For those working a conventional 9-5, fashion can often feel like it exists within confines. Weekends become a stylistic playground, but wardrobes for the days in between have a habit of feeling predictable and uninspiring, on a constant mission to balance an expectation of corporate professionalism with personal style. It’s estimated that the average UK employee will spend 3,515 days of their life at work—so we might as well look good, right? Rose Li, aka @thecreativeclassicist, is an influencer on a mission to elevate the concept of officewear way beyond traditional, stuffy suits.
A self-titled ‘finance executive by day, fashion enthusiast by choice’, Rose has fostered a huge IG community through her realistic-yet-chic styling advice and tips, offering refreshing outfit inspiration from her city streets of New York to offices around the world. Today she sat down with us to share her fashion journey, advice for nurturing your daily style when working a corporate job and the innovative outfit-planning tricks she lives by.
Hi Rose, for those not already following your journey, could you share a bit about yourself?
I’m Rose, I’m based in NYC and moved here from Melbourne 8 years ago with my job at an asset manager. I started my IG account @thecreativeclassicist during Covid when I found myself wanting to get dressed to “work from home” everyday and thought I will share my outfits online so someone might see! It made me realize the power of dressing and how important it was for me to feel put together for “work”, and to have that moment of creativity on a daily basis. As the account grew, I really enjoyed seeing how conversations about personal style starts to intersect with my role as an executive in the financial services industry and life in general as an adult woman living a multifaceted life. That’s one of the things I enjoy the most about my IG account.
Over on IG, many might recognise you from your handle The Creative Classicist, what drew you to this title and what does it mean to you?
The handle for me is about balance and contrast. I think that is one of my personal traits in that I like to see both sides of the coin, that I’m not only one sided and I’m always curious about the other perspective. In style, that balance also makes for something interesting and unexpected and that's what I love to play with the most.
When I started my account, a lot of it was about having a classic style (at the time) and injecting creativity. Over the years, I see the two sides as more balanced.
You’ve certainly found a niche helping those who want to maintain a sense of style in the workplace—as a finance executive, how did you start to refine your office wardrobe in a way that still felt authentic?
For me it was moving away from very classic styles. I do gravitate towards a feminine aesthetic and at the same time I love a sharp shouldered masculine suit - those looks in a corporate world can start look extreme or fall into tropes (power suit, sexy secretary, ladies who lunch, country club navy blazer). So the key is finding tailored pieces that did both the masculine and feminine, in a modern/creative way. Tibi does a lot of pieces that have those clever cuts that can achieve that effect. A more oversized silhouette (which has been trending for a few years now) is also key in making something modern and not fall into those office tropes. It doesn’t have to be designer - Vintage pieces can be edited to create those effects (I love what you do with vintage suiting to make them more feminine and modern).
Could you share a few of your favourite outfits for corporate work days, that still feel fresh and inspiring?
Here are a couple of work looks that I have enjoyed. The first is really simple/classic and the scarf/necklace worn as a belt is a bit unexpected. Mine is from Bottega but you can easily DIY something and play with vintage scarfs. The other is a Friday work look where I added this thin brown knit as a bit of extra texture and depth. It suddenly makes the colours in the blazer and the bag look richer - the pop of red in the necklaces gives everything a lift. This summer I really learned more about those murky neutrals and colours - what Amy Smilmovic from Tibi calls the “non colour colours” that add depth and can be very chic worn together.
You have such an innovative way of mixing and layering—where do you find inspiration when styling pieces and accessories?
While I’m very much a minimalist, my favorite follows on IG are often people with a more maximalist perspective. I learn a lot about playing with layers, colours, textures and jewelry from those accounts. You can apply those principles to a more minimalist wardrobe and create a nod to that dimension.
Share 3 outfit planning tips that you use every day.
1. When in doubt - monochrome is always chic!
2. Think about how you can add a different texture to an outfit. It might be as simple as hardware on a belt, or a piece that has a fuzzy texture against flat fabrics.
3. Play with proportions - a big blazer with a slim dress/skirt, a rope belt over an oversized coat, or even showing some ankle with a more voluminous look.
Finally, what do you think is the biggest misconception people have when dressing for the office each day?
That you need to dress like a man to be professional.
Meet Rose - @thecreativeclassicist