to ask about your work attire?

[scarredpierced]

Inspired by another thread, where do you shop for workwear? How much do you spend on an outfit (if not too cheeky!)? What environment do you work in and what do you wear?
Struggling with my own workwear, you see!

[TapirBackRider]

I'm really no help here - I work in engineering and wear a fetching fire retardant boiler suit and steel toecap boots.

However, back in the day when I worked in an office, I used to buy my stuff from Next (which has, IMO, gone right downhill quality-wise).

[EuroShaggleton]

There have been several threads along these lines in S&B so you might want to have a browsse through old threads over there.

Personally, I buy "naice" tailored stuff and tend to keep it for ages. Recent favourites have been:
Banana Republic
Whistles
Reiss
Zara
Mango

A Reiss skirt might be £100 but I was wearing one yesterday that is just starting too look a bit tired and I realised I had had it since my last job. I was there from 2002-2006... I reckon I have worn it once a week through most of the year for 7+ years!

[EuroShaggleton]

Oops - meant to say: office environment (legal).

[poppypebble]

Secondary (11-18) teacher, 1/4 mile outside walk between classrooms.

Generally trousers/smart top, dress once or twice a week. Suit for parents evenings/open evenings etc. Low heels until gained time kicks in, when I might risk a higher one if I'm not teaching six periods a day.

I do a shop late August in the usual places - Debenhams, Next, M&S and then just update as and when I see stuff (generally in sales). Prices have gone up a lot I find - especially Debenhams, where it is rare to find something under £35 now. I resent paying too much as inevitably it gets whiteboard marker on it, or ripped when I'm crawling around in the store room.

[trinity0097]

A mix of places! From dresses at George at £16 to dresses at monsoon for £80! Plus stuff from m and co, marks and spencer, sainsburys.

I am a teacher, in the winter I wear knee length dresses and a cardi, skirt and jumper or trousers and top. In summer, trousers and top or maxi dresses.

[BinksToEnlightenment]

Warehouse and Oasis mainly.

[PrincessOfChina]

I work in an office, and tend to wear a lot of dresses, 7/8ths trousers and chiffon tops/shirts.

I shop a lot in Oasis, some French Connection (sale mainly) and Gap.

I think my average outfit would cost about £70. More if you include shoes (ballet flats, nude or black heels mainly).

[CloudsAndTrees]

I work in a reception class, so I feel I have to look vaguely smart, but I also have to deal with paint, gloop, mud and ocassionally sick. Primark and H&M are perfect.

[Somethingtothinkabout]

I get a lot of work stuff from Reiss, Karen Millen, Whistles - but I get them on eBay!!!

I really begrudge spending money on work clothes but like to dress well, so this works for me. Eg, I wouldn't spend more than £10-15 per item of clothing, but get great quality stuff.

Typically long fitted high-waisted pencil skirts, blouse, cardigans, smart high heels and black tights (it's cold here).

I work in an office.

[theodorakisses]

I have a chanel suit which cost a fortune and 4 copies made by local tailors (in ME) for about £15 a go and I can't actually tell the difference. If I lived in the UK I would invest in a sewing machine.

[GinAndSlimlinePlease]

I work in an office most of the time.

I wear primarily dresses, with jackets or cardigans and scarves.

All my dresses are from m&s. I know their clothes are considered not naice in style and beauty, but they have some perfect ones for work. They last about two years each, before they go bobbly. I wear them at least once a week each.

[Meglet]

I have a 'uniform' of biker boots, leggings and above the knee dresses. All for school run / walking to work purposes.

Whenever I see (and need) a new item I buy it from whatever shop has it in stock. The dresses are warehouse, new look and H&M IIRC.

[Meglet]

Meant to add, our office is freezing so I wear the same style all year round. No summer dresses for me.

[mumofweeboys]

Jeans, tshirt and trainers. I work in a lab and there's lots of standing and running around.

[gobbledegook1]

A bright red boiler/jump suit and steel toe cap boots with an old pair of jeans and a vest top underneath, if its cold also a thin highneck fleece underneath. Sexy!!

I work in Animal Care and provide supported work placement for the learning disabled.

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

You'd get lots of good ideas over in S&B.

I spend on average:

Up to £60 on a dress (White Company sales, the odd silk one from Phase Eight sales or from Warehouse)

Up to £60 on a jacket (Hobbs sales are great but I also have some bargain H&M ones)

Up to £40 on a skirt (I like M&S pencil skirts and sometimes get full skirts in places like French Connection, John Lewis own stuff and v occasionally Hobbs NW3 (though most of them are more expensive than I'd pay even in sales and lots of them are too long)

I tend to get plain cowl neck tops to wear with pencil skirts - M&S Autograph and Hobbs - up to £30 a top, or silk tops in Warehouse (up to £45-ish but tend to wait until sales)

I've got 2 Westwood skirts (both sale ones at about £95 each but totally worth it) for days when I want to look a bit more cutting edge!

Heels in Debenhams or Clarks sales (so no more than £40 a pair) and ballet flats from Clarks (up to £40 a pair)

Black trousers for 'period' days (tmi but necessary) - these are a pain. Currently I have an ancient Dotty P's wool mix pair and an ancient cigarette leg M&S pair, but am desperate for new ones.

I'm a secondary teacher (Senior).

[SkinnybitchWannabe]

I wear a very attractive Tesco uniform. We can buy extra items but who the hell would pay to wear any of it!!

[2kidsintow]

Primary teacher here.
Either a dress with leggings and boots (flats or sandals in the summer) or black trousers with a fitted top.
Or a nice dress from time to time.

Dotty P's, New Look, George etc.
Nothing too expensive as there's always glue, pen, paint,salt dough, glitter etc in the mix.

[OliviaMumsnet]

Hallo
We'll move this to S&B - they're your gals.

[al88]

Whatever I like! (Scientist)

Jeans and T shirt generally. Jeans and smart top for meetings. If something really important is going on I might wear black trousers and a smart top.

[mewkins]

Work in an office in public sector with occasional events stuff thrown in. Wear a lot of skinny trousers, chino type trousers in summer, jersey tops layered, some blouses (oasis, next, gap, new look, h&m) and oodles of cardigans when the aircon is in overdrive. Most can double up as casual wear too. I have a few blazers that I can wear to smarten an outfit up. No denim allowed at work (although others do!)

[AmberNectarine]

I work in the city and buy from a huge range of price points. I have a fair bit of workwear from Gerard Darel, LKB and Me&Em. I also throw in the odd designer item, usually skirts and shoes for some reason. These come from NaP, My Wardrobe, Matches and TK Maxx.

[malteserzz]

Lots of fellow teachers ! I teach reception so leggings or trousers with various tops and dresses, warm as I'm outside a lot and all washable !

[MissBeehivingUnderTheMistletoe]

Suits with silk t shirts for court - Hobbs, Reiss.

In the office trousers/skirts- Great Plains/French Connection/Zara/Massimo Dutti with silk t shirts/shirts - ebay mainly, although H & M had some pretty 100% shirts on line.

Dresses - all over the place - Damsel in a Dress/FC/Massimo Dutti and I thought M&S had some decent ones in.

[knitknack]

Are maxi dresses OK for teaching do you think? I'd LOVE to wear them in the summer but no one else does and I wonder how they'd go down (I do work in a very small school though, there are only about 25 teachers!).

I wear dresses with tights and boots through the autumn/winter/ and spring this year! Summer dresses with smart sandals or lighter trousers and a top in the summer.

Secondary teacher.