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My guide to dressing smart in the office….

As some of you may know along with my personal styling business I also have recently started a new job in an office which is a totally new environment for me and it got me thinking about my wardrobe in a different way. I love how varied my weeks are from enjoying family time at home, flying around the shops, visiting my clients homes for consultations, making over bridal parties then working in the office. As you can imagine I am often a little short on time so its really important for me that my wardrobe is able to adapt and flex itself to suit such a varied working week without me having to put too much thought into it each morning.

I have helped many of my clients overhaul their wardrobes, styling work wear, creating casual weekend looks to occasion dressing and I have heard this statement so many times “Oh its only for work, or “I will just wear that for work once I’m sick of it.” While I totally understand there are a lot of us who simply cannot afford to buy two wardrobes and often resent spending money on work clothes so these outfits are often made up of older clothes, we do spend more time actually wearing our work wear than we do in our more casual off duty pieces so its a shame that many of us are settling for outfits made up of items that we don’t really love anymore and aren’t reflective of our true styles and personalities.

So I decided to give you a little insight into what outfits I have been wearing to the office recently and show you how I mix up my looks. Hopefully I can also give you some ideas of how to wear some of your existing pieces that you wouldn’t consider and inject them into your work wardrobes. 

I have my basic staples that I know will work layered and teamed up with a wide range of pieces to create more looks but are mainly made up of the same favourite basics that I wear on repeat inside and outside of the office but styled differently. If you think about it like this – spend some time trying on your favourite 5 core basics and try to create 5 different looks per favourite piece to create 25 different outfits that you can wear across the month. Finish off by styling the outfits down to the finishing touches like shoes, bags and jewellery and take reference photos for you to refer back to and save them in their own album on your phone. Every night before you go to bed pick one of your looks, hang it on the front of your wardrobe ready and along with saving you precious time each morning it will give you the reassurance that your work style effortlessly reflects you and your personality without having to really think too much about it!

Try wearing a shirt dress open over trousers, this alternative to a jacket is the ideal weight for a spring summer cover up and it can give your outfit texture without adding bulk. The orange top is one of my favourites but is a little too revealing across the shoulders for the office so this is a nice way of styling it for work.

A black jumpsuit is one of my core staples with endless options of layering tops underneath to create multiple looks, swap for silk shirts or roll necks worn with boots in cooler months or simply wear on its own in summer. Dress down for a casual off duty look with denim jacket, t shirt & trainers.

Finding the right cut of trouser to suit your body shape can sometimes be a difficult task. These peg leg high waisted navy trousers are my absolute favourite and I have had them for about 5 years now. I have shorter legs and a longer body so the high waist balances out my proportions. I am also a big fan of black so the navy shade is something a little different for me and a softer colour for summer. I have worked with analogous colour palette) colours that sit next to each other on the colour wheel) here combining different shades of orange and yellow to compliment the navy.

I have this Monki skirt in two prints as it is such a great price & fit for me. Wear with tights, boots & knitwear in the winter and multiple tops (a white or grey slogan tee looks great with trainers for casual wear) in spring. I usually wear a silk shirt tied at the waist with this one but I was feeling really bloated the other day so opted for this loose top which made me feel a lot more comfortable…

This black blazer cost me £10 in the sale and I have worn it over everything! It smartens up my jumpsuit nicely and I love the longer length. I’m quite an average height of 5’5″ but even if you are petite don’t shy away from longer styles as they can actually make you look taller particularly if you keep the colour palette all one tone. I also think its important to try and inject a bit of fun into your work looks by playing around with shoes & accessories. These tassel sliders work perfectly wit this outfit don’t you think?

I hope you have enjoyed having sneak peak into what I have been wearing recently to the office, why not have a look through your own wardrobe and see what outfit combinations you can create, I’d love to see what you come up with!