Workwear chatty thread Part 2

[BelindaAllWorkedOut]

Let's talk workwear. Maybe a little bit of non workwear fashion chat, too.

My blog is at theworkwearedit.com but our chat goes above and beyond that.

That top is lovely, looks like it should be really soft and I can never resist button backs!

belinda did you order anything from the Mango outlet in the end? Im tracking my order, its coming from Spain! Its arrived at Gatwick so should be with me soon. Not bad for £2ish delivery!

My basket emptied before I could check out. I did add a few things in, again, so will go back and have a look and see if I want them.

I have just ordered a J Crew Tippi round neck in black (BNWT from eBay) and just ordered the BODEN silver wedges (to try) so there isn't really any clothing budget left unless the item is Practically Perfect in Every Way.

First J Crew order ever arrived yesterday.
Dress: lovely colour and shape; however it is quite short (1-2 inches above knee) and (Belinda, close your eyes) it is polyester. I am wearing it to work today. Let's see...
Skirt suit: great jacket - really lovely. The skirt is again really short, especially for work. Perhaps I should have bought the next size up so that it can sit a bit lower on my thighs. Too late to return now as the next size up has sold out.
All in all, I am not convinced the clothes look as expensive as they are (although I cannot complain too much as the ones I bought were heavily discounted).

Belinda I was pleasantly surprised by a lot of the M&S stock in my local (so not very big) store the other week. My failure to buy anything was more down to my funny shape so things didn't fit quite right, than the style & quality.

Bearleigh - I've had a similar experience recently. I ordered lots of pencil skirts to top up my work wardrobe but all were too big or just not quite right on the waist. These was particularly nice but not when they bag around the bottom region
www.marksandspencer.com/cotton-rich-tile-border-pencil-skirt/p/p22293753 and
www.marksandspencer.com/jacquard-square-knee-length-pencil-skirt/p/p22304230

just started a sep thread ranting about arbitrary Zara sizing

I KNOW I KNOW

Hello, can I join pls?

Just to say that I go back to work from mat leave in a few weeks. I've just spent hours in Westfield Stratford and there was hardly any work wear! Is Oxford street better do people think?

It may be because I'm so out if the loop that I just don't recognise it when I see it! Will go back and read thread now.

Hi BinkyBix

I went to Stratford pre-returning to work last Easter and spent a small fortune in Reiss.

But actually when I got back to work, I realised I could probably have done just as well in more high street places. I do think Stratford has quite small versions of shops but there is a good little group around the ground floor near John Lewis of Hobbs, Reiss, Cos, Karen Millen and a couple of suit ones - Austin Reed & TM Lewin IIRC.

Upstairs the Zara and H&M are pretty decent, and lots of people on this thread mention Next & M&S.

I think Oxford St just has bigger versions - something like HoF is quite useful for gathering your ideas.

Good luck - it is tough

Hi Binky

Kefy - snap, I'm trying to finish a post about what I tried on at J Crew. Definitely one to buy at sale prices, but it loved their pencil skirt and their jewellery and shoes are loveliness.

Binky, I find Covent Garden quite good for work clothes stores. Hobbs, Banana Republic, Whistles, Gap, Jaeger outlet, to name but a few.

I do agree about Covent Garden and would add Agnès B. The Zara in CG is my favourite: big enough to have the good bits and not so big they get lost in the jumble. My favourite things from Zara have come from that branch.

Those M&S Skirts were very nice in theory Cromwell, especially the tile print one, such a shame the fit was off. This (in black) was my favourite M&S dress. The fabric is lovely and the design & everything looked really good. It could have cost a lot more money. Sadly my shoulders were too wide:

www.marksandspencer.com/bubble-textured-skater-dress/p/p22297175?colour=PalePink

Someone with dark hair (& slim shoulders) would look gorgeous in it in pink!

I have dark hair and annoyingly skinny slim shoulders but that shade of pink is a bit too pastel for me.

Nice dress but not sure the shape is working on Emma Thompson (and she is far taller than I am)

I am not on here until I have finished the J Crew post, but... Have MASSIMO DUTTI fixed their website? I am on there now and I can actually see the clothes. It's amazing!

If the. Weather doesn't buck up I Wont wear my pollen skirt

I wore a coat today. My skirts are ALL gathering dust.

You ladies all sound in the know so can I ask some advice? Where can I get short sleeve, non polyester tops to wear in a corporate-y office?

So far everything I've found has been one or more of:
too sheer
too loud colours/pattern
too low a neck (I'm petite and v necks are generally too revealing)
too tight in fit for warm weather (I think I'm after a blouse or loose t-shirt)
too big (I'm a short size 6 on top)
sleeveless (our office is a bit too conservative for something so daring...)

Shirts don't look great on me as am short bodied.
I found one silk/viscose top from Zara that was perfect. 4 years ago. And nothing since.

Have nothing to wear with my nice Zara cigarette trousers and have skirts gathering dust...:(

Hi million - are you on Pinterest? All of the tops and shirts that I think make great workwear are on my Pinterest workwear tops and shirts board. I can't link as on iPad, but if you look up workwearedit, that should bring it up.

million i swear by the Boden ravello tops - especially 2013 version in cream which had pretty fluted sleeves

www.boden.co.uk/en-GB/Womens-Tops-T-shirts/Short-Sleeved-Tops/WA488/Womens-Ravello-Top.html

How funny, Ed _ the mention if silk viscose w sleeves made me think of the Ravello top, too!

I find that Boden picture annoying - why does she have her bag in front of the skirt/shirt so we can't really see what it looks like?
A small thing I know but I find a lot of their photos don't display their clothes that well (and am at work so can't look at the vids)

Banana republic is pretty good for tops Million

Thanks all. I never think of Boden for conservative workwear but that top in navy could have been 'the one' (if they hadn't sold out). Though the length would probably be a tad long on me, might create a tuck-in bulge...how do people find the sizes generally on Boden, do you tend to size up/down?

I do like BR Petite stuff so will check it out again. Have some good basic t-shirts from there but I think something looser for Summer is needed...

Belinda: how can I see what brand the clothes are on Pinterest (or will that be obvious if I join)?

Million - you don't need to join. Just click on any of the Pins that you like and it will display a big pic and the details, in which I include the brand, fabric, other details and cost.

Try eBay for ravellos