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.

Just delurking to say I have the cream Mango jacket pictured upthread and it's great. I often find cream hard to wear but the silver thread really does make it wearable for people with cooler skin tones. I've worn mine to work at least twice a week since I bought it.

Thanks loads for your help pear and Belinda. Your blog was really useful too, Belinda. nope, I'm not stalkery at all . Please could you do a post on what are dos or donts in different workplaces?

I've ordered a few things to try on. I'll post a separate thread to get some opinions when they arrive. In hindsight, I think one of the things I've ordered will make me look like David tennant.

David Tennant?!!! :) I think he looks like a Yorkshire terrier, and am trying to imagine what sort of sartorial disaster might lead one into terrier-territory.

I think he's quite cute in an over excited hamstery kind of way.

Potential disaster in question is a navy blue trouser suit which I'm now thinking is closer to bright blue than dark blue. Combined with my growing out pixie crop and converse for the commute, I may end up looking like a Dr who fangirl. I'm hoping my hairdresser can turn my scruffy mop into something like this as opposed to this

Must admit that second pic is pretty much my hair at the mo - I need a trim!

I can think of far worse things than looking like a Dr Who fan girl, tbh, and I don't get the Dr Who thing at all.

Oh, Gods. Have just remembered that I am being filmed at work again tomorrow. How do I stop my skin looking all shiny and green on camera? And what the heck shall I wear?

Where all you all? How dare you be out having a life, whilst I am having a style-induced breakdown?

has no life, has an energy sucking 4 month old

What are your possible outfits Remus?

Awww - you make him/her sound like a little vampire. :)

Erm...various combinations of black, I guess! Fitted dress plus jacket, pencil skirt plus jacket, cigarette trews plus jacket, tube skirt plus jacket, printed trews plus jacket, full skirt plus jacket etc.

Oh good luck with the cameras Remus! Shiny I understand but why would you look green? What jacket will you wear?

Vampire/dinosaur, remus. Spends his spare time making raaaar noises. Usually between 2 and 5am.

The cigarette and printed trews sound good. Unless the print is the kind that would cause strobing.

Dangles boob into thread, 7 week old has fed aaaaaall day today.

Are you standing up or sitting down Remus? Talking and walking?

Thanks Belinda and others for the linen thoughts a page or two back. I know you are all right, back to non creasing reality. Actually, I was also wondering what people thought of coloured or non matching jackets with dark trousers or skirts. On some other work wear threads this "look" has been dismissed as very dated middle aged lady pop of colour ish. That said, suits were also dismissed on the same threads as very passé as well. If you have to wear business corporate type smart clothes surely there is not a way around wearing either one look or the other...I agree with the posters who mentioned the Lisa Armstrong article, most work wear suggestions in magazines are a joke if you work in the kind of place that actually has a strict dress code. I can't decide if they have just never visited/ worked in really conservative places or if I am stuck in a delusional Carrie Mathison style black suit 90's rut.

I have no idea why I look green, but I honestly did last time. Nerves combined with harsh lighting maybe? Not good!

Will be standing up and dancing around a lot. Might go for plain cigarette trews then.

Oh and a dinosaur vampire sounds adorable - but I am not broody at all, oh no.

Re mismatched jacket - skirt/trousers, Jess Cartner Morley was on about this in the Guardian at the weekend. It's a thing apparently :)

Remus, you're very welcome to him right now. He's been a horror for the past week. Out of interest, what do you do?
Z,
pear Is she/he having a growth spurt?

That's quite interesting but. I think very bright colours and black look a bit dated but darker, more muted colours - navy, grey, dark green, burgundy - can look quite nice.

Enormouse, what colour bottom half can you wear lighter or bright colours with do you think that still looks boring/conservative? I think taupe or cream jackets would be ok with dark colours but what about red/blue/green etc Maybe there is no answer and they just are dated...

In my dreams I have the work wear wardrobe (and figure) of Alicia Florrick from the Good Wife but having Googled it she is in about 2 grands worth of clothes per episode. I fear this may be the true price of corporate style.

Wonders why Remus is dancing
Cigarette trews unless you have amazing legs.

Re: DD she has fed every 2-3 hours since she was born 7 weeks ago. Maternity leave has seen a major clear out of my wardrobe. I can't do casual, even now. It feels wrong, I suit tailoring and structure.

So much has been bagged up and donated. Winter work stuff is in the loft and I'm starting again.

Been looking to start with lots of nice basics, but they are very hard to find. Belinda's blog and the threads have a) given me massive amounts of inspiration b) saved me through the long nights of feeding & crying c) cost me a small fortune when I'm supposed to be on mat pay...

I tried on a few things today in next but bought nothing. Though I had found a nice white linen t-shirt but it was so thin it showed everything through it.

I would like a plain white cotton top and a white and black structured boho style top. Anything baggy makes me look like a top heavy sack of spuds. The sale Hobbs top and skirt linked up thread were lovely.

Hoping to get to Mango soon to see some of the things featuring on lots of blogs in the flesh.

Light/bright colours - probably with dark grey or brown. What kind of dress code does your workplace have but?

I'm really not sure either, you probably need someone like remus or Belinda or another regular on this thread to say something definitive and wise on the subject.

I know nothing about colours, I'm afraid.

I do have reasonably decent legs (the only bit of me that is half decent).

I'm a teacher, but do tend to leap around like a loon quite a lot, hence the dancing!

Will swap dinosaur vampire boy for a sulky 17 year old. Deal?

Zara sale starts at midnight!!

Will be back to read properly

I had this in my head, remus m.youtube.com/watch?v=wCDIYvFmgW8 .

It's a deal, I'll also throw in a stroppy toddler as a BOGOF.

Love it - will try those moves out now, ready for class!
Not sure I could handle a toddler nowadays tbh - past it.