* YOU BEEN SNAP* JE WADAU MWAWEZA KUVAA HIVI KWENDA KAZINI ? OFISINI eeeh"Would you wear a lace bustier to the office? Bebe launches new 'workwear' collection"

*MKILETEWA HAPA NA FLORA LYIMO DESIGNER*


Sexy figure-hugging clothes is what we've come to expect of Bebe. And the brand appears not to have compromised its signature aesthetic with its new workwear line.

The collection, which includes lace tops and bustiers, fingerless gloves and leopard-print hosiery, will come as a surprise to anyone who spends their working hours in a corporate environment.

And while some more trend-led items may be acceptable in a more informal office, much of the retailer's offering looks more fitting for a night out than a day at the office.

Inappropriate: Bebe's new 'workwear' collection includes figure-hugging dresses and lace bustier tops;

A lookbook for the range, which went up on the retailer's site today, describes the collection as 'a whole new way to work it.'




It reads: 'From the office to off-duty, wear-to-work is no longer just for the 9-5. Your next career move? Suiting separates remixed for every day of the week.'

It says pieces are designed to 'keep you corporate cool', while a tight red frock, billed as the 9-to-5 dress, is to help 'stand out in a sea of suits'.

Corporate wear? Much of Bebe's offering looks more fitting for a night out than a day at the office;

'A style tip advises shoppers to 'add a blazer for the boardroom and lace tights to bring it down to earth.

Of course the line is not entirely inappropriate - suiting in tweed and satin would be fine if styled right. But a miniskirt with fishnet tights or a lingerie-inspired underwire top beneath a suit, may raise eyebrows from colleagues.

But Danica Lo, editor of Racked.com, believes that Bebe's workwear line will find fans in existing customers.

She told MailOnline: 'There are all sorts of different types of workwear - different jobs will require different clothes, and what's appropriate to wear to work as a lounge hostess probably wouldn't be as well-received on the trading floor of the stock exchange.

Too much: Suiting in tweed and satin would be appropriate for the office if styled right. But a miniskirt with fishnet tights or a lingerie-inspired underwire top beneath a suit, may raise eyebrows from colleagues;

'I suspect that Bebe's usual customers - people who are fans of the brand's signature tight, short, shiny aesthetic - will appreciate the company's new workwear range, and may even find some pieces within the collection that might be acceptable for semi-conservative office environments.

'The skirt suit and the plaid skirt, for example, would work in, say, a media office. But, objectively and broadly speaking, sheer lace tops and strapless underwire dresses aren't generally acceptable professional apparel - but of course, it depends on what your profession is.'

Prices for Bebe workwear range start at just $10 for fishnet tights, up to $199 for a pair of knee-high, lace-up boots.