Big promotion... Nothing to wear. Help!

[Sparkle86]

Hoping for some advice on a bit of a style diaster situation please.

I'm 26, 5ft 2ish, slightly chubby round the middle size 10. Used to be super slim size 6/8 so have lost my way a little bit with how to dress my new body shape.

I've been lucky enough to talk my way into a fairly big promotion at work - it's a secondment fort he next year which involves setting up a new function and is fairly high profile in the business unit I belong to (part of a bigger group iyswim). It'll involve working cross functionally and at senior/director type levels.

My office has a 'freedom dress' policy, aka come as you like. In my current team, it's very much jeans and tee shirts and ballet flats. On a good day I might team my skinnys with a blazer and a smarter top, but that's about it unless I'm meeting with external customers when I'll pop a dress, tights and heels/ballet flats on and be a bit more corporate. Department I'm moving across to is a bit more formal, despite the policy, and dress over there tends to be more smart casual than completely off duty casual.

I'm going to need things to wear for work in my new role, but don't want to feel uncomfortable/overdressed, but want to blend in/present appropriately without blowing a fortune on clothes I'm unlikely to wear if the secondment ends.

My issue is, I feel very 'little girl dressing up' in a lot of business wear as I look quite young for my age (often asked for id for wine!) so I'd really appreciate some advice, suggestions for things to wear/buy or even outfit ideas.

I can access most big stores fairly easily if that helps.

Thanks :)

I'm a similar age to you, although a size 12, and have the same sort of issues in terms of looking young, being taken seriously etc.

I tend to wear a lot of pencil skirts and cigarette trousers with patterned shirts, smart tshirts, blazers etc. I'm an hourglass shape, so I like wrap dresses, mainly in jersey. I then keep a more corporate dress & shoes in the office if necessary.

Not living in the UK, so have to get all my stuff online. Love ASOS, Warehouse, Oasis mainly - even some stuff from Topshop, River Island and Missguided works if you choose colours and materials carefully.

A lot of my clothes I can then mix in with my going out wardrobe or more casual, so feel like I'm getting more value for money.

The key to dressing in a senior environment for me is to stick with the classics but then do something quirky with accessories. I tend to wear dresses because they can be dressed up or down.

Something like this warehouse dress can be dressed flown with ballet flats but dressed up with heels and accessories.

I wear stuff like this draped dress as they are really flattering.

I don't tend to wear trousers much as they don't suit me as much but I a really good smart casual look is beige chinos, fitted white shirt like this mango one with a dark blazer and ballet flats.

Hope that helps - I have a hourglass figure (size 6/8) and am short, and look young. Congrats by the way!