Outside of working in the fashion industry, clothes worn at work must always follow certain decorums. You can't be caught wearing pieces that could disrupt business meetings, but this doesn't mean you should dress up looking like a typical office drone. How can you stand out if you can't dress smart for work?

While style is a matter of preference, a woman's office wardrobe must never be without any of these items. Invest in these essentials for dressing at work:

1) A reliable tailored black blazer

Tailored blazers are a classic and work well with any body type, according to InStyle. Black can be worn on a dress, skirt or trousers. It can also go well with jeans for casual Fridays at the office.

"A blazer can take an outfit from a 1 to a 100. It just automatically adds a layer of professionalism whether it be with white pants, jeans, or even shorts. Every woman, no matter where she works, needs one of these," according to Meredith Lepore via Levo.

2) Several colors of tank tops

Tank taps are staples, as these can be worn to blend over your skirt, pants or power suits, according to The Huffington Post. Have several pieces of black, cream and white tank tops as these will easily blend well with your bottoms, but you could also pick out primary and pastel colored tops to wear as contrast for your other pieces.

3) Good pairs of shoes

These should come with the right type of heels so that you can pull off a smart look without hurting your feet from running at different functions, events and meetings all day. Invest in neutral colors like black and nude so that you can wear this with any of your office clothes. Earthies Talera pumps are designed for wearing to work, but the heels, insoles and footbed are ergonomically comfortable.

4) Basic black pencil skirt

The skirt's length should go right at the knee or a few inches above it, so that it remains business-appropriate. This can be paired with just about any top of your choice, so it's a practical piece to have in your closet.

5) Statement handbag

You don't need to own a Louis Vuitton as there are other equally beautiful and practical purses that cost less, such as Kate Spade or Michael Kors. You'll need a bag that's big enough to fit all of your stuff, but not too big that it should look bulky. As with the other pieces, go with neutral colors with simple form and designs.