Smarter workwear ideas please

[SuperFlyHigh]

I like clothes. But I feel (starting temping and then looking for perm legal secretary/PA job) that I need to get smarter work clothes.

I do have some smart/casual dresses (like Fenn Wright Manson Jersey wrap dresses) and some nice &other stories dresses but I feel they're more smart casual. They can be dressed up with a jacket. The stories gamer print dress I've got 2 of in navy and white and a sort of green and black/white print.

Don't like COS much. I was in H&M Strand the other day saw really nice workwear. Anywhere else? I don't want to spend a fortune on clothes unless I really like them and not a huge fan of Whistles synthetics. I have shopped at Hobbs etc in past but either too big for those clothes or have got rid of them.

5ft5 size 12, breasts on larger side. Fairly nice legs.

I tend to buy my workwear from a combination of Phase Eight dodging the mother of the bride shite, Pepperberry (for large of breast), Jaeger (from Jaeger outlet website which has massive reductions) and M&S. It can take a while to spot something in M&S amongst all the awfulness but when I do I find it's really worth it as the quality is great and their dresses last forever and fit nicely.

I work in The City and find I can wear much more smart casual type dresses than most imagine as long as I throw on a matching scarf and jewellery.

Massimo Dutti, Zara, New Look London Bridge branch has lots of work wear, Jigsaw, Next

Finery London

I wear a lot of Hobbs for work - always buy In sale and if you hold your nerve you can sometimes get as much as 70% off

Chocolate I'm going to be in Holborn sadly (but not far from London Bridge) and there's a New look there as well as one on Oxford Street.

I'm going to re look in Hobbs and Jaeger. I used to work in Wimbledon not long ago and bought some stuff from Hobbs, they did have good sales.

Chocolate jackets aren't too bad and shirts but I find hems on Zara clothes really badly stitched or on a work raincoat/mac buttons came off the hood part really easily! Going on along your lines of thought and they're online I'll take a look at Uterque the older sister of Zara and Massimo Dutti.

I've recently gone back to work, and in a more corporate environment than before.

Loads of sales going on currently - I've picked things up from Warehouse, House of Fraser, Mango, H&M, ASOS as well as those already listed.

I basically have a uniform of cigarette trousers with top/blouse/shirt and blazer or plain jersey/shift/shirt dress.

I have bought a few things from Hobbs recently - all reduced

Only ordered because of the price but it is surprisingly nice on

Loved this but too short for me at 5'7

This is lovely on too

I hate shopping and order online - I am ruthless about returns - 12 things ordered and I kept three.

If you're based in Holborn then check out the Brunswick centre as there is a Hobbs there. It's a bit further along from Russell Sw station.

Russell Square station

M&S Autograph do some nice stylish work stuff. And there's always good old Next.

Cointreau beat me to it: I think Autograph is M&S's best kept secret.

Chocolate I know Brunswick centre well, I think they have a space nk there too (makeup!).

cointreau I'll look at next directory website as often find that has more than the stores and will check out Autograph.

I'm going back to work next month (also corporate environment) and have picked up 2 nice wrap dresses from tk maxx - they have quite a lot of smart wrap dresses in at the moment.