New work wardrobe ideas needed please for casual/fashionable office!!

[bettabella]

I am going to start a new job in a casual/fashionable office. Previously I've had to wear smart work clothes or a smart uniform for the past 10 years or so. Now I'm moving to a relaxed, fashionable kind of place and wondering what on earth to wear?!?! How casual can you be? I will be doing quite a senior level role, so I'm thinking I need to look fairly pulled together, just in a more casual way (whatever that may be?!!!)
Ideas welcome please as this is worrying me a lot!! Thanks so much !

Can you say what kind of work it is?

I go into work in a casual place and can wear skinnies on non-client days. In fact I can wear the same as I wear wahm or sahm. So skinnies and jumper and decent shoes. On client meeting days I wear a dress or skirt, shirt and shoeboots.

I work in this kind of office. Favourite shops of my colleagues are: Zara, And Other Stories, Whistles, Reiss, H&M and even Primark

Main looks are:
Cigarette Pants & looser silky tops
Skinnies, ballet pumps and breton tops
Fitted dresses with statement necklaces and ankle boots
Pencil or miniskirted two pieces (matching top or jacket)
Belted dresses with heels
Longer sweater dresses over leggings
Print skater dresses with denim jacket

Broadly we run the gamut from jeans & jumper wearers to fashionistas - though most people wear a knee length dress or smart trousers and blouse for external meetings.

I would err on the smarter side initially and stock up on 3 or 4 dresses plus a couple of this season's tops/scarves/necklaces to wear with your existing 'smart' workwear.

Congratulations on your new job!

Thanks so much for great ideas! Most appreciated. It's an IT environment.
Feels very strange to have wardrobe choice after years of uniforms!
Thank goodness for the long BH weekend so I can go shopping !

I wouldn't ever wear jeans no matter if it's a fashionable/relaxed place - in quite a senior role you can be relaxed without wearing skinnies, unless they aren't denim/discernibly jeans material

thinking back to former colleagues they all managed it very well with things like dresses (so rather than a plain black grey shift dress of plaindom they might have worn a Vivienne westwood dress or a silk one with bold print- also fabrics are important I think to still maintain a work - kind of approach, so whereas a bobbled jersey boob tubed jumpsuitm ight sound horrific, it would be really quite okay for the office one size up, with a belt, in a nicer fabric. any length or style of skirt is fine and easy to wear (except too short) - now it's warmer cropped or ankle skimming skinny chino trousers are so easy to wear with anything
also printed dresses with a blazer or similar, or plain dresses with something a bit unexpected, or generally understated with utterly fabulous shoes. if you have a more vintage style it's really easy to wear it for work in such an environment too

yes cigarette pants, silk tops of all descriptions so easy in summer

Jeans are fine for IT companies, I work in one myself with a casual dress code- the style ranges from techies in jeabs and hoodies to people wearing a slightly more casual smart look. It took me a while to adapt after years of suiting up!
I tend to go with dark indigo/black/dark grey denim that isn't too obviously jeans, fitted chinos etc with some nice blouses, Breton tops, silk tops and a jersey dresses that you can wear with flats. Flats, ballet shoes and shoe boots for the feet and blazers to dress up the denim. I find statement jewellery is great for dressing up an outfit which is otherwise denim and top.
Go a little smarter on your first day, but being too dressed up day to day can be as bad as dressing too casual.

I work out of a fairly casual office. I'm also out and about a lot, sometimes traipsing through parkland and woods or in and out of old buildings. So work clothes are quite tricky to get right. I don't wear jeans to work ever and I'm a bit smarter than most of my colleagues - I like a separation between work and home clothes, helps me to switch off/on.

In spring summer I wear:
Ankle grazers or cigarette trousers (navy/black/some bright colours)
Silky t shirts or scoop neck t shirts tucked in (navy, black, grey, white, cream)
Ballet/slipper flats - tan, leopard print, favourites are orange ATM
Slightly cropped blazer/jacket (navy, yellow, black, coral, khaki)

In autumn/winter:
Dresses, opaques, ankle boots/knee high boots, sometimes with jacket. Dresses usually shift/cocoon and plain dark colours or striped
Narrow cut wool trousers, fine knit sweater or silky top and knitted jacket
Mini ish skirt, opaques and boots, wool sweater

I've also got 2 wool coats, a winter and summer waterproof coat, and a cropped wool jacket.