Workwear Chatty Part 3 - theworkwearedit blog

[Littlepinkpear]

Starting thread 3 already! Who knew we could make it to 2000 posts on pencil skirts and sensible footwear

I like the Hardy tote too (and even more so in the pink!)

This is beautiful
m.jaeger.co.uk/Jones%20Tote/790010J,en_GB,pd.html?dwvar_790010J_color=40500&dwvar_790010J_size=ITM&start=3&cgid=accessories-bags

Over budget but I'm seriously considering it...

Purplepenguin in City law firms lots of female lawyers wear smart jersey dresses, or shift dresses (patterned, not just black and grey), or skirt/ trousers with a mismatched, more funky jacket. The conservative suit with a shirt or top is seen much less (I had to go and buy an additional one recently because I had a court hearing, which shows it's not what I'm wearing every day). Before you start, you might want to get the bare bare minimum and then see what others are wearing. Cardigans, at my firm, are oddly controversial lots of people wear them over dresses, but we tell female senior associates to wear a jacket not a cardi if they want to make partner. Not sure that's fair on the cardi, but dress for the job you want and all.

Jaeger bags are great quality. I got this one www.jaeger.co.uk/Chadwick%20Hobo%20Bag/790002H,en_GB,pd.html?dwvar_790002H_color=75000&dwvar_790002H_size=ITM&start=4&cgid=accessories-bags&prefn1=refinementColor&prefv1=Blue%7cNavy earlier this year. I can get a4 papers in it as well as the usual. And the strap lengthens so I can wear it cross body at the weekend. The leather is beautiful.

Best of luck

I agree with brillenbar purplepenguin.

I'd say buy one good black suit, they are always a staple but after that wait til you get started and see what others are wearing. The young lawyers where I am are quite adventurous and over the last three years are so it has spread! Lots of dresses.

I have a gorgeous sophia hulme bag for work but it might be a bit pricy for you.

I saw a lovely autograph celine like bag in m&s which I thought was fab and would def be good for work.

Have a look at the dress bought from karen millen upthread, that's the kind of thing being worn where I am, I also personally wear a lot of cos.

Oh and heels, there's no escaping the damn things, even with trousers. I tend to wear clarks because they are comfortable enough to wear all day but plenty wear skyscrapers!

V exciting to be staring your career!

Talking of cardigans, does anyone have any favourites for work? We have no dress code most of the time (for suit days I have a suit) and I don't feel like wearing a jacket every day. Today's outfit is black trousers, top in Boden Ravello style (made by me) and a black cardigan, somehow the cardi is too fluffy and woolly for July, if that makes sense.

Coach have quite good structured work bags and are on sale at the moment. Annoyingly the sale doesn't seem to show up on their UK website but the Regent St store has lots of half price bags. Good quality and colours.

Thank you brillenbar and wilting

It's hard to know what to get because I have met current trainees and associates primarily at assessment centres etc where they have obviously been told to be suited and booted, and also at events during December and in the summer when it is 'dress down'. It did all seem to be about the charcoal grey and black suiting but you have given me hope!!

I will be training at a regional (south-east) office of a city/nationwide firm, don't know if that makes a difference?

Is there are chance of a couple more links to appropriate dresses? I looked at the Karen Millen one and couldn't think where I would find similar on the high street.

The thing with getting the bare bare minimum is that I have simply no office appropriate clothes at all right now. So if I bought one suit I could manage maybe 2-3 days before needing to go on a spree. Gah!

I do have shoes though, so that's a start

Penguin how about a black suit, a matching sleeveless/short sleeve black dress and if you can run to it a sleeveless/short sleeve grey or b/w dress? In as good quality as you can afford, expecially the black suit.

That should keep you going for quite a long time - all you do is buy a few tops scarves and necklaces & you're away... Once I'm at the office, I don't wear my jacket, so IME don't need that many jackets. (I am an accountant, mind)

It's been a while since I wore a formal suit to work, but I had one that was jacket, dress, skirt and trousers all in the same fabric from Jigsaw. Another from Hugo Boss (no mortgage, no kids... those were the days). The HB one was just skirt and trousers but idea is the same.

It let me have a whole wardrobe of combos - so if you can pick up a skirt and dress to match a jacket you get much more wear out of them if you have to.

(Remembers when Jigsaw was good......)

Much like men buying two pairs of trousers to go with a suit jacket, I suppose.

Penguins Basically any phase eight dress is fine, not cutting edge but not charcoal. so I've seen www.phase-eight.co.uk/fcp/product/phase-eightAmity-Bird-Dress/202649050 or this www.phase-eight.co.uk/fcp/product/phase-eightFay-Feather-Dress/202627000 with a navy jacket or www.phase-eight.co.uk/fcp/product/phase-eightNicky-Printed-Dress/202511287

I've recently bought this shop.mango.com/GB/p0/women/sale/draped-dress/?id=21090274_02&n=1&s=rebajas_she&ident=0__0_1405020333343&ts=1405020333343 it is black but it looks v smart and you can stick it in the washing machine. No good if you're tall though because I'm 5 ft 2 and it's above the knee on me

I am not sure I agree that you should get the best quality available, esp early on in your career. You are absolutely fine in the mango cotton mix suit Belinda linked to on her blog, or the basic banana republic one. Skirts and trousers wear heavily when you spend all day sitting down (!) and you will need to replace stuff, and you're taste and needs may well change.

