What do you wear if you are a senior manager but in a fairly casual environment?

[mrscog]

I am struggling to find my work style since moving to the university sector -tailoring feels a bit too corporate when academics and administrators are storming around in a huge 'variety' of clothes. However, I like to look smart and I am relatively young so I need to feel confident as nearly everyone I manage is older than me which I occasionally feel self conscious about. I feel I need a wardrobe which is going to boost my confidence and feeling of authority yet fit in with the more laid back nature of university dress codes. I'm 29, size 8-10 and 5ft 3 if that helps. In my old job I just wore shift dresses or smart pencil skirts with shirts or cardigans but now I just don't feel like this fits in.

Any ideas?!

I have been contemplating thisjacket

Although I can't really afford it at the moment!

And I've got one of these in my basket skirt

Oh and style wise I like unfussy, simple clothes although on the other hand as I'm 29 I dont want to look too 'phase eight/Boden' before my time (My Mum is always recommending Phase Eight to me, but the difference is she's 20 years older!) - I'm hugely pear shaped so I try and play that down but otherwise I don't have any 'problem' areas.

Blouse / shirt rather rather than t-shirts or jumpers.

Jacket rather than cardigan.

Plain rather than print dresses.

Smart shoes, belts and handbags / brief case.

How about black trousers - just two pairs needed, then loads of different tops and shirts which you can jazz up with different jewellery.

If you want to make the above items seem less formal consider the material / colours they are in. If you stay away from too much navy, black and grey, they will look less 'officey'.

Yes, I think that's a good point capsium I find it hard to find the 'inbetween' stuff - I'm immediately drawn to smarter tailoring but I just end up looking like the auditors have been called in!

Life is better yes, I like the idea of an 'easy to put together' approach seeing as I have 22mo DS as well. I got one fab pair of trousers before Christmas - a smart cut but not too OTT. I'm just almost too scared to wear them now as they took an age to find and I don't want to ruin them - that old chestnut!

I think those outfits look fine (and I'm an academic). There's no point trying to match up to others... There will be many academics who won't dress up. There will be those who will dress up only if they are lecturing masters classes... There will be big name professors who will be in broken jumpers and dodgy jeans (having said that, they seem to be more the men than women!!).

I think you need to wear what's comfy. A senior manager in our school wears suits (male) or at least always a tie. Our boss bears cords and turtlenecks when he has no meetings!

If you look at Lucy Worsley's (BBC history) tailored items they are smart without being remotely officey.

Right - I've treated myself to the skirt :) and now off to Google Lucy Worsley!