It can be really, really hard to get dressed for work in the morning. Especially for women. I know I am almost constantly trying to figure out what is appropriate and professional and what is not, and dress codes like “business casual” or “business dress” don’t help.

Many of the places I’ve worked have been pretty casual, though some did forbid jeans and one boss instructed me to “dress like a nun.” But for me, “casual” and “business casual” were extra hard, because I knew I wasn’t supposed to wear a suit, but I had no idea what else would help me look like an adult who was going to work and not just-out-of-college girl going to the mall. It didn’t help that there often were very few other women my age that I could emulate, clothes-wise, and magazine features about “work clothes” tend to feature laughably inappropriate and/or incredibly expensive things that simply would not work in my life.

My usual default was wearing things I didn’t particularly like, but felt “adult” to me. And I was still occasionally mistaken for a child. I was even asked for my hall pass when I was walking around a middle school. When I was 23.

Now that I’m a little older and work in a building full of men in military uniforms and suits (I’m a newspaper reporter based in the Pentagon), I have a bit of an easier time figuring out what is OK to wear to work and what isn’t. I generally try to err on the side of overdressed. But it can still be a challenge — especially when I’m supposed to wear jeans or something casual (for walking around in the mud all day, for instance).

At least once a week, I end up rejecting the first, second and third outfit option and by the time I leave for work, there’s a huge pile of clothes on my bed. I frequently make adorable, but unwise, shoe choices. But I love seeing what other bloggers wear to work, and I hope that some of my outfits can give you new ideas about what to put on in the morning. I’ll put all of my outfit photos under the “work it” category, and also share my thoughts on types of clothing and how to decide if something is OK for work.

If you have any fashion dilemmas or questions, please email me at marshmallowsandmargaritas (at) gmail (dot) com. Otherwise, let me know what you think in the comments section. Happy shopping!