Help with autumnising my work wardrobe!

[rockybalboa]

• I know autumnising isn't a real word...

Anyway, I went back to work in May after maternity leave and pretty much started my work wordrobe from scratch as an attempt at a smart casual capsule wardobe mainly themed around navy, yellow and blue. It's been working brilliantly but the weather is getting colder and I need to add a few extras to see me through autumn. I don't want to buy too much as I am on a weight loss drive. Today is a good example: I am wearing a yellow boxy style t-shirt top, navy cropped trousers and tan pumps. All good. But I'm cold. My office is the sort where it is sometimes hot, sometimes cold with no direct correlation to what the actual weather is like but never just right. I thought I needed a navy cardi but it just didn't look right. I'm not sure whether it was the cardi itself as it was a slightly different shade of blue to my navy trousers or whether navy trousers, yellow top and navy cardi just splits me up into different coloured sections in a weird way.

My navy dresses are easy enough as I can wear a yellow cardigan but the yellow dresses look a bit harsh with a navy cardi, too much contrast maybe? Do I need to introduce another colour? If so what works with yellow and navy other than white? I don't think a white cardi would be right. Grey? Tan? Are tan cardis a bit meh? Ideally I'd just buy a load of Boden style 3/4 length sleeve Breton tops but I don't really want to spend the money and it still doesn't solve the need-a-cardi-to-wear-with-dresses issue. Is there THE perfect item out there to tie my capsule together for the autumn/winter? I'm not very good at working in scarves for warmth, they seem to get in the way (my job is desk based).

And what shoes/boots do I wear with navy and yellow esp with cropped trousers? Thus far I have been wearing mainly tan pumps, tan kitten heels and lovely nude patent peeptoe wedges but I need something more cold and wet appropriate. I'm fairly new to the whole ankle boots with cropped trousers and skirts issue. Can anyone advise? I used to wear a lot of black which was easy as it went with black opaque tights and black heels/boots in the winter but navy is much more forgiving on me than black but harder to style.

Can anyone help please? If it makes a difference I am 5ft 3, aged 37, size 14/16 and decidely apple shaped so nothing fitted over the mummy tummy!

Thanks :)

I wear a lot of navy for work - with black, tan, yellow, more navy, cream, pink, orange and a sort of rusty terracotta colour. Not all at the same time

But in winter I do wear more blacks and greys - short ish dresses mainly with opaques and ankle boots. And a bit of orange and pink. Black wool trousers too, with flats and heels but then you have the pop sock issue.

Thanks Billstickers. Which of those colours would you put with navy and yellow then?

I would wear grey (warm grey for mustard yellows, cool grey for buttercup yellows) with navy and yellow, not as stark as white or black. Tan might be a bit clashing with yellow although it would depend on which shade of yellow you wear.

You may find thin jumpers good for layering with cardi and dresses, the autumn months can be quite changeable temperature wise and jumpers will also take you into the winter months.

Cream probably, or grey as suggested above.

How about a cream Chanel type knitted jacket to wear with your outfit above - cream and yellow look lovely together. Or same jacket with a yellow or navy dress, navy tights and navy ankle boots. Zara and massimo Dutti maybe worth a look.

I've never mastered trousers and boots really, I wear pointy flats or heels, or ballet pumps.

Or a cream, navy or yellow blazer could work to tie it all together. Hold on will find some links

blue jacket

boucle

Lovely items bill the flecked blazer (1st link) is really smart and would look lovely with the op's prefered colours.