What to wear for work....?

[Mo2]

After the birth of DS2 about 8 months ago I've gone back to work, but for a new company which has a different 'dress code' to my previous place.

Basically it's "business casual", which is, of course about as helpful as all those other dress code descriptions (i.e. business smart/ smart casual/ dress down Friday etc etc).

The men tend to wear shirts with collars (proper shirts and or polo shirts) and chino-style trousers. However the range of women's clothes seems huge - rangeing from business smart (i.e. suits) to what I would call 'out for lunch with your in-laws casual' !

I feel like I want to go out and splurge on a new wardrobe for summer, but can't really decide where to pitch it, or what kind of essential items to go for? I'm in quite a senior role, so think I need to err towards the smarter end, but suits are so boring. Also I'm not much into skirts - mostly because I've got big fat feet and prefer flatter shoes to heels - just can't do kitten heels or stilleto type sandal things!

Any ideas? Combinations/ shops/ 'looks'. Have thought about the personal shopper thing too - has anyone tried them?

Help I need some inspiration!

Soyabean have you tried Asda at all.I got a nice thick,strechy material t shirt from there the other day in their sale rale for 2.50-it's now my favourite t shirt as it's so flattering.I'm going to have a proper look around there soon as I need a few more.

soyabean, have you looked in debenhams? i got a really nice Ben Sherman shirt in there with 3/4 sleeves, slightly fitted but not so much as to show my bulgy bits!

Thanks spacemonkey and LAyla. Was in debenhams today and didnt see any T shirts to fit my exacting requirements. It was quite a successful shopping trip tho as I got some work trousers in Next and J Lewis. Will keep looking

Bumping this old thread I found, because I'm wondering about this same thing - how to dress as a woman in a senior role - and enjoyed Philippat's advice.

IMO women in suits look either like secretaries or like they're trying to be a Margaret Thatcher figure.

Some people do head-to-toe black, but it looks dull and self-effacing.

Some people manage to pull off business glam and look both elegant and in charge, in panelled draping dresses, but I'm not really a dress-wearer.

So I end up in boring trousers or shapeless skirts in a palette of chocolate brown, rotating through those V-neck sweaters from Zara, and the rest of my wardrobe is now locked in to chocolate brown.

How to do "business casual" and still look, well, authoritative, serious? For men it is so easy...

i wear skirts and trousers from suits, but usually team with a cardigan (sometimes with a belt)instead of jacket, to make it more casual. Also i wear a lot of nice shirts (Hawes and Curtis website is amazing and not expensive) which look smart but not formal without a jacket. very easy!