To think that my professional office clothes from the mid - 2000's still look stylish?

[Rainbunny]

I've been out of the workforce for the last couple of years but I'm preparing to re-enter my career again (law) and I've been looking at updating my work wardrobe. The funny thing is, everytime I look online at clothing websites to get ideas for office outfits, I realise that I pretty much own something that looks very similar if not identical already!

I never throw clothes away (that's a whole other thread topic in itself!) so I have my professional office/suit attire from around 2006-ish onwards... Am I fooling myself here or does anyone else think that professional work attire hasn't changed that dramatically in the last decade? It's not as though I can't buy new work clothes but seriously everytime I see something I like I realise I have something just like it already - it's just been in my wardrobe for the last 5-7 years! I'm just worried I'm fooling myself and would look out of step when current looks seem so similar to me.

This is the ultimate in trivial threads btw!!

Mind you Boot is back.

Forgot to say re the JCrew trousers - I think it's the shoes that make them looked dated. But then I never wear heels.

My first reaction is that they probably look FINE.

Not "stylish", just "normal, unremarkable, perfectly suitable for wearing and going to work".

I've got quite a bit of work stuff that is 5-10 years old but the older stuff is starting to feel dated. I wouldn't wear boot cut trousers. They will look old fashioned. Most women in the City seem to be wearing slim cut ankle length trousers with flats these days. I rarely wear trousers other than jeans myself.

In the 2000s my standard work wear was skirt, top, cardigan, with suits for meetings or court. Now it's mostly dresses, with a jacket over the top for meetings or court, so it has changed a bit. This was all for City law, btw.

I work somewhere with a casual work code and this is all new to me. It's rather fascinating ( I've rarely ventured in S&B)

If I were you I would plan to wear what you have for a month or so, and pay lots of attention to what others are wearing.

Most likely, your clothes will fall well within the range of what is "usual" and so you won't need to buy anything.

Possibly, you will see one or to items that will make a big difference.

It's very unlikely that you'll want a whole different wardrobe.

Personally I think cigarette pants are generally more flattering, but that's up to the OP.

I think it depends a lot on your body shape, and bodies can vary in a lot of different ways.

Agreed - I don't think any shape is intrinsically flattering. We don't all look the same and we don't all suit the same things. I like boot cut myself but they're flappy and annoying when it rains so I haven't gone back to them just yet.

Those trousers look outdated sorry.

Yet they're still selling them and every size except 14 is sold out so clearly very popular

I 100% agree with @Cantseethewoods

Whilst I'm not a huge fan of those trousers for me, no one would look at you and think "not cool not cool".

I wear a lot of skinny trousers, ballet flats, pretty patterned or nice silky tshirts and loose blazer style jackets.

And jersey dresses.

I don't think one can just make a blanket statement about what's more flattering, since there's such variation in body shapes. Though if anyone does have this mythical style that suits every figure, I'd very much like to hear it!

They look like perfectly normal "smart" trousers to me.

Noone's ever accused me of being stylish tho- so you may not want to attach too much weight to my opinion.

Seriously, the boot cut is back? Not in the city where I work.

I've just had a massive clear out and given approx 20 pairs of boot cut early 2000's jeans & work pants to Charity a couple of weeks ago sobs.
The quality of those clothes was noticeably better than those I have now.

I'd make sure everything still fits. If not, consider new or take to be altered.

Yes to cigarette pants, try some on! They are popular so you will have plenty of choice.

Agree about shoes and bag being more likely to date your outfit.

Consider investing in a new trench coat or coat too.

Treat yourself to a new haircut and maybe makeup too.

Flares have been back for a long time. I live in London.

Flares and boot cuts are back for the young and trendy. If you are old enough to have worn them first time round, you just look like you never moved on! The only people I see wearing boot cuts in the City are some of the older (50+) secretaries.

I have work clothes which are 10+ years old. Mainly from Hobbs, M&S, Phase Eight. They are classics, e.g. skirt suits, shift dresses, pencil skirts, plain silk blouses. They don't date.

Yeah, flares have been back in for ages. With a higher waistband though. They're not even particularly 'new' any more. I didn't know people were wearing them in an office context too, but if anything they're almost beyond back now!

I have a couple of tops from the late 90s that I still wear to work! If it's a conservative environment, not much will be different apart from small details like lapel size, buttons etc.

So what does everyone do with their dated clothes? I've tried eBay but no interest. Charity shop? I think 90% of my clothes will never be worn again - two double wardrobes full!

Those trousers look fine, and agree it would depend a lot on the top and shoes whether you look dated. I also think that highly professional jobs like law are less subject to the whims of fast fashion. (You're not really going to wear joggers or playsuits are you??)

As long as the clothes still fit, classic suits/blazers don't really date.

I tend to do clearouts before it gets to that stage, little and often, but I do keep a few dated but perfectly fine things to wear for casual. I have a beloved pair of 2009 bootleg low waisted jeans (and bootleg was pretty out even then!) that I wear around the house, school run etc. They're really comfy.

Yes, seriously. Because some trouser shapes look really really dated. Boot cut for instance. I know it's starting to come back in but to me it looks very 10 years ago. So yeah

But who cares? Does the shape of the lower half of your trousers have any bearing on your job performance? Does having round toe boots instead of pointy ones make you less professional?

Who gives a shit whether a shape is "in" or "out" anyway? If your clothes are clean and fit well and presentable, that is all you need. If they also flatter your shape that is a bonus. But whether they are what some magazine has put on their AW trends list for this year....fuck that shit.