Have been thinking all day how lovely this thread is with all this wise workwear advice being freely offered. Am raising my glass if Drambuie to you all (sore throat cure).

Who mentioned the Uniqo silk tops a while ago? I just got an email about these so will go looking for them (have been going into Uniqlo periodically, but not seen anything worth mentioning, apart from the shirts which I blogged) www.uniqlo.com/uk/store/goods/130707/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=10th-Combo-July&media_type=owned&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=2655925&utm_content=21073566941&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Emailvision#thumbnailSelect

That Mango draped dress is one of my favourite pieces out, right now - it looks far more £££ than it is. I need size M, but if I lost weight, size S would be OK for me (but borderline bodycon).

Poor Belinda. I do hope you feel better soon.

It was I who mentioned Uniqlo silk tops. I got a lovely one a couple of months ago that was more fitted than those and in jersey. It's not clear if those new ones are jersey, but they look good. The 'problem' with uniqlo is you do have to keep popping in. I used to work by Oxford Circus and would go in once every 2-4 weeks or so. Sometimes it was wall to wall printed fleeces (shudder), sometimes it had some great things, sometimes it did have great things but no longer in my size. So I had to pop in more regularly...

Penguins I recommended you get the best quality black suit you can afford (so not (necessarily) Prada!) because IME a black suit is such a staple that you will wear it a lot, so cost per wear will be low, and lower than if you keep on buying cheaper ones that don't last as long and don't fit as well. My lovely mother bought me a black suit from Jaeger when I started work, and it lasted years and I always felt really good in it.

I still have my first two work suits - they are at my mothers! Size 8 and I'm now a healthy 10-12 but keeping them.

I have that same mango dress in red I think from a few years ago. It's very thick and looks great on, the black one would be lovely.

Has anyone seen a blouse like this one? It says ASOS but I think it's old.

[[30 Looks for 30 Days – Day 7
www.oliviapalermo.com/30-looks-for-30-days-day-7/]] I've been after something similar since my Zara one died in the wash.

Littlepinkpear - yes, saw one identical to that from Kew in TK Maxx earlier this week. They've had a few similar to that recently too.

Good news about the new Uniqlo silk stuff, especially like the look of this one. In town on Monday so will have a look then. Not sure how the colours will look in real life. They did some V-neck short sleeve patterned silk a few years ago which I wear a lot in the summer.

All this suit talk - I have to admit that I've never had one that I felt 100% happy in. Fortunately it's not really required for my area.

Feel better soon Belinda.

Thanks, ladies, Drambuie is rough, but its v good for a sore throat. As are salted potato crisps. I only eat them for medicinal purposes .

I agree re the need to keep popping in to Uniqlo. Their stock sells out so quickly online, and then you have to chase it around the shops. Ditto Zara sale stock. Good thing that I am tenacious.

Re pinkpear - I am surprised that that ASOS link doesn't work as I understand Olivia is quite commercial re her outfits and links. A search for lace shirt on ASOS didn't bring anything up, either. Maybe Google it? A look on ShopStyle might help?

Just did a blog post, including about how good the H&M invisible sock liners are - you can't see them at all.

Belinda! Those invisible socks are truly invisible, and they say in place too? Holy grail. Thanks!

By the way, they had loads of the Stories silk blouse in store last week, mostly the white but a few of the other colours too. Just in case anyone wanted to try it on.

Re staying power, so far so good. It's day 1, so they haven't been washed yet, though. Hopefully that won't change anything. Re sizing, I bought 39-41 and I am size 39.5/40. I'm v happy w them so far - making wearing my pointed flats that little bit more comfy. Might be good to take a fresh pair to work, after a sweaty commute?

A couple of purchases for winter;

this skirt which is decent quality and lined although not wool

and this jacket which is very nice and I'll wear with cropped trousers

I also bought this skirt which hangs well

Has anyone seen a kick-ass black pencil skirt - washable, and with some stretch but not so much it shows my caesarian scar?

That is exactly what I was coming on to ask, onehand!

The Zara one from Trying it On At Zara - Part 6. Hang on, will get link.

Oops, it was in Part 4. See the skirt I am trying on here. Will see if Zara have finally put it online theworkwearedit.com/trying-it-on-at-zara-part-4/

I was looking for a pencil skirt and got rather distracted by this print which I like the trousers as well.

Great print, missbeehiving

Hmm, Zara skirt is not line. There is the Gap black cotton pencil skirt, the J Crew No 2 pencil skirt in wool or cotton. Both are cut really well.