Capsule work wardrobe, so many questions, so shit at this! HELP!

[34AQuid]

I need to up my fashion game for work this autumn and want to put together a 'capsule' wardrobe, but I'm clueless abut this sort of thing and need help...pretty please .

Needs to be smart/smart casual (its not a corporate environment, so don't need to be fully suited and booted, but would like to look smart/glam/put together).

I dont 'do' separates, as have to be up and out early and prefer to pull on a dress, so my idea was:

5 dresses
2 blazers
2 cardis
3 or 4 pairs of shoes
2 handbags
Scarves/jewellery

Work dresses. Where do YOU get them? I've looked t Boden, Hobbs, Winsor, Me & Em, Next, M&S so far. Where else?

Colours. Struggling with colours and accessorising and knowing what goes with what. I like black, charcoal grey and navy. But:

With a navy dress, what colour shoes to wear? My default once its cold weather is black opaques and black heeled ankle boots, but this won't go with navy, will it?

Which accent colours to go for with things like scarves? Had my colours done and I am a winter jewel, but struggle badly to find things that feel like 'me' in those colours.

Shoes. I don't really do heels and flesh coloured tights (bare legs in summer, black opaques when it gets cold). What other shoes do I need other than black ankle boots? Styles, colours?

Handbags - I need a black one, but what colour for the second one? Tan? Grey? Navy? Help! Also - where to get simple, classic leather bags that are a cut above high street but arent eye watering or emblazoned with LV logo etc .

If you have got this far without nodding off, thank you. Any suggestions, double thanks!

I buy nice stuff from Cos, but it does suit a particular body type (tallish, small boobs).

I would wear black with navy, also I wear nude tights and stone / taupe colour suede shoes. I also wear a lot of olive green which is easy to match with grey, navy and stone. Does that fit your colours?

I'm the last person to ask really, but I'd love to know what people suggest. Would a navy dress with black tights and shoes work? I've not tried it and think that MNers will say no. Navy shoes with black clothes doesn't.
I don't use handbags and just use a tote or backpack. If I were to get a handbag, I'd probably go for a darkish tan one.
I watch what other people wear, and some people manage to get it right even though they might not be slim/tall/whatever.
I know a couple of women in their late 20s/early 30s who wear dresses with black tights and ankle books and they looked fine.
A woman in her 50s wearing trouser suits looked fine too.
There was a link on here yesterday for a personal shopper type quiz link. I'll see if I can find it.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/a2986671-AIBU-to-go-for-a-fashion-style-appointment?msgid=70639898#70639898

www.johnlewis.com/women/personal-style-edit

I have no connection with the company unless you count the little card for their supermarket that gets me a free paper and coffee.

Shoes is my thing!

I think You need:

Loafers for weekend casual look, go for something interesting colour wise
Ballet pumps or similar style for work/ smart for night out. Possibly black
Sandles for summer in tan colour
Ankle boots for winter

Personally, id would need to add heals to this list in both neutral and black.

Ahh and handbags. What about Katie Spade, are these in your pride range. Perhaps a neutral colour like this:

www.katespade.co.uk/uk/satchels/cameron-street-lottie/invt/pxru7940-231

Thanks all.

bigkidsdidit - I like the look of Cos, but fear it won't suit me. I'm tall, size 12, hourglass, big tits . That sort of 'smart but edgy dress with statement necklace and simple shoes' look that Cos goes for appeals, though.

Re: colours - I can't do live, khaki or brown, but a certain type of nude/cool beige/stone/taupe I can do. White but not cream. According to HoC, deep/jewel like colours - cerise, emerald, cobalt blue, deep teal - suit me, but I'd only consider these for scarves or accessories for work, really. I don't want to look like Alexis Colby.

DirtyDancing - £295 out of my current price range, I'm afraid. I was thinking more £100, as need two! . I like that colour bag, though. Nice.

For shoes, I do have tan heels and wedge sandals that I wear with dresses for summer at work.

I look forward to anyone else chipping in on the what shoes/tights with navy dress for autumn/winter! .

live = olive

Grey, burgundy or even red shoes all work with navy. Or even just navy If you keep everything else netural then brighter shoes can work quite well.

Whistles dresses can be good for something slightly more interesting; Don't dismiss Cos as I have had a couple of things from there (5 3 and booby) that have worked really well.

Never dismiss cos! Be prepared to try on lots, for some things to look utterly ridiculous on you, others to look ok, and maybe one-two things (from a changing room max of 7) that will look fab. This ratio seems to me from other threads on here to hold true for all body types! I'm short and very petite with it and I wear cos almost exclusively.

Watching with interest as I have a similar dilemma!

These? Sorry if they're not great for big boobs, not something I have to consider!

Whistles. Lands End ponté. Uniqlo (watch the length). M&S. Try Cos regardless. Mango. Finery? Baukjen?

I wear a LOT of navy (I'm in all navy right now) and do tend to wear navy shoes (Geox does proper navy), but also use plum, burgundy, cordovan, grey and black (at a push, I'm less keen), both for tights and shoes (I'm on the shorter end and need the height). Purple also good. You could even go for a patterned tight if the shoe is the same colour (but I am a lot lower contrast, so that's why I'm saying a lot of colours which are similar in depth).
Would you consider a flat or low heeled knee boot?

Look in TK Maxx for bags, Hobbs & Jaeger also do decent leather bags. I have a deep teal Furla bag which goes great with navy, olive green also goes really well.

Or these? Ok, so now I'm just shopping for myself 🤗
They do a variation on the cocoon dress every season and I've got a couple; the amount of compliments I get on them is unbelievable.

OK - going to take a peep at Whistles (forgot about them), Lands End and Baukjen...and like the idea of dark red, plum or burgundy shoes, actually...thanks, Free and Finders.

I'm also going to brave a Cos store, as only ever browse online, phoolani. My only issue with Cos is the lack of a defined waist in a lot of their styles of dress, which doesn't work for an hourglass shape. But willing to be proved wrong!

Finders - I'd definitely wear flat or low heeled boots, too. I have chelsea boots in black and taupe that I wear for more casual days at work (some days I have to be smarter than others, as deliver training, but when I'm not client-facing I can be more casual. I also have some flat riding boots, but long slim legs and big feet make me feel a bit like I'm wearing weliies if I wear with a dress...

Thanks, all!

I'm a tall size 12 hourglass with 32GG boobs, and have found myself wearing a lot more high waisted trousers with wrap tops and cotton long sleeved tops tucked in than dresses.

Closet are always good for workwear dresses and I like Warehouse at the moment - some great dresses here here here here here here that work really well for hourglass and capsules, as they don't have distinctive prints.

Plum, burgundy, rust and red shoes are a great call with navy, grey and black clothing. I have knee-length and ankle boots in those colours and rarely wonder what works. I do not have a single pair of black boots or a black bag.

I wear charcoal, brown or navy (never black) and wear red shoes or tan boots/bag - red or tan seem to go with most.

Can't help with workwear, sorry but I wear navy with black tights/boots all the time - I think it looks a bit edgier than navy with navy.

I think it's a bit of an old fashioned thing when people say black and navy don't look good together.

I think black would work fine with navy if you make it a "statement" by making it look intentional. Maybe by wearing a black cardigan or jewellery/accessories as well. Draw attention to the combination rather than going too neutral.

A dark purple might be more versatile, though. I'd search for "aubergine [item]", but I'm not too up on what different colours are known as; I assume that's darker than "plum", but don't take my word for it!

Another vote for navy/black (so long as it is obviously intensional), looking very smart. Just black tights/shoes with a navy dress could look as if you got dressed in the dark. The same, with a scarf in predominately navy and black (if you can find one) looks great. Ive also seen a navy dress with black panels (saw it on someone, didn't get a chance to ask 'where') but it looked great with black shoes/opaques and a mixed scarf.

I was actually coming to to ask whether you had done any HofC style? I think it would really answer all your questions and would be worth doing before investing too much in new things. If you already have, then a refresher would a different consultant might be worth considering. Hi found the colour interesting, but style really changed things for me. No more dilemmas, bliss.

The Fold? I have a nice dress from the day wear section at Coast, some Boden, and some Toast for more casual days, a couple of dresses from Jigsaw and anther two from Whistles (my favourite brand) one plainish White Stuff Dress and then skirts from M&S and Toast. I find Hobbs a bit too "grown up" for my style, I imagine "smart" late middle aged women wearing it. A trawl through Jaeger rails can be useful. I've tried capsule wardrobes before and they don't work for me, I found it boring to dress that way. Now I reckon I have enough clothes and love most of them so it is strictly one in one out.

Just remembered that Diva Catwalk are good if you like Baukjen type styles, Dr Dawn Harper wears a lot of their stuff.