New work/weekend wardrobe

[shelldockley]

I really need some new clothes. At the moment I have very seperate work and casual wear, which I like, but I'd like to combine them a little to get more value out of the clothes. Does anyone have any ideas what sort of things I could incorporate, this is the kind of thing I currently wear:

Work:
Shift dresses, tea dresses, pencil skirts with thin tops, short cardis
Weekend:
Jeans and jumpers, tunic type tops, plain tops, long cardis

I was thinking that if I got some tops and cardis that work for both jeans and work skirts, that would be better value for money than to keep up these completely seperate wardrobes! I think the trouble with the tops is that I like slim tops tucked into skirts for work, but the same tops don't work with jeans, mostly because I like to cover my tummy. Any ideas? Links would be appreciated, but I'm on a low end high street budget! TIA

What do people think of this kind of look?

www.puttingmetogether.com/2014/01/waves.html

The top and cardi combo would look ok with the top tucked into a skirt wouldn't it?

They look long enough to tuck in though it probably depends on the fabric. But they still look more like work clothes to me although maybe I'm just a scruff

Have you tried doing it the other way round? I sometimes find it easier to make the things I wear on my bottom half fit into work and play wardrobes. Admittedly this is partly because I can wear jeans at work provided they're with something smart like a jacket. Or instead of pencil, I wear a tube skirt and either dress it up for work or down for the weekend. It does depend on your work dress code though.

Thanks Floisme, I always feel funny wearing skirts for casual wear, don't know why, I can wear mini skirts with tights in the winter, or floaty summer dresses when it's hot, but my tube skirts and tea dresses I always feel overdressed in!