Ok, not in the 'finger clicking/girl-frrrrriiiiend' sense more, what I really wear to work.
My job involves a fair amount of travelling, I'm customer facing, seeing clients from office managers to board level yet, I also work out of an office and can be home based too...
Home based is easy... 'Nuff said really (not in a onesie wearing way), talking to a procurement director whilst rocking a cartoon based ensemble doesn't bode well for a 'high level' conversation, smart casj really..
When it comes to work wear my style is fairly conservative (because it has to be), clean lines, tailored/fitted (in a non whore manner), minimal flesh and good quality! That said, I'm also prone to a work wear bargain and will mix designer with High Street quite happily, especially if I'm wearing a suit.
I sometimes struggle for work clothes inspiration as I'm limited by the above. My quest lately, to add a little more colour and my own twist to a look... I spend more time in work clothes than anything else so, really need to step it up!
Today I bring you a selection of my latest work wear outfits that are ALL from the High Street...
The dresses..;
The dress - Warehouse last summer. (Occasionally I'll add a skinny belt with a bow detail at the front of it too..craaaazy eh?!)
Boucle jacket - New Look last year (maybe longer).
Dress - Warehouse (again) last summer (again)
Boucle jacket - New Look (again)... (Stay with me...)
Dress - Oasis. You may recall this dress from a post here recently. Buy the dress here. Major result, this dress is machine washable too! (Nothing worse than spending the value of the dress 10 times over in dry cleaning in a few months!!)
Bag - Oasis, also featured in this post.
Shoes - These old things??! They are probably my most fave shoes, I picked them up in a Kurt Geiger sale a couple of years ago.
Dress - Oasis (again)... This time with an ASOS gold belt.
Shoes - Aldo. Featured in this post here. Buy here, I've just ordered another pair as I copied the link!!!
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| Poor pic quality, sorry! |
Dress - French Connection in January.. I love this dress but it's a '60-80 denier only' dress.. The hem is waaaay too short to wear without them for work!
Peplum jacket - French Connection in January
Bag - Prada
Heels - Aldo, my previous favourite pair for work that have since been laid to rest!
Belt - Primark.
Dress - Next. I picked this one up in their sale a couple of weeks ago. The fabric gathers at one side (very flattering) and is almost identical in cut to a Whistles dress I have.
The Trousers...;
I'm afraid I tend to stick to simple trousers for work... Black, grey, ones with a slight polka dot (that's me pushing the boundaries, honestly!)
Trousers - Next, slim fit petite. I found these last year and immediately bought a second pair! They wash and wear really well and are still going strong!
Blouse - French Connection about 12 months ago however, they have some in now (AND IN THE SALE) here.
(Awful photo, granted but it was a pre-5am shot!)
The Trousers - These are the polka dot ones I was on about, purchased from Next 6 months ago.
Jacket - Topshop, again it's 12 months old and originally I wore it with jeans, it now sits in the 'workwear' section of my wardrobe.
Belt - Next... it just added something to it I think..
Trousers - The trusty Next slim fit ones
Blouse - Warehouse... This is older than my car, my house and most things in my wardrobe combined!!
Fitted cardy (because the weather took a plunge a few weeks ago!) - Topshop last year.
Shoes - Dune a couple of years ago...I was in the office this day, I couldn't
possibly wear these to see customers!!
The Jumpsuits that aren't...;
After posting both of these looks on WIWT recently I was asked if they were jumpsuits.. Nah, just some peg leg trousers, a black top (same black of course!) and a waist belt to hide the join..
Trousers - Miss Selfridge peg leg trousers.
Top - H&M. I picked this up last week for about £8!!
Belt - I can't remember where it was from.. It's slighted studded and fastens at the back.
Heels - The ASOS ones (it's been a while since you've seen them, surely...?!)
(It's becoming increasingly clear I mix and match stuff up..)
Trousers - Miss Selfridge peg leg...
Jacket - Topshop
Belt - ASOS
Bag - Mulberry
Top - Wallis - a shear top with a fitted cami underneath, very easy to chuck on!
Trousers - Next slim fit *yawns at self*
Top - Topshop sale buy recently (they still have some!)
Jacket - H&M, this one was a sale buy at Christmas and set me back a staggering £15!!
Does your work environment limit the clothes you can wear?
Do you struggle with feeling like you live in the same things?
Do you have a go-to place that I need to know about!?
x
PS. My bestie also posts on 'workwear dilemmas' on her blog here.
My work look used to be smart/casj so not just as smart as yours but recently I've went back to site so it has changed considerably, I intend to do a post someday as it really is laughable how crap I look during the week. Next was my go to store for trousers as they do a long leg which was great! Love your work looks Karen, but they wouldn't work for me knee deep in a trench! ;)
ReplyDeletePs I really want that next dress but have precisely nowhere to wear it!
I'd so love to see your trench gear!! The dress is machine washable, do it with your wellies ;)
DeleteI like Next because they do petite!
X
As a primary school teacher, sometimes I jud have to accept that my clothes are going to get some form of paint on them or that I'll be sat on the carpet creasing any clothes! However, pretty dresses are my favourite thing in life and I've been making the effort on rare days to throw on my blazer to dress it up alittle. However, I'm pretty certain that I could bring in aspects of these outfits to work :-) a shopping trip might just be in order after payday... x
ReplyDeleteI know what you're going through (kinda'), my mum was a primary school teacher and used to come home with the paint handprints!
DeleteMaybe fabulousness should be on the curriculum?! ;-) x
I'll raise that suggestion at the next staff meeting! :-)
DeleteI am a solicitor so have to be fairly smart though also luckily work two days from home when no one sees me except on the school run so it can be jeans etc on those days. I'm ashamed to say I begrudge buying work clothes so have some suits that luckily still fit from pre kids but are now over 10 years old. I do buy the odd blouse or jacket from Primark or new look which are all machine washable and seem to wear well! - Ant xxx
ReplyDeleteHey Ant!
DeleteI get that, I do begrudge it too sometimes however, I do downgrade some items that were smart 'out of work clothes' in a previous life...exhibit A - the FC bow blouse above ;-)
P.S. How good is it you can get in your pre kids stuff!!!
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I work in software and our office is casual so jeans and T-shirt is the normal outfit (I think some of the guys I work with might combust if I wore anything too fitted/dressy). Am at home several days though and will happily chat to CFOs in my joggy bottoms and clashing hoody. Sometimes I wish I had more of a reason to dress smartly, though I don't miss needing a separate workwear wardrobe, hopefully you will motivate me :-)
ReplyDeleteHey! When I first started wearing dresses to work I think the guys wondered what was going on...when i busted out the polka dot trousers I was so conscious.. crazy! Maybe you could ease the guys in at work gently ;-)
DeleteI wish I could wear joggers when working from home without just wanting to curl up on the sofa, totally in the mind but I have to feel dressed...Good for you!!
Thank you, I hope I can too x
I absolutely love your blog and style, natural, urban and very chic!
ReplyDeletehttp://the109block.blogspot.com/2013/06/hello-colors.html
Hey Lara!! Thank you sooo much, that's really kind of you to say and massively flattering after I have just checked your blog out (and added to my reading list)!!
Deletex
Wow..so many good outfits Mrs M!
ReplyDeleteParticularly luvin' your Oasis dress...and the new Next one too :)
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FANKS Belle!! That Oasis dress is a beaut, although after looking at the pics above, I feel more like I should be on the Vic of Dibbers x
DeleteBeautiful outfits!!!
ReplyDeletekisses
http://beharrean.blogspot.com.es/
Thank you Saioa!
DeleteBig kisses back at ya'
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