's not difficult to devise a solution, but why, oh, why must we be in this boat to start? I'm all for branding and company visual recognition, but really? A poorly-fitting shirt is the solution.

Anywho, here's what I did this year, which is similar to what I did last year. Very, very similar.

From left to right, then top to bottom: Day One printed Gap pants (last year) + Queen Bee Designs green quartz necklace; Day Two Target grey textured pencil skirt + LOFT crystal necklace (last year); Traveling Day Converse One Star knit top, Halogen French terry skirt; Last Day dinner Converse One Star shrug cardigan, bronze tank dress scored at Nordstrom Rack; Meeting JR Madewell top, conference bandana.

And for those of you who really, really, really want to research the issue, here are the earlier posts, along with one on dressier conferences.

Fitted Style: It's Called a Measuring Tape (August 2012, in which I opine on the usefulness of a measuring tape and report out on my OperationBoothBabe ensembles, aka conference wear)
Style Dilemma: What to Wear to a Conference (July 2012)
What to Wear: Academia Meets Style (September 2006)