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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

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

142 replies

Rainbunny · 12/08/2017 06:52

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!!

OP posts:

livingthegoodlife · 12/08/2017 16:22

I've recently returned to law after a break as sahm. All my clothes looked awfully dates and also wrong size. I've treated myself to whole new work wardrobe mostly from Hobbs. My standard work wear is shift dress with matching jacket and heels so pretty formal. Trousers don't really suit me.

I'd be less concerned with fashion/cut and more with condition. Do your older clothes look a bit washed out? Over worn? Tired? I think that would be more noticeable than style.

Good luck.

OlennasWimple · 12/08/2017 16:46

Trinny and Susannah thought that everyone suited a bootleg cut

OP - there's a thread over in Style and Beauty about looking at clothes critically to see if they have dated. Worth a perusal?

I also agree with buying a few new pieces to mix and match in - trousers will look less dated if paired with a top in a very fashionable "now" colour, for example. As well as helping you feel more confident that you look the part

FreyaJade · 12/08/2017 19:01

You now have an excuse to go on a clothes shopping spree if you like that kind of thing... personally Im just envious at people who get to choose their work clothes as I have to wear tunic & trousers uniform.

I agree many styles & cuts have changed in ten years, I think in law you could go for stylish but classic clothing.

Genghi · 12/08/2017 19:46

The trousers you linked to are v v outdated in London (only our US/Indian colleagues wear them, so I guess if you live there they are probably fine). Slim leg/shorter trousers are in fashion now.

RidingWindhorses · 12/08/2017 19:57

I don't personally like the J Crew trousers but it's not true that flares are not in fashion in London, they've been around for ages.

Floisme · 12/08/2017 20:01

But who cares?
Well the op cares. She's knows it's not life or death and has said so but nevertheless some of us enjoy thinking and talking about this kind of stuff.
Why do you care that we care? Do regularly barge into threads about things you're even not interested in?

notevernotnevernotnohow · 13/08/2017 09:58

"Barge" in? If you wanted an exclusive chat about trouser widths purely among fashionistas you should stick to Style and Beauty. This is aibu.
And did you mean to be so rude?

Floisme · 13/08/2017 10:16

Well your own post was fairly robust but I apologise for 'barging in'. It was not my intention to be rude. But the point of the thread was not trouser styles - the op was asking for advice because she's going back to work and probably feeling a bit apprehensive. I thought your reply was belittling.

I'm also interested as to why people take the trouble to follow and comment on threads if they're not interested in the subject matter. It would be like me joining in a thread about cats or motoring. So like I said, I'm interested in why you care that other people care?

RidingWindhorses · 13/08/2017 10:22

I think notever's point was that trouser width isn't terribly important and doesn't impact on ability to do a job, not that she's not interested in the thread. Which is about someone returning to work, wondering if she should spend money on clothes that look similar to the ones she already has.

notevernotnevernotnohow · 13/08/2017 10:23

It wasn't meant to be, I was genuinely asking why it matters? I understand that if you like clothes and fashion it will matter to you, but it seemed to me that people were saying it was somthing that mattered in and of itself, that your clothes should be a certain way or you are doing it wrong and will look bad.

If the post is in aibu you will get a range of different answers from different angles, and my post is as valid and allowable as anyone elses.

KatyBerry · 13/08/2017 10:34

i think that depending on the sector of your clients, it may matter more than for other lawyers - if you're in with tech clients / media clients, they're probably all going to be a bit younger and have their fingers on the pulse more than if you're a tax / property finance lawyer (sweeping generalisation alert)
Buy very little before you start and wait and see what goes in your office. You'll need a new winter coat too - those really have changed since 2000

Floisme · 13/08/2017 10:46

Of course it's valid. I apologise again if I implied it wasn't. I agree it doesn't matter in itself and has no bearing on how well you do your job. It certainly doesn't matter in my job - in fact if anything it probably goes against me as I suspect I am viewed as a bit shallow and vacuous because I like my clothes and therefore cannot be a serious person.

I find I'm often expected to justify why I'm interested in clothes and fashion and I do find it tiresome sometimes, especially as it never happens if I'm talking about books or films or even football. But no need for me to take that out on you!

Trills · 13/08/2017 10:48

if you're in with tech clients / media clients then they won't be wearing "smart office trousers" at all.

kalinkafoxtrot45 · 13/08/2017 10:55

I'm still wearing some of my office togs from the 2000s - I gained and then lost weight so I am able to wear them again. OP you will be FINE - it is not a criminal offence yo wear the 'wrong' trouser shape. I've utterly ignored the skinny trend because my legs look like parsnips in that cut. Very few people will notice or care what you wear as long as it's smart, clean and appropriate.

penstemon · 13/08/2017 10:57

Also a city lawyer. A lot of my work wear is 10yrs old. A black skirt suit is a black skirt suit really! If it fits and you feel good in it, that is much more important to me than whether the lapel is the latest cut.
Having said that, it is only those of us women who are late 30s & older who actually have suits. The "youngsters" wear Karen Millen & Ted Baker & Massimo Dutti and other things that just wouldn't have been acceptable when I was a junior. They are as likely to have a cardigan as a jacket. The men are still in suits whether they are a trainee or a partner.
I did buy a suit this week but, when buying work clothes, I usually go for dresses which I can mix & match with the various jackets I own.
To be honest, as long as I know I am smartly dressed & the clothes are clean, i don't really care what I look like at work. I could dress more casually but I prefer to keep a distinction between work clothes & home clothes. Also, when getting dressed at 6.30 and dealing with the chaos of getting the DC ready for nursery/school etc it is much easier to just grab stuff out of one particular section of the wardrobe knowing it will work & be entirely appropriate.

theredjellybean · 13/08/2017 11:02

surely a well cut tailored suit/dress/jacket is the same now as a few yrs ago...? work/office wear is what it is....colours are the same and styles like fitted sjacket, pencil skirt, shift dress are hardly radically cahnged.

If i was OP i would maybe buy a couple of new tops /blouses to wear with existing suits/clothes and some good fitting underwear ( shapes change in pregnancy and childbirth ect) and do not waste money on a shopping spree....safe it for other treats you might like when back at work...like gin !

tigerdriverII · 13/08/2017 11:05

I haven't clicked the link (learned my lesson with that M&S dress and some Hotter sandals that haunted me for weeks )

I'm a senior lawyer in a fairly large practice. I don't possess a suit and dress mainly in dresses or treggings with floaty tunics. Our admin staff are employed by one of those outsourcing companies and their dress code is way more formal: you can tell who does what by the tailored trousers and pencil skirts.

Friends who do court work tend to have one or two suits, usually dress and jacket.

MerchantofVenice · 13/08/2017 12:06

Well, I think what this thread proves is that you will be fine in what you've got, OP, since there is very little consensus about what is officially 'in'...!

It is vaguely amusing to see so many people directly contradicting each other about what's most up-to-date, and competing about who is most likely to have their finger on the pulse because, err, I live in London.

Whatever happened to individuality? If it's clean, appropriate for work, it fits and YOU like it - wear it!

Floisme · 13/08/2017 12:18

I guess I'm not clear as to whether the op would really like to buy some new clothes to mark her new job (but maybe feels she should make do with what she's got) or whether she doesn't really want to feels she ought to because the job might require it.

Very different answers, depending on which it is.

Mulledwine1 · 13/08/2017 17:59

I always think it's a bit funny when people say you shouldn't wear boot-cut trousers. My calves are far too wide to wear anything skinny! And I thought skinny was going out now and boot-cut was coming back in.

I struggle with tops at the moment because everything seems designed to make you look pregnant (at 45 I am slightly beyond that). Maybe this thread really needs to be moved to Style & Beauty so we can all get some tips from the experts.

KatyBerry · 13/08/2017 18:03

Trills the external counsel I've used in tech cos have always turned up suited - not ede and ravenscroft, but always suited. Just because the client is an adult dressed as a toddler doesn't mean he wants his £500/hr help looking like that

SmoggieC · 13/08/2017 18:04

I'm not sure what could be seen as a brag so don't worry about it.
I'd say you should be fine as I don't think classics have changed in that time. Go for it and good luck going back :)

Rainuntilseptember15 · 13/08/2017 18:09

I work in a school with loads of other women, most of whom wear trousers. I really have zero idea what shape of leg those trousers are. Surely that is normal? I notice a nice colour or a striking necklace or a new hairstyle but not trouser shape.

littleowltoo · 13/08/2017 18:16

Have you thought about using a store with a personal shopper service. Ask them to style you as a professional woman and see how it goes. You could show them some of your older outfits and see what they think.

BTW good luck with your new job.

hedgebitch · 13/08/2017 18:47

I give no fucks about anyone saying I can't wear bootcut trousers. I look terrible in skinny and tapered legs. I wouldn't go for a really pronounced bootcut that was super fitted at the knee before flaring out - I'd do a straighter cut with a slight flare - but still. Different shapes of trouser flatter different shapes of person, surely that's obvious.

I also fit into my interview trousers of ten years ago - was fat then, am still fat.

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