Woman Refuses to Give Up Her ‘Eclectic’ Style in Corporate Office Environment (Exclusive)

When Utah-based fashion influencer Kalli Roberts heads into work each morning, she doesn’t conform to the typical corporate “uniform.”

“i refuse to check my whimsy at the door of my corporate office,” the 27-year-old wrote in the caption of one of her recent TikTok videos, in which she wears an oversize pink-and-white flowing top, complete with a large Peter Pan collar.

“you want me to wear a button down? fine !! here’s my clowncore polka dot balloon top !! hope this works xx.”

According to the influencer, her style is “maximalist, eclectic and polished” — and her looks have garnered her a fanbase that strives to walk into work in the morning wearing anything other than a suit and tie.

“When I lived in New York, one of my first post-grad jobs felt really restrictive,” Roberts tells PEOPLE. “Some of it was pressure I put on myself to be a corporate girl boss, but still, I stripped away a lot of individuality in my 9–5.”

“That small change in how I dressed completely shifted how I showed up at work,” she adds.

Roberts eventually moved to Salt Lake City, where she became a creative and content strategist for TikTok Shop affiliates. There, she was determined to let her personal style shine through every time she walked through the office front doors.

“I love patterns, accessories, interesting tailoring and all of the details that make an outfit feel unique,” she says. “I don’t like getting dressed to feel templatized or formulaic. My best looks always come when I’m just having fun playing in my closet.”

Some of her other popular looks posted to social media have included a soccer jersey paired with the Balenciaga city bag and denim shorts, as well as a blue plaid dress over a pair of jeans — a big contrast to the style trends at her office, where the outfits tend to skew “verrrrry corporate.”

“Not in a suit-and-tie way,” she acknowledges, “but in that tech corporate way with lots of Lululemon polos and slacks, plenty of company merch, and every possible variant of Nike Dunks. That’s pretty much the uniform both in and out of the office where I live.”

Although she jokes that she’s “too embarrassed to ask outright” what her coworkers think of her stylish outfits on occasion, she is always happy to answer questions about the brand of her shirt or why her toes are separated (she gives a special shoutout to the loved-but-divisive Maison Margiela Tabi shoes).

“Some coworkers are more into fashion than others, and the ones who are really become my people,” Roberts says. “Our meetings always run long because we get sidetracked swapping stories about our best Poshmark or The Real Real finds.”

Roberts also adds that her office looks tend to be more “pared back” than her day-to-day outfits, which have included a flowing tiered dress, a quilted coat over an all-denim outfit for a trip to Wyoming and a little black dress paired with knee-high Frye boots in recent months.

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“I try to maintain a level of professionalism at work that I don’t really think about on the weekends,” she tells PEOPLE. “That said, I never buy anything I wouldn’t also wear outside the office. Some people shop specifically for ‘work clothes,’ but I don’t want to waste closet space on anything I don’t genuinely love.”

The influencer also adds that fashion has “always been my favorite form of self-expression” — and the medium even allows her to do her job better.

“The time I spend getting ready is sacred because it’s how I build my persona and confidence for the day. When I put effort into wearing something cool, fun, or interesting, I feel cool, fun, and interesting,” she finishes. “That energy carries into the office and directly into my work.”