Glam Slam: The Friday Five — Ways To Wake Up Your Work Wardrobe

Feel like your work wardrobe is in a rut?

The new November issue of InStyle magazine comes to the rescue with five easy ways to give your work clothes a jolt.

ADD COLOR (Like Kim Kardashian)
This concept is easy to apply, especially if you wear mostly neutrals at the office: Select a boldly hued separate in a work-appropriate shape (such as a tailored skirt or cuffed trousers) and swap it into your usual ensemble. A vibrant shoe or bag does the trick too.

EXPERIMENT WITH SPARKLE
Shine needn’t be sequestered to the evenings. Make sequined or metallic pieces boardroom-ready by pairing them with subdued shades or layering them under solid fabrics to tone down the bling factor.

MIX IN PRINTS (Like Catherine Zeta-Jones)
The key to making patterns work at work? Stick with muted colors (such as black, gray, brown and beige) and classic motifs (including plaid, paisley, houndstooth, cheetah and leopard).

TRY A TOUCH OF LACE
Because it’s a classic, lace plays quite well with conservative clothes. For best results, limit yourself to one piece per look, and choose lined items (or layer with a slip or cami) to avoid showing too much skin.

INCORPORATE LEATHER (Like Alicia Keys)
Make skins safe for the office by choosing unexpectedly feminine shapes, darker tones (bright shades might be too kooky), and refined textures. Even a single piece of leather jewelry will inject edge.

For more style tips, InStyle with cover girl Gwen Stefani is on newsstands now